US military recruiter: ‘I totally agree with you the wars are illegal and started with lies. For now, my mouth stays closed. But my eyes and ears are open.’
I recently attended a public event with US military recruiters present. I walked by their display table wondering if any of them knew they recruit for lie-started and illegal Wars of Aggression. I made eye contact with one, who instantly responded with a friendly greeting. This is roughly the conversation after I answered that I’m a high school teacher.
Recruiter: Hey, could I come to your classroom sometime to discuss military careers with your students?
Carl: Ok, let’s talk. This is what I see and would include if you’d like to come to my class: the US wars are the opposite of legal, and from disclosed top-level documentation of our own government were started with “reasons” that were lies known to be lies as they were told.
R: (suddenly still, and looking intensely straight into my eyes) May we talk about this outside? (pretends to look down, but actually looking at the feet of another recruiter in apparent check if he heard what I just said)
C: Sure. (I walk out double doors to a foyer. The recruiter follows)
R: (looking around in apparent check for a confidential conversation) Look. I totally agree with you that the wars are illegal and started with lies. (pause to let this admission sink-in for me)
I’m 16 years in and would like to retire with benefits. If I speak out now, I might go to military prison, and for sure would throw away those 16 years.
For now, my mouth stays closed. But my ears and eyes are open.
C: I empathize, Brother. You should try to earn those benefits with 20 years in. My wife was in the Navy for six, and now makes a nice salary as a computer systems analyst from what she learned. You have to take care of your family.
R: I have to. But that doesn’t mean I’m not paying attention.
C: What percent of the military you observe are aware that the wars are illegal, and you’re all sent to invade and attack other nations that just happen to have strategic resources like oil?
R: I’m really not aware of how many of us know this. As I said, my mouth is closed.
C: Did you know the first operation name for the war on Iraq was O