It’s almost time to unwelcome NATO!

Op ed by Keith Brumley March 2019

Edwin Starr, in his 1970 hit single asked “War, what is it good for?” His catchy answer was “absolutely nothing!”

On the face of it Mr. Starr’s point seems obvious. But if so why has the United States engaged in seemingly endless war in places like Vietnam, Panama, Grenada, Afghanistan and Iraq, since Mr. Starr’s song hit the charts? Why are policy makers in Washington D.C. fomenting for more war in Venezuela and Iran? Apparently, war is good for something as the U.S. continues engaging it.

Perhaps our policy makers, being graduates of Ivy League schools, know something of war’s benefits of which mere commoners are unaware? Perhaps they believe endless war is a means to maintaining and sustaining the affluent lifestyle we enjoy in the Unites States?

One argument may be jobs. Isn’t it true the defense industry is a major source of jobs for Americans? After all, President Trump was willing to turn a blind eye to Saudi Arabia’s murdering of journalist Jamal Khashoggi to keep an arms deal in place to “save American jobs.”

While it is true that companies like Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed Martin make many billions of dollars manufacturing and selling their weapons to the Pentagon and countries like Saudi Arabia, profits are concentrated in the hands of the 1% – the CEOs and shareholders. War is “good” for them. Not so much for the rest of us. Certainly not for people on the receiving end of those weapons, like the war-torn victims of Yemen.

Professor Heidi Garrett-Peltier, in a 2017 studyLinks to an external site. published by Brown University’s Watson Institute, found that “federal spending on domestic programs in health care, education, clean energy and infrastructure creates more jobs, dollar for dollar, than military spending.” The reality, as David Swanson of World Beyond War notes, is “spending those same dollars on peaceful industries, on education, on infrastructure, or even on tax cuts for working people would produce more jobs and in most cases better-paying jobs.”

So it turns out, while war may be “good for” CEOs and shareholders of war profiteering corporations, it’s not for the rest of us. Taxpayers would get a bigger bang for the buck if we funneled money away from the Department of Defense and instead poured that money into funding Medicare for all, free college education, repairing and replacing our nation’s crumbling infrastructure, and enacting a “Green New Deal.” It would produce more and better jobs. And best of all, no more bombs ripping through school buses in Yemen.

Okay, but surely Americans are wealthier and happier because of our bellicose belligerence, right? Surely we enjoy lower “prices at the pump” and have a greater sense of security because of our endless wars?

In a word, no.

The U.S. contains roughly 5% of the world’s population but consumes nearly 30% of the world’s natural resources. If the rest of the world consumed like us we’d need several more planets to sustain all that consumption.

Even with all this consumption, the United States did not make the top 10 list of the World Economic Forum’s “happiest countries in the worldLinks to an external site.” in 2018 (we were 18th). That honor went to Finland, followed closely by Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Switzerland and the Netherlands.

Oddly, these countries aren’t making war on anyone at present. Perhaps the adage is true – “Anything war can do, peace can do better.”

The U.S. did lead the field in one area – anti-depressant use. Clearly endless war isn’t making us happier or more secure.

In fact, the imperialist policies of the United States make Americans less secure. It may seem strange but most people resent invading armies, drone strikes in the middle of the night, and covert CIA operations toppling their elected governments. That tends to make enemies, not friends.  

Imagine the friends the United States would have the world over if we spent even a third of the trillion dollar (yes, with a “T”) defense related budget to provide medicine, food, shelter, roads, bridges, and education to countries we presently bomb or occupy with military bases? Rather than being viewed as the most threatening country to world peaceLinks to an external site., the United States would be the most loved.

Bloated “defense” budgets and endless war does not produce “good jobs,” does not make us wealthier or happier, and does not make us more secure.

So, back to Edwin Starr’s question – “War, what is it good for?”

He was right. “Absolutely nothing!”

http://act.mpowerchange.org/sign/congress-stop-fueling-war-yemen/

The small nation of Yemen is facing one of the world’s largest humanitarian crises—and it’s being fueled by U.S. policies and taxpayer dollars.¹

The three-year conflict in Yemen has been a deadly battle between rebel groups and a Saudi-led U.S.-backed coalition supporting the previously established government.

And coupled with Trump’s Muslim Ban—preventing those fleeing for safety from entering the country—Yemenis are being doubly victimized by U.S. policies.

There’s a resolution in the House that has been sponsored by Rep. Ro Khanna—H. Con. Res. 81. It would direct Trump to end support for Saudi-led hostilities in Yemen, but it needs more sponsors and support. Add your name here and tell your representative in Congress to sign on and #StopFuelingTheWarInYemen.

While the players in this war are complex, one thing is plain and simple: the destruction has been horrifying for the Yemeni people.

Already the Middle East’s poorest country, Yemen is now suffering from widespread cholera and famine, with nowhere to turn for help. Doctors and nurses are working tirelessly, while sanitation workers and civil servants have gone without pay for months.³

More than 50,000 children are expected to die by the end of the year.⁴

International aid agencies are desperately trying to enter the country to deliver food and medicine to the Yemeni people, but the Saudi-led coalition has denied them entry by blockading major ports in the country.⁵

And with our taxpayer dollars going to support the Saudi-led campaign, we need to hold our representatives accountable for the suffering that it’s causing the Yemeni people.

We’re calling on members of Congress to co-sponsor H. Con. Res. 81 and stop fueling the war in Yemen. The resolution won’t be debated and voted on until it has enough support. Will you sign and ask your representative to add their name?

The Saudi-led air strikes have destroyed much of the major infrastructure in Yemen—including airports, sewage facilities, and hospitals. The U.S. military aids the bombing campaign by refilling the tanks of Saudi warplanes—literally fueling the strikes that have killed thousands and left millions more in a dire state of sickness and starvation.

In fact, the U.S. support for the bombing of Yemen is so vast that the military itself has trouble keeping track of which missions it’s aiding.⁶

The countless violations of international law and the creation of one of the largest humanitarian crises in the world wouldn’t be possible without the U.S. military’s complicity in providing technical, logistical, and other support for the Saudi-led coalition.

The only way to stop Trump from giving even more help to the Saudis for their destructive campaign is for Congress to stand up and act. Sign today and tell your representative to support H. Con. Res. 81.

In solidarity,
Ahlam Said via MPower Change

P.S. Like the Yemeni Alliance Committe page on Facebook to keep up with the latest updates on the campaign to end the war on Yemen

https://m.facebook.com/GreenPartyValues/posts/851311781703442?notif_id=1508606634007355&notif_t=scheduled_post_published&ref=notif

4. Non-Violence

It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to society’s current patterns of violence. We will work to demilitarize and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in danger. We promote non-violent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.