Business of War
Why is America shipping military gear to Iran? A good question that should be asked, since America has been rattling sabres since GW got tingle for Mahmoud. The answer is not one that most Americans will care to hear, nor interested in doing much about. It comes down to the mixing of commerce and war. When the two meet, only horrible things can result. America's defense department apparently has a lot of surplus and legacy equipment -- the over capacity no doubt a result of defense contractors pushing Uncle Sam to buy more. Through a series of third parties, the defense department moves equipment out to civilian hands, from where it skips the country and tend to end up in the hands of the highest bidder.
Playing this out to ultimate end will find surplus American military gear in the hands of enemies on a battlefield. American made equipment being used to kill American soldiers, fighting wars triggered by politicians, at the behest of military contractors. If the present trend of contracting the military continues of course, the defense contractors themselves would ultimately supply the soldiers. So, defense contractors build weapons, ensure they end up in the hands of all combatants, and hell, maybe even supply the combatants, and profit from the chaos that result. All funded of course, by the taxpayers, who are too lazy to do anything about it. Brings new meaning to the words collateral damage.
Wars are unfortunate in civil societies, and are a necessary evil -- an instrument of good -- in dealing with uncivil societies. The business of war and warmongering however, is morally wrong for civil and just societies.
Playing this out to ultimate end will find surplus American military gear in the hands of enemies on a battlefield. American made equipment being used to kill American soldiers, fighting wars triggered by politicians, at the behest of military contractors. If the present trend of contracting the military continues of course, the defense contractors themselves would ultimately supply the soldiers. So, defense contractors build weapons, ensure they end up in the hands of all combatants, and hell, maybe even supply the combatants, and profit from the chaos that result. All funded of course, by the taxpayers, who are too lazy to do anything about it. Brings new meaning to the words collateral damage.
Wars are unfortunate in civil societies, and are a necessary evil -- an instrument of good -- in dealing with uncivil societies. The business of war and warmongering however, is morally wrong for civil and just societies.
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