We, as both Democrats and Progressives, have a long, long way to go in order to turn America around

[MrScorpio]

It was naive for any of us to think that it could have been done overnight. The people who are invested heavily in the UNITED STATES OF WAR have and will fight long and hard before we ever turn to a nation of peace. http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3158779

Another DUer, Ron Green, pointed out that "War is easy and peace is hard", so true.

One thing that I took away from my seven years of working in the Pentagon was how much that the National Military/Industrial/Congressional Complex has America by the short and curlies. This was back in 1994 and under another Democratic administration even.

Now, this is not to say that President Obama is a warmonger or a willing dupe of the Complex. But the fact is that he's in charge of a franchise that's hurtling fruitlessly in the wrong direction. And the people who are to blame for this is painfully clear... We ALL are.

I learned a long time ago that the way that the ruling class makes things go their way in America is by getting us all to do their dirty work for them. A dictatorship won't work, so a mindset is created in the heart of this country that we have to maintain a war economy in order to survive. A great source of information about how this works is by checking out the work of Edward Bernays, who was the father of the modern public relations industry.

Very few of us understand that the Complex is at the very heart of maintaining our place as the preeminent global power, and they spent a lot of time and money to convince us to be that way..

Whether or not we have combat troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, fleets of warships sailing around the seven seas, or troops garrisoned in fifty other countries around the world, it's all the same: To find some way to pour Godless amounts of money into the coffers of war profiteers.

If this country is ever going to be one that follows a path toward peace, we have to change our ways as a nation.

First, we have to stop being afraid. Everyone is NOT out to get us. Not all ideas that originate outside of the US are bad. People who live outside of this country have more in common with us than they do not.

Second, America's real strength is based on the power of our ideals, not our weapons. We'll lead only if others think it's a good idea to follow. Fear is a bad motivator for cooperation.

Next, our economy is based on exploitation, and it's been an abject failure. We should let it fail in order to build a better one.

And lastly, we all need to take all of that and stand together to realize that America doesn't need to be an Empire. To fight for that.

It did not and will not happen overnight.

It won't happen because of a change in the White House, it'll happen because of a change in ourselves.

[bridgit]

1. Correct

[Bluerthanblue]

2. so very well said, and full of uncomfortable wisdom.

happy to k&r this.

Thank you for posting.

[cali]

3. What does this even mean?

"Next, our economy is based on exploitation, and it's been an abject failure. We should let it fail in order to build a better one."

How would the complete failure of the economy be a good thing? Who do you think would suffer most? Take one guess.

[MrScorpio]

4. That was aimed at the big banks, who profit from exploitation

Congress and the White House didn't do any of us any favors by bailing them out without condition.

That bailout money would have been better off going to local banks, along with putting the big boys under a stranglehold of regulation and supervision.

If they were too big to fail, they were too big to live.

[Bluerthanblue]

5. the little people are always the ones who suffer most Cali- is that

enough reason to continue on in a way that is quite honestly, immoral, doomed to eventually fail, and runs by exploitation of the little people?

Who is suffering the most now?

[MrScorpio]

6. I'm kicking this as a reminder of what we're all up against

If you want the troops out of Iraq and Afghanistan, we have to change America fundamentally.