CHUMP CHANGE

It's gratifying to see the US pledge a hundred million dollars and send in the military to Haiti to help with the earthquake devastation relief. It shows that America's gargantuan military, which exceeds that of the rest of the world combined, can actually be used for good instead of criminal war.

Sadly, that hundred million is chump change compared to the trillion we have squandered to sow death and destruction in Afghanistan, Iraq and now Pakistan, in imaginary crusades against the equivalent of a street gang who punctured our porous security defenses over eight years ago.

Originally published in Glen Ellyn News, January 20, 2010
Also published in Chicago Tribune, January 27, 2010

THE REST OF THE STORY

It is tragic to watch our once great nation engage in self destructive behavior over domestic terrorist attacks when it refuses to address the core issue of our insecurity.

The underpants bomber again demonstrates that even failed attempts threaten further erosion of our privacy rights and make incumbent administrations cave in fear to the war mongers who use these incidents to maintain current wars and trumpet more war and belligerence around the world.

Watching reaction to the current incident, one might think that poor, innocent America has mysteriously been targeted by Islamic extremists for random attacks. No mention, whatsoever, is made that America has invested over a trillion dollars to conquer and occupy Iraq and Afghanistan, is sending bomb-toting drones that kill many innocent civilians along with some imagined bad guys in Pakistan, congers up possible war with Iran over their legitimate and legal right to develop nuclear energy, and now seeks to interfere in Yemen's political upheaval where the underpants bomber was allegedly trained.

The Military-Industrial-Congressional Complex has too much invested and too much to gain to ever allow a rational discussion of why the most primitive of attackers continually probes for weaknesses against the most powerful nation on earth. They have wisely figured out that endless billions for their military ventures of conquest encourages more blowback against American aggression which guarantees them even more military and security resources.

The late, legendary broadcaster Paul Harvey made a fortune with a simple program telling a fascinating story that only made sense when he added the real life characters and events surrounding the beginning narrative. Sadly, America will never be safe and never be able to use our dwindling treasure to rebuild our crumbling economy till we all know, "the rest of the story".

Originally published in the Daily Herald, January 14, 2010