It seems to me the U.S. military – which might more accurately be styled the federal military – is simply the enforcement division of the federal government and the corporations that own and so control it.
Marine Major General Butler elaborated this fact some 100 years go, from the perspective of a top-level enforcer, who came to realize (and regret) his “service.” I suspect there are many such now but more who cannot deal with the fact and so suppress it by convincing themselves they are “fighting for freedom” and “defending democracy.”
But, I ask – and gently: How, exactly, has the federal military fought for our freedom? Yours and mine?
I mean since the War for Independence?
It did fight – or threaten to – after the war was over, to take away the freedom of rural American farmers who objected to being told they must pay taxes in currency they didn’t have, because they lived mostly by barter using the whiskey they distilled from the crops they grew. They did not see that they “owed” taxes to the federal government or anyone else, not having agreed to them.
Washington – the general – sent federal troops to make sure they did pay them.
Jefferson, not the federal military, served the cause of freedom – by repealing the so-called Whiskey Tax.
Post-Jefferson, the federal military was used to reduce the size of Mexico – and the Indian population – which benefitted some Americans, certainly. But was the ideal of freedom – the principle of leaving others be who have not caused others harm – furthered by double-dealing and violence? Or did it merely establish the fact of hypocrisy that – one day (our day) would return in the form of repercussions rooted in our own rueful acknowledgement that what was done wasn’t right and thus not defensible?
And that was before the most indefensible act yet performed by the federal military – that ugly business being the laying waste of the South in order to establish the hegemony of the federal government.
The head of that government, at the time, had the surreal audacity to speak of what his military was doing as serving to assure that “government of the people, by the people, shall not perish from this earth.”
A greater affront to facts is almost inconceivable. The people of the South had, after all, sought to secure precisely what the head of the federal government eventually took away from them by force of arms. That being a government of the people – of the South – who considered that the people of the North were bent upon taking away from them the right to govern themselves; i.e., of their freedom to chose their own government, as opposed to having one imposed upon them.
That freedom has been lost – and not just in the South. The entire United States is ruled by the federal government, which does largely and insolently as it likes with the remaining freedoms still possessed by Americans. Those being the few it hasn’t yet had time to take away.
How has the federal military prevented any of that from occurring? Or has it facilitated it happening?
“Our freedoms” – as they are styled – have been gang-raped by the federal government since that day some 20 years ago, when Americans didn’t fly airplanes into buildings. And then the federal government took away the freedom of Americans to board a commercial airplane without being handled like people who’d lost their freedom – after due process, in a court of law.
Without any due process at all.
Did it rise up to stop another president who declared himself to be the law? Who also declared that torturing anyone he liked was within the prerogative of the “Decider,” as he styled himself?
Did the federal military step in to prevent the almost complete loss of our freedom – including the most basic ones – when the federal government declared an “emergency” and the state governments that are beholden to it decreed that Americans no longer had any to speak of? That they must stay at home, imprisoned there? Ordered business owners to close the doors of their businesses without any compensation for the ruinous losses incurred?
Did not order the giant corporate-owned chains to close their doors? But did order every American to wear a “mask”?
What happened to the freedom of those who did not wish to wear a “mask”? Or the freedom of Americans to decide for themselves whether they wished to be around or do business with the “unmasked”?
The most basic freedom of all – to be free of government forcibly violating our bodies in a manner that is functionally equivalent to rape – is not one the federal military lifted a finger to prevent the federal government from doing.
Even to the federal military, itself.
This is not to impugn the bravery or even the good intentions of many – probably most – of the people who have “served” in the military. But bravery – and good intentions – do not change the facts regarding the “services” they have performed. Many of the people who served in other militaries no doubt were brave and well-intended, too. Does it alter the fact of whom – and what – they actually served?
The fact is not easy to come to terms with. But it isn’t ameliorated by not coming to terms with it.
. . .
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I know this is a couple days old, but I feel this is the most applicable place to ask. Can anyone recommend accurate books about Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson?
The disturbing thing is I don’t think our civilian military would disobey an order to turn on their fellow citizens (even though not disobeying in that situation would be highly illegal). It’s human nature to go with the flow and to want to preserve your rank, even when the law (and The Law) is on your side. I don’t see it being any different in the military.
