Sunday, August 14, 2011

Volunteer Army

     Machiavelli, festering little mole-rat, butt-nuzzler that he was, did make one valuable observation, even in his bloodthirsty swoon for Power.  He noticed, in his infinite avarice, that one's troops would fight far longer and harder for love than for money, even to their deaths.  He saw that a soldier who loved his prince, his village and family, was worth a hundred mercenaries in battle.  He advised the prince who wanted to win in war to first gain the love of his army, since hired killers turned and ran from danger, having showed up mainly for the cash and prizes.  The lesson here is that allegiance based on love prevails over that based on personal gain.  This astute conclusion happens to resonate directly with the 11th commandment, in the words of Jesus Christ, that we "Love one another."  What a concept:  Without love, you won't really get any power, or hold any.  The prince, whose love of power excludes all others, must viciously exploit the love of his subjects like any other resource at his command.  Yes, Virginia, the rich are 'different.'
     This most ironic fact holds true for the very foundations of war.  There is no resource exploited in warmaking (none; zero; not any) which is not provided solely by the matrix of Peace.  Without this initial Peaceful providence (literally: for Life), there can be not one thread or button of clothing; not one shoe for one foot; not one bean or crumb of bread; not one swallow of water; not one wheel or motor conveyance; not one drop of fuel nor one candle; not one rifle nor one bullet; not one grain of gold, nor one copper penny; not one troop.
     War is a parasite upon the body of Peace and always has been.  Peace pays all the bills, and war pays not one dime, and takes all the credit by force.  War even blames Peace for all the trouble.  In the words of the infamous von Klauswitz, "The sole cause of war is undefended wealth."  No burglar ever accused his victims more clearly.
     War is dependent upon Peace, not just a little, but entirely...not just remotely, but directly.
     ONE EXAMPLE AMONG THE INVARIABLE MULTITUDE:
     A great of deal of note has been taken about WW2's conflicts in the Pacific, particularly the turning of fortune to favor America's efforts in the air there.  There were many factors which contributed to the U.S. gaining air superiority, and among them was one which has received almost none of the attention here that it deserves, then or since.  Then, it certainly did get the attention of individual enemy pilots and their air command, since it literally shot them out of the sky.  The U.S. deployment of the Lockheed P-38 fighter-bomber changed everything in the air.  Previously, U.S. aircraft had been slower, less maneuverable than the enemy's 'zeros,' and thus were losing the air war consistently.  The legendary P-38 as a weapon has indeed gotten well-deserved attention; it's near-sonic speed and amazing agility, its ability to concentrate heavy firepower on a target, brought victory after victory.  The audacity, heroism, and fighting skills of its pilots achieved mythological status, and rightly so. 
     But there's another element to the deployment of this ferocious aircraft which has gone almost totally ignored; one element of the utmost importance, since without it, none of the rest of it would ever have happened.  The appearance on the scene of what they called the 'fork-tailed devil' was just the first jolt to enemy airmen and their ambitions.  They then quickly realized, and said so loud and clear, that these deadly craft were being made and put in service faster than they could be shot down.  The question is:  Who performed this most urgently needed miracle of production, and did it so triumphantly?  The answer is:  A cadre of Human workers, largely women, born of and developed in the bosom of Peace.  This working population, along with their farms, mines, mills, foundries and factories, were willingly conscripted from the rolls of Peace into the service of war.  The point is:  War can go nowhere without these legions of Peace and their productivity and loving commitment.
     Put that in your pipe and smoke it, all you remote-control 'heroes' over at the Pentagon!
     And to each one, civilian or uniformed, who's asked to contribute to hostile action anywhere without a lawful Declaration of WarThink about this before 'going along.'
     A most patriotic salute and Highest Commendations to the Bradley Mannings of our world.

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