There Should Be a War Tax on the Profiteers
We are now 30 days into a war on Iran that isn’t being called a war by the Orange Felon. Nevertheless, people are being killed on both sides so it is a war by any other name. You’ve seen the price of gasoline skyrocket, which will inflate prices on everything else, even as the stock market can’t decide between the bears and the bulls. There’s always one thing for certain– war is good business if you’re making bombs, bullets and rockets. These are products that you only use once and then have to replenish!
The other industry that profits from war is the oil business, which seems to be the root cause of this war in particular. The Straight of Hormuz being the one bottle neck that the ignorant Orange Felon didn’t seem to consider in his bluster to start bombing Iran. Never thinking how a much smaller military could choke off some 20% of the world’s petroleum supply with drones and some well-placed naval mines.
He now wants Congress to authorize some $200 billion on a war they never voted to condone and the Republicans are desperately searching to cut money from social welfare programs to pay for this illegal war, thus making the poor pay for the war. The obvious alternative is to tax the oil companies and the other war profiteers! We all should have suspected he’d start a war when he changed the name of the Department of Defence to the Department of War.
Now he’s threatening to put “boots on the ground.” As if 10,000 marines are going to be able to capture and hold any part of Iran that reportedly has approximately 570,000 to 610,000 active-duty personnel, split between the regular army (Artesh) and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). With an additional 350,000 reserve personnel, Iran possesses one of the largest militaries in the Middle East, heavily focused on missile, drone, and unconventional warfare.
The unconventional warfare is the part that is going to foil the “bomb them into submission” campaign — a strategy that relies on the same tactics used in Vietnam, Iraq and Afghanistan all over again — we had to destroy the village to save it. Oh, the stupid inhumanity and hubris of power. And where is the Israeli army if we are fighting this war on their behalf, have they committed to placing any troops on the ground?
Since the beginning of this war there has been a surge in military personnel looking to apply for Conscientious Objector status, something that both the US draft law and the military recognize. This is something I have direct experience with as I was a Conscientious Objector during the Vietnam War. As a 17-year-old man, the threat of going to fight a useless war was a growing concern.
Then, like now, the country was split between the gung-ho uber patriots and those saying, “hell no we won’t go.” However, unlike then there is already a large multi-generational resistance– some from my generation, many past war vets and a whole new generation are becoming politicized by the insane actions of our delusional Orange Felon.
A conscientious objector is an individual who refuses to perform military service or bear arms due to deeply held religious, moral, or ethical beliefs. Recognized under U.S. law and by the Department of Defense, they may serve in non-combatant roles or alternate civilian service, with claims often surging during conflicts.
For those of you who do not believe in war, who have sons or daughters of military age and that want to learn more about being a conscientious objector please see: https://everydaypeacebuilding.com/conscientious-objectors/, or contact the Center for Conscience and War that can be reached at 202-483-2220.
As it is today, all young men must sign up for the draft at the age of 17. It would behoove anyone concerned about this war or the next one to reach out to learn about this even if you have changed your mind after enlisting. And just as a reminder, the most highly decorated Marine Corp General Smedley Butler once wrote in his book War Is a Racket, “I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.”
And just as a reminder patriotism doesn’t depend on wearing a uniform, saluting a flag or saying the Pledge of Allegiance, for my entire life patriotism has been about standing up for the ideals of American freedom wherever and whenever you see an injustice taking place. And right now there are more patriots in the streets of America protesting to protect our democracy than we have soldiers in the military.
So tell Congress to let the oil corporations pay for their own damn war because we’re busy saving America at home!