Seduced by War

I hope you have noticed and check the features I've added to the right on the cost of the Iraq war and Faces of the Fallen. It's time to let the continuing daily costs of this war sink in.

In The New American Militarism the author explores America's deification of the military. America has turned to the military to safe guard our political freedom and economic success. Recently, that has translated into safeguarding our source for cheap oil without which a growing economy would be impossible.

Buying and believing in military hardware is a big component of this mistake. The American government is spending trillions on hardware, much of which is unproven. The Discovery Channel frequently displays fancy new weapon systems. Our enemies spend very little on weapon systems, as 9/11 proved. Military industrial spending is a jobs program in many states and therefore hard to discourage.

But can you imagine what good America could do in the world by spending a fraction on humanitarian programs, such as the One Campaign? There are many people who don't want that because it would make the military less necessary.