“War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.”  — Smedley Butler

The Care and Feeding of the Very Few

Donald Trump and the Zionists caused a dust up over the weekend.  It appears it has already calmed down.  But not before unsettling millions of people all over the world.  Over fifty are dead from being smashed during a funeral procession in Iran.  And, of course, the second most powerful political figure in Iran is dead by drone.  Lots to think about here.

We call Solemani a terrorist.  England called George Washington’s army terrorists.  Sometimes the idea of military men and terror gets blurry … to say the least.  One thing is certain in war and politics.  There’s lots of confusion.  There’s another certainty in war and politics.  The rich and powerful tend to improve their lot while the rest suffer.

Above I quoted U.S. Marine Corp leader Smedley Butler from his 1930s book “War is a Racket.”  He also observed, “War is a racket. It always has been … A few profit — and the many pay. But there is a way to stop it. You can’t end it by disarmament conferences. You can’t eliminate it by peace parleys at Geneva. Well-meaning but impractical groups can’t wipe it out by resolutions. It can be smashed effectively only by taking the profit out of war.” 

He also stated, “If only more of today’s military personnel would realize that they are being used by the owning elite’s as a publicly subsidized capitalist goon squad.”

Infusing the idea of family values into war values J.R.R. Tolkien published his children’s tale, The Hobbit, two years after Butler’s tract went viral.  Tolkien served in the bloody hellscape of WWI.  He spent the rest of his life working to ennoble the sacrifice and suffering of machine-addicted humanity in conflict with nature and nature’s God.  Threatened by global communism and capitalism Germany’s leader helped plunge Europe and the world into the most mechanized and brutal world-wide war in history just a couple years after that.

War was tamed by entertainment media, the United Nations, fear of nuclear annihilation and fatigue as the British Empire closed up shop.  Or did they?  The English language went on to become “Globish” while England’s renegade colonies in North America settled into the role of global cop and sole superpower.

Now we find ourselves closing in on nearly a century of development since Butler made his observation about profits and war and war is more profitable than it ever has been in all of human history.  And the major benefactor is the United States of America.  We don’t make anything anymore except high tech weapons, military drones and bombs.  We moved all our manufacturing to Asia decades ago.

There’s three ways to make money in America.  Financial speculation, service jobs and finding a perch somewhere near the military industrial complex.  All our stuff is put together elsewhere.  We grow and produce our own food, if you want to call it that.  We’ve capitalized and corporatized the humanity out of everything … especially food production.  You don’t make it in farming anymore without being mega.  Get big or die.  The Walmartization of the world.

I’m not against progress.  I am for human progress.  Human progress is not the same as machine progress.  Capitalism favors the machine over human labor because machines are not as messy.  They are predictable … we think.  I learned this week that stock trading is now done by robots.  Solemani was killed by a youngster holding a “joy” stick sequestered in a metal crate in some remote location half way around the world from where the killing took place.  The machine made the killing risk free and absolutely predictable.  How much profit was made on the drone and the missiles do you think?

Trump’s political fortunes were down for a few hours.  Now he sits astride the world for appearing the strong man with his bold tweets and ballsy assassination.  Was someone talking about impeachment or something?  As you know, I support Donald Trump.  The alternative is terrifying.  I voted for him without hesitation in 2016.  I’ll do the same in 2020, praying the whole time that Christianity stops diddling with porn, fame and altar boys while getting back to prayer, gospel preaching and truthful local living.

We have families to love and neighborhoods to build.  We have enormous capacity, but we are distracted by war and profits.  God help us.  We live in momentous times and each of us is given a quest … a purpose.  The Hobbit Frodo complained to Gandalf about his part in the Fellowship’s quest to Mordor.  He said, “I wish the Ring had never come to me.  I wish none of this had happened.”  Gandalf responded, “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”  

Use your time wisely today.

Amen.