Image : http://www.flickr.com
Many futurists, academics, world leaders, and of course, the peace activist crowd say that humankind is going mad. "Why all these weapon sales," they ask? Didn't someone once warn us "you cannot simultaneously prepare for and prevent war," yes, and it was Einstein, but a nation has the right and the responsibility to protect itself and its citizenry; and Karl von Clausewitz the famous military philosopher would explain to all these folks why. Now then, let's talk:
It is quite evident that Iran is also playing chess with IAEA, UN, and the US and by us engaging this game, we are making them appear stronger and more important than they actually are. Meanwhile as they are buying time, there is massive build up in the Middle East allowing for weapons sales, serving our Industrial Military Complex, and Russia, and other sellers of weapons in the EU as well. It's good business, but also akin to 120 tons of underbrush un-cleared in a California Mountain forest the day before a thunderstorm or an arsonist with a blow-torch.
Not long ago, I was discussing this with a researcher in Post-Cold War US-Russian Relations, Jesse Giraldo, and we were comparing the standoff today with Iran from previous such challenges in past history. To my comments above he stated; [Haha], you paint an accurate picture. It's no secret that America has a sorted history of supplying arms to questionable powers but this tactic isn't as asinine as it sounds. The United States of America possesses the most advanced standing army in the world. Our technology and military supremacy ensures a strategic advantage that cannot be overcome by conventional tactics.
True enough indeed, thus he added "...[and], what this means for the U.S is that it is in our best interest as a superpower and a top supplier of military equipment to arm the world and create conflicts that keep the nations of the world divided and engaged in struggle."
Well, as anyone reading this may have guessed, I am very pro-American and so, I won't go there, but I can say that humans create conflict, and don't need the help of the US either way. Humans have been killing their own species over resources, food supply, women, religion (ideals), color of skin, territory, trade, economics, and sport for all of human history. They need not make the excuse that the US causes the wars, although Hugo Chavez, Radical Islam, and war protesters the world over amplified by the media for sound and fury sound bites proclaim. I don't buy it.
Giraldo, on the other hand reminds us that; "In fact from a purely realist geopolitical stand point the worst thing we as a nation could do is to stop arming other nations. America is a master of war, we have perfected its techniques and are unmatched in its arts. Consider, what are our key strengths? Why does America continue to be the last remaining superpower?"
Yet, the reality is that in essence, the US does run the world economically. GDP of 14-17 Trillion, next nearest nation isn't even 5 trillion. At one point before the global economic crisis our GDP was equal to the other 9 of the top 10 GDPs of the whole world. Even the EU all together barely equaled the US and that was with them cheating in their figures, often with trickery accounting.
The argument that the US causes wars through its weapon sales or purposely creates conflict throughout the world to keep itself in power, may not be the fairest assessment, but our enemies would surely have you believe that, so many people do in fact. Please consider all this.
No comments:
Post a Comment