Do most Americans even know that the US military lost in Vietnam? They were humiliated. They had to turn tail and run. Same in Afghanistan, except it took twice as long.
And how about the fact that after trillions spent on supposed defense, they couldn’t prevent a handful of guys with utility knives from killing 3,000 innocent people on American soil?
Thank you for your loserdom!
The US military succeeded in its mission. It’s objective was never to stop north vietnam, its objective was to use as much war materials as humanly possible. It succeeded.
An objective of many fedgov wars is simply to consume war materials so the taxpayer ends up paying for new war materials for those consumed. People think Biden is an idiot leaving so much stuff behind in afganistan. Nope, that was intentional so new stuff would need to be purchased. New and improved and more expensive because now the enemy has the old stuff.
The Five Stages Of Totalitarianism
Stage 1: Discontent and Rumblings
Stage 2: The False Savior and the First Revolution
Stage 3: Censorship, Persecution, Propaganda, and the Ending of Opposition
Stage 4: The Crisis
Stage 5: Purges, Genocide, and Total Control
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/five-stages-totalitarianism
IF YOU FLY THE FLAG YOU’VE BEEN HAD – DAVID ICKE DOT-CONNECTOR VIDEOCAST
https://www.bitchute.com/video/C16QwWuEIGTn/?fbclid=IwAR3-G901ejVxi-lnkfK_KJZbUb-aEMEfqOulOalfffqNCFJ7uUen3YeszSg
“Thank you for your service.” Everyone applauses on TV. I want to punch them in the mouth. LIARS BECOME FRYERS! They’ve got hell to pay on the other side. I’m pretty sure there are 12-foot tall muscular people that are going to beat the crap out of these scumbags. And then after that, they’re going to burn for a very long time. And then after that they’re going to go to horrible jail for a very long time. THEN we’ll see if they still want to commit PUBLIC FRAUD after that. They won’t be smiling where they’re going.
One of Frank Hassle’s bits is to go harass people, act as offensively and obnoxiously as possible, getting the normies super riled up, and then saying, “I’m a veteran. Thank me for my service.”
It’s super funny watching their programming crash behind their eyes.
Hi Michael,
That one’s a pants-pisser… thank you for it!
You are welcome! I’m glad you watched it. Yep, I’ll have tears running down my face by the end of the video. So cathartic.
Plenty more on Bitchute!
Audiobook: “War is a Racket” by Smedley Butler
https://youtu.be/26O-2SVcrw0
Many great comments. Never forget, under all of the illusions/delusions the military is simply the enforcers for a Gang of thieves and murderers writ large. Its always been that way, and as long as coercive states exist, it will always remain that way. While I really feel sorry for all of those who have been sacrificed in the Empires endless, pointless wars. That is tempered by knowing that the vast majority of those sacrifices have been in vain. If you want a good follow up to general Butlers book, check out the New confessions of an economic hit man. By John Perkins. This video is about the original book. The situation is much, much worse now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=btF6nKHo2i0&ab_channel=TEDxTalks
Excellent book and good read “confessions of an economic hit man. By John Perkins.”
I did some time in the Air Force during the Cold War. Went in when I was 18 and naive about all this. If we had real education instead of the brainwashing that passes for education, I never would have signed up in the first place. It wasn’t until I was well out of the military that I’d even heard of General Butler.
There was a time I would have recommended to young people that the military would be a decent launching pad for a career and building a life. Not necessarily to stay until retirement, but to do a hitch, get some free college education, and learn a skill that could earn you a living (medical, computers, mechanics, etc., something besides cannon-fodder infantry or whatever). Not anymore. I wouldn’t even think of sending a young person into the military today. If anything, I’d be advising them on how to avoid it.
Same here. Enlisted in the Army at 17. No way would I encourage a young person to do so now.
Well… there was that archduke Ferdinand… I mean, what a great archduke he apparently was… certainly worth the slaughter of millions…
Then there were those vietnamese digging tunnels in the jungle 7000 miles away. I mean, anyone digging tunnels has to be up to no good right?
