Back to another proxy war with Russia like we had in Vietnam. Remember that one? My classmates are old enough to remember that. I guess Trump figures his base is young enough not to remember so he can do it again? I don't think his base is that young. His base - and everyone else supporting an escalation with Syria's Assad - just hasn't learned anything from previous experience overseas.
Why not just let Putin have what he wants so we don't have to kill his Russian boys and girls? Well this time it's not Russia spreading an ideology it's Russia getting the oil.
"OMG! We need that oil! We can't let Putin have it! Re-election hinges on gas prices not skyrocketing like they did under Carter! I don't want to be One and Done!
Your Democracy in action.
Putin, for his part doesn't actually need the oil as much as he needs oil prices to be high so his oil export subsidized economy can get more subsidy to pay for more things so he can get re-elected. I sure wish I could be a bug on the wall listening to Trump and Putin chumming together about how they can get re-elected while playing their international chess game for the sake of our respective media who lap it all up while pretending to be the Loyal Opposition. So for Putin he creates problems in the Middle East which raises the price of oil and if he happens to get more of it in the process he has more to export. It's a win for him as long as Trump pushes back.
What does Trump care? It will help him get elected again. Americans always rally around the leader who will kick ass with our military.
Sacrifice a few of our 19 year olds, or a few thousand, it doesn't matter, as long as the people rally against our new despot ally of Putin we can demonize with false reports of gassing civilians the people who will once again fantasize that our military might will solve the world's problems and our defense contractors increase their bottom line, and give more to the Congressmen whom they have in their back pockets.
Your Democracy in action.
And you thought he was going to Drain the Swamp. I've got news for you. Getting re-elected trumps all campaign promises. No pun intended.
False reports of Assad gassing and bombing his civilians with barrel bombs? According to many people on the ground, including some of our Christian priests, Assad is getting the blame for what the jihadists are doing, you know, the ones we support financially, the ones we are supposedly out to destroy in our so-called War on Terrorism but give our weapons to - like we did to al Qaeda and ISIS - because they are the enemy of our enemy. Actually, they are our proxy against the proxy of our former cold-war enemy that Trump is now chums with while he has an excuse to kill some of his kids and show his military muscle, all without starting WW3. That's what proxy wars are for.
When's the last time you saw a mainstream journalist demand evidence that Assad is killing off his very people? Why would they? They don't get paid to stop wars. They get paid to be accomplices to draw us into war. Not that they get paid by the Pentagon. They don't need to. They get paid by you. Your viewership nearly doubles in time of war like it did during the Iraq war. Or was it triple? Either way it increases their bottom line because they get paid by their advertisers according to viewership. That's how a Free Press works.
Your Democracy in action.
Am I getting cynical in my old age? No more than St. Paul who said, "The love of money is the root of all evil." That's another way of saying, "Follow the money. It explains everything." It's just the way things work. For those wed to the dollar. Not everyone is, but it sure does explain a lot of things. Human nature is fairly predictable, wouldn't you say?
I'm not really much into all the conspiracy theories that go around. Heck, got enough to do dealing with what is hidden in plain sight. I could show you quotes by a Secretary of Defense, a Four Star General, the ranking member on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and others who were in charge in the Middle East who say the reason we are over there is to protect our interests in oil. But would you even read it? Would you continue to vote for Republicans and Democrats who want to keep doing the same?
If not, that means letting Assad and Putin have their way in Syria which means less oil for us and more for them. Are you willing to let that happen?
I'm going on record saying the price we pay at the pump should not be protected by the blood of our servicemen and women. How about you?
I'd like to leave you with a song by Black Sabbath. I used to think this group must be demonic due to their name but I see this song as downright prophetic, inspired of God even. If you know your Old Testament you know God had some interesting choices for prophets to speak to the people. It's also Ozzy's best work musically I think:
Gen'rals gathered in their masses,
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction,
Sorcerer of death's construction
In the fields the bodies burning,
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind,
Poisoning their brainwashed minds
Oh Lord yeah
Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why should they go out to fight?
They leave that role for the poor, yeah
Time will tell on their power minds,
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess,
Wait 'till their judgement day comes, yeah
Now in darkness world stops turning,
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more War Pigs have the power,
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of judgement, God is calling
On their knees the war pigs crawling,
Begging mercies for their sins
Satan, laughing, spreads his wings
Oh Lord yeah