Bruce Gagnon is coordinator of the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space.
He offers his own reflections on organizing and the state of America's declining empire....
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Thursday, January 06, 2011
NEW MAN CONTROLLING PENTAGON GAVEL
Republican California Congressman Howard "Buck" McKeon is the next chairman of the House Armed Services Committee. He doesn't have any military experience -- he spent the Vietnam era on a Mormon missionary retreat.
At around the two minute mark the video gets really interesting as he talks about how the "lord" set America aside for the religous folks and how our military is all about making the world safe for missionaries to go do god's work around the globe.
The American holy warriors you might say.
As I prepare for the AP United States history exam in May, I am astounded by Representative McKeon's simplistic understanding of the American Revolution. He speaks about the revolution as though everybody just woke up the next morning with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. In reality, the change was much more gradual, as Britain had already allowed some colonies a very limited form of self government, and many Americans were disqualified from voting (on the basis of race, sex, or property qualifications), even after independence was achieved.
ReplyDeleteHis overemphasis on our freedoms being preserved exclusively by fighting overseas also betrays his very superficial knowledge of United States history, since there are numerous incidences of civil liberties being repressed during wartime. Some examples of this include the passage of the espionage act during World War I, Japanese internment during World War II, the Kent and Jackson State massacres during the Vietnam era, and today's heightened federal surveillance in the name of the "war on terror".
My civil liberties have not been preserved by military might; they have been won by dedicated activists who, throughout history, have put the pressure on our government to continue transforming this country into a more just society.
Beautifully said....I think you will get an A plus on your exam....
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