And don’t get me started on those terrorist Iraqis… We can kill a man in a car from space but in order to kill Sadam and his two boys we had to once again kill thousands of them, just to be sure. For freedumb you see….
There has been a military change. At one time there was a draft. Reason for the change: enough individuals fought against the draft – burning draft cards, fleeing to Canada, etc.
Today there is involvement by only a miniscule few regarding the current lawlessness.
“People get the government they deserve”
What Eric touched on in this article is correct. All now bow at the feet of DC, counter to what was sold to the people during ratification (itself a corrupted process).
We are not the land of the free, not at all.
Occasionally, someone will find out I’m a vet and “thank” me for my service. Why? I volunteered (as a dopey kid) and got paid. It wasn’t charity work. And what did I do for them? Nothing but ensure continued US hegemony.
Smedley Butler was right – the whole damn thing is a racket designed to keep us all subservient to the crooks and liars, bought and paid for by big money.
Great article Eric and classic Libertarian reasoning.
Every year and nearly every town in Amerika has patriotic parades of WW2 veterans. The sad fact is that Amerika was used to advance world wide totalitarian “democracies” and make the world safe for one particular banking dynasty.
What did WW2 actually accomplish? WW2 stopped the break away Germany from the Rotchild banking slave system, now Germany and Amerika are 100% enslaved to the banks and fiat money and all the debt that goes with it. Jews now run Germany, Germany gives Israel free nuclear ready Dolphin class submarines.
So why is Israel getting nuclear ready subs when Israel does not have nukes? Because the Zionists won WW2 and now Germany is cucked to being a vassal state to Israel. If you do not frame your arguments in terms of Zionist power, it makes no sense what Germany is doing. Why would Germany give away high tech nuclear ready subs that will be used to intimidate the host nation Germany? That is insane.
https://www.haaretz.com/2013-04-30/ty-article/.premium/israel-gets-5th-sub-from-germany/0000017f-df1a-db22-a17f-ffbb9fa80000
https://www.eutimes.net/2012/06/germany-sells-israel-nuke-ready-submarines/
(Don’t be fooled by cleverly worded articles that say Israel buys them, no you the Amerikan slave buy every single thing Israel buys.)
Germany, like Amerika, is being taken down. Germany being part of the EU dictatorship is now being forced to not produce any more gasoline vehicles:
https://www.zerohedge.com/political/european-auto-industry-decries-eu-ban-petrol-cars
Who is behind these mad policies?
In case you don’t know, Israel is a racist state, it is a Jewish only state. The people that live there, in Palestine, the natives have no say or any rights at all. Jews kill Palestinians on a daily basis with no consequence. Amerika and Germany both support Israel, and what Israel does is completely against the ethics of the European peoples.
So how can Amerika and Germany both support an apartheid state of Israel when it is against their core values? Because Jews own and control both of those nations.
The American guv sold its soul on June 8th, 1967 when it sided with Israel, after they sunk the USS Liberty and murdered 34 service men. Once again that day has come and gone with out so much as a peep from the jew owned media of course. Nice to see to terrible terrible Russian reminding us of it..
https://www.rt.com/news/556787-israel-uss-liberty-incident/
Let me add some fuel to the fire.
Q: What do elderly women Monika Schaefer and Ursula Haverbeck have in common?
A: They have served hard time in German maximum-security prisons for questioning “that which may not be questioned”–the so-called “holocaust©”.
“Holocaustianity©” has been weaponized and turned into a state “religion” from which no dissent from its “holy writs” will be tolerated. Despite PROOF that the outlandish, impossible claims made by its adherents are physically impossible, not scientifically possible and never occurred, it is still “against the law” in Germany and in many other countries (including Canada) to question its “holy writs”.
Those unfortunate enough to be prosecuted cannot bring evidence into court proving their position. A dishonest judicial “trick” is that of “judicial notice” which declares that the “commonly accepted narrative” must always be accepted, (even if it can be proven false).
Legal representatives have been found in “contempt of court” for attempting to introduce evidence countering outlandish and false “holocaust©” claims.
