“How many drugs did Charlie Sheen take? Enough to kill Two and a Half Men.” – Debbie’s Ditty
An Effect of a Large Military
There is an interesting aspect to military might that has been well known since Roman times. As the Roman empire expanded, so to did its armies. By doing so, the empire removed multitudes of possibly dissatisfied men and removed the possibility of large social unrest.
The Effect of Reducing the Size of US Army
Imagine the effect on the USA right now if by a reduction of the budget deficit, the size of the placement of US troops around the world is dramatically reduced. Large numbers of unemployed men and women roaming the US – unable to find work.
Imagine the effect on US manufacturing if military spending were reduced. I read somewhere that every time a missile is fired in Libya, it costs $750,000 to replace. Of that some 5% is comprised of raw materials and the remaining $712,500 is spent on labour and manufacturing cost.
Military Expenditures as a Social Benefit
Large and ongoing U.S. military expenditures are actually an indirect form of societal welfare,”
When the U.S. ‘gives’ Egypt a billion dollars in foreign aid, which money is then spent on arms purchases from the US, the net effect is that U.S. company shareholders and workers received a billion dollars in business.
It might be argued that the large U.S. military-industrial complex is actually a kind of ‘holding tank’ for a large number of people who would otherwise be, in one form or another, destitute.
The world is a strange place. What appears obvious is sometimes not.
The Social Effect on Arab Populations
It has been Israel’s assertion that one reason peace is not established in the middle east, is the desire by the rulers of the various countries to ensure that their populations remain poor, uneducated, and ignorant of the benefits of a democratic political system. Only in this way can the elite ruling class maintain their position, their vast wealth, and their ability to grant life or death to the Arab poor, on a whim.
Part of this effort to maintain the status quo, was a religious component. I will not dwell on this today, as emotions rise so quickly. Witness the outrageous acts of violence yesterday in Afghanistan and the many deaths for no reason except religious leaders there inflaming their followers. And all because some nutty pastor in the southern US decided to get an introduction to appear on Larry King Live and talk against religious texts.
I am constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to live in Canada, to be able to express myself freely, to live in a decent way and have a marvelous life.
The Effects of Social Media
Look at the effect of the social media of the despots, the dictators, the sheiks, the rulers of these Arab countries. So many similar countries, with millions upon millions of human beings treated like cattle, without respect, without a say in anything, fearful of saying the wrong thing, or of not conforming.
Who would have thought that the changes wrought in our social communications, created by teenagers who changed the world in the last decade, would actually enlighten these multitudes of downtrodden people.
They can see and hear how the rest of the world lives. They see the freedom enjoyed by Western society and they hear about the abuses perpetrated by their local leaders. They want to be treated as human beings also. Not only as tools of religion and control of society.
Maybe there will be a chance for peace?? Who knows?
Historical Perspective
Yet throughout history, it has been the same type of determined and organized small groups of zealots with a religious or racial belief that has been able to seize power in most cases, and those regimes have wrought great harm (think Nazis, think Iran). The average person, part of the vast majority, just wants to go on with his/her life. The zealots are intent on their twisted goals
I hope the SOCIAL MEDIA will make it different this time. After all, what is there but hope?.
