Who wants and causes wars.

 Who wants and causes wars.

 

 In 1961, during the transfer of the presidency to John F. Kennedy, US President Eisenhower said in his speech: "We must not allow the military-industrial complex to gain undue influence in government." In 2018, out of the 1.8 trillion dollars spent globally on military expenses, 650 billion (36%) was spent by the US. Overall, the US spends 1 trillion dollars annually for military purposes. The US spends more on military purposes than the next 13 nations combined. In 2010, the US accounted for 53% of global arms sales. In 2020, US President Trump stated: "The leaders of the American Pentagon only want to get involved in wars, so that all these wonderful companies that manufacture bombs, planes, and any other defense material, can be happy." The same president appointed 3 defense ministers, all of whom had ties to the American "defense" industry. Half of the senior officials in the Defense Department have ties to "defense" industries. In 2017, Trump unilaterally decided on the attack with 59 Tomahawk missiles against a Syrian airbase. I do not have data on the influence of the "defense" industry on the media, but out of the top 100 American newspapers, 47 had a main article about the air strikes. 39 were in favor, 7 were ambivalent, and only one was opposition to the attack. 8 out of 10 leading newspapers supported the air strikes. Surveys recorded one with 51% support for the air strikes and 40% opposition, and another with 57% in favor and 36% against. Because Trump is a Republican, someone might think that the "democratic" Biden would be different. Well, I learned that this guy pressured Clinton in 1999 to bomb Serbia and then boasted about it (in those bombings, Americans killed 2,153 civilians, including 646 children). Also, this gentleman recently appointed former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright as the President of the US Defense Policy Council. Based on this information, every good-hearted person should wonder: Have Eisenhower's fears been confirmed? Has the military-industrial complex in the US grown to govern and decide with the secret services? Have the US evolved into a monstrous country that cannot continue to exist without armaments, wars, interventions, blackmail, crimes, and bloodshed? A global watchdog that destroys any development effort outside the zombie capitalism they maintain with all their might, to prevent its collapse? Today, on the issue of the war in Ukraine, some "leftists and progressives" and "peace-lovers" (innocent "doves") maintain a neutral stance and say that we have capitalists and imperialists on both sides.

They forget that exists capitalism and capitalism. Capitalism and the USA, capitalism and Switzerland, and Sweden and India and Iran. And in the 2nd World War, there were capitalists on both sides. There were no "innocent doves" and villains. Yet some chose a camp. What fundamentally distinguished the 2 factions was the ideology and practice of Nazism.

Today, the fundamental issue is nuclear weapons. Not for their "reduction" or relocation, but for their elimination and prohibition forever. But for nuclear weapons, a separate article is needed.

If we need to mention something here about their significance, then Einstein's words give the essence of the matter: "I do not know with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones."

P.S. To the peace-loving (well-intentioned): Why don't you ask your leadership and the other leaderships participating in the condemnation front of the "Russian invasion" and demand that all together, the USA recognize and condemn all violations of international law by themselves (the USA), and agree to be referred to an international court those officials accused of war crimes. Let's see what they will answer you. And then let's all condemn the "Russian invasion" together. Otherwise, it is being used as a pretext for alignment with the plans of the USA.

 

Wednesday, March 2, 2022

George Papanikolaou