You see, the “holocaust©” cash cow is in peril as many of its recipients are dying off due to old age.
There is a new scam being perpetrated by the “holocaust©” reparations crowd called “holocaust©” transference syndrome. Two psychiatrists came up with scam to keep the “holocaust©” fable alive. According to these two, descendants of “holocaust©” survivors are afflicted with this syndrome and should also receive “holocaust©” reparations as well. Even unrelated people of this particular ethnicity / belief system can “catch” this syndrome. In this way, the “holocaust©” scam can exist in perpetuity.
Chutzpah, anyone?
The TRUTH cannot abide censorship…
Israel certainly does have nuclear weapons: the best estimates are over 400, which may be even MORE than the Chicoms or the UK and/or France. It also has several ICBMs, with ranges that can hit the UNITED STATES. A little more than having the understandable capability of fending off “aggression” of their Arab neighbors; now Israel’s bullying goes beyond the Eurasian Islamic world.
Israel is a prime driver of the middle east wars and is not “innocent” by any means. Iran has complied with ALL IAEA requirements while “poor little israel” does not comply with ANY international agreements regarding nukes. THAT is telling. If a nuclear war starts, it will have israel’s fingerprints all over it, not unlike WTC 9-11. I would prefer a “nuclear-free” israel. No one, even israel is going to mess with Iran, as long as the perception is that they possess nukes themselves. Israel’s nukes are already “in place” in major American and European population centers. No delivery systems are needed as they were brought in under special exemptions that israeli companies enjoy, not needing American customs inspection. For one, who the hell died and appointed Israel the “master” of the middle east?? Iran (and all other middle-eastern countries) KNOW that any nuclear “discharge” would affect the whole middle east . . . Any country that possesses nukes is not stupid . . . Israel has over a hundred nukes, manufactured with stolen fissile material and American classified technology, refuses inspections of its nuclear facilities and is, in general, a “pain in the butt” to the rest of the world, along with (blackmailed) “big brother” United States of America. Nope, I cannot give “poor little israel” as pass on this.
If you want to be a real patriot you despise the military and all the destruction it has wreaked on our society and others. It’s a big giant vacuum of mostly naive, stupid souls and trillions of dollars for not just nothing, but way less than nothing. If our fine mlitary (/s) disappeared tomorrow we would be more free, more safe, and the world would be an infinitely better place. Sir, I spit on your service.
But Mark, they are the reason we don’t speak German, Arabic, Farsi, Vietnamese, Russian, Korean, or Canadian. Thank them for their service, give up your airplane ticket to them, and lick their boots or you are an antifa-loving librul. Pfffft.
‘In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism.’ — Maj Gen Smedley Butler, quoted by Eric
Last week, it was casually announced that “Biden” is sending US troops back into Somalia to fight rebels.
Always stirring the pot, our meddling yankee fedgov! Somalia has exactly zero to do with US security, although ‘our’ involvement there brings lots of Somalis here, including Rep Ilhan Omar.
Last time I was in Seattle, I had a scintillating conversation with my Somali cab driver about life in Mogadishu — ahh, the joys of colonialism (such as they are).
Now, emboldened by the Ukies’ staggering $40 billion heist from the US Treasury, RINO ‘senator’ Joni Ernst of Ethanolia … sorry, Iowa … has introduced a defense contractor boondoggle to arm the entire middle east: Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.
These countries consist of five dictatorships and one ‘Abdul Crow’ apartheid democracy with statutory second-class citizenship for its religious minorities.
Savor the list of endorsers: ADL; AIPAC; AJC; American Jewish Congress; CUFI Action; FDD Action; Hadassah; JFNA; JINSA; USIEA; and senior Middle East scholars at the Atlantic Council.
America’s in good hands, comrades! /sarc /raspberry /middle finger
That’s the only so-called bipartisan thing that gets done now, shoveling money to the merchants of death weapons manufacturers. As George Wallace said many years ago, there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between the two parties, especially when it comes to giving our tax dollars away.
‘shoveling money to the merchants of death’ — Mike+in+Boston
Glenn Greenwald on “Biden’s” visit to Saudi Arabia, to meet the butcher who ordered a US citizen chopped to pieces with a chainsaw:
‘The core deceit about U.S. foreign policy — that it is designed to spread democracy and vanquish tyranny — serves no purpose other than to manipulate the American public, through the government tool known as the U.S. corporate media, to support whatever new wars, obscene spending packages, or authoritarian powers are demanded in its name.
‘Watching Joe Biden continue and even escalate the decades-long love affair between Washington and the murderous despots in Riyadh should dispel these myths once and for all and illuminate the reality, the actual motivational scheme, that drives the role that the United States plays in the world, both generally and in Ukraine.’ — via ZH
FJB: a blank-faced empty suit, full of bloviation and pique, signifying nothing.
What a wasted life.
Biden started bombing Somalia the same day Russia went into Ukraine.
From the first article I read this morning, followed up by Eric’s…
In the Progressive view, business leaders and machine politicians lacked a rational and broad view of the needs of society. In contrast, the government experts would approach society’s problems as scientists. Johnson felt this model already somewhat existed in the Department of War, where Johnson imagined the secretary of war was “quite free from political pressure and [relied] on the counsel of the engineers.” Johnson imagined that these science-minded bureaucrats could bring a “really economic and scientific application” of policy.
https://mises.org/wire/why-progressives-love-government-experts
Helps to explain the War On *.*™ that we’re always fighting. War on Drugz, War on Poverty, War on Terrrrrr!, and lately The War on Inequality.
At least with a shooting match you can actually see the enemy. These other wars require high priests 🙄 and other experts 🙄 who are the only ones who know the enemy’s intent, and the only real fighting is over which priest gets the attention of our wise lawgivers. 😜
There is a reason that suicide is the leading cause of death in the military. Probably several, but one just might be their inability to morally cope with the things they have been ordered to do. Reaching their Smedley Butler moment several years earlier than he did.
In its entire history there have only been about twenty years or so that the US military has not been actively engaged in killing people. A number of politicians have recently and openly threatened to use the military against our own people, again. The framers did not want a standing military at all, except for some of the Hamiltonians. For the exact reason that such are always misused, and eventually devolve into a culture of rape, pillage, and plunder. The US Psychopaths In Charge expect a return on their investment.
I don’t thank you for your service, I pity you for it.
The US military, for the individual enlisted person or officer, can be whatever (s)he makes of it. Some have had successful military careers, others have done their “time” or “hitch”, with quite a few going into the Reserves, but having a successful civilian pursuit in life…and have been great spouses and parents. But NOT all, hence the UCMJ, and, for those that really screw up, potential loss of benefits as a consequence of serious crimes. None of them would care for your “pity” nor ask for it.
But I share your disdain of (1) the SIZE of our present “peacetime” military (2) the present missions, which, ala what MG Butler observed and decried, that are NOT “defensive” in scope, and that (3) the tyrants that THINK they’re in charge wouldn’t hesitate to turn the military on our own citizens, hence why they attack 2A.
As for the issue of suicide in the military: I’d say it’s NOT so much their own personal “Smedley Butler” moment, it’s that there are many in that are mentally or morally unfit to serve. And it’s not so much “Jail or the Army”, there’s been efforts over the years to try to keep out troubled “yutes” and those with a significant criminal history. I’d say the military reflects the pool of available young people it has to draw from; and given the various issues with kids growing up in “broken” homes, with often “supervision” by parents that are drunks, druggies, felons, and overaged adolescents, it’s a wonder there aren’t MORE problems! And never mind all the “Political Correctness” forced upon it.
I fear our military, as seemingly powerful as it might be, is akin to the Soviet Army of, say, late 1940 or early 1941…it’s already had its ass handed to it by a third rate power that the leaders thought they could merrily pick on, and there’s a threat looming which the present-day leadership, both in the civilian and military echelons, are too wrapped up in their own silly politics to either acknowledge it or do anything about it. The royal ass-kicking that the Soviets got in the first few months of “Barbarossa” was a shock, even though it was given by the same outfit, the German Wehrmacht, that likewise had humiliated the then-purported strongest Army in the world, the French, and, again, with lopsided casualties to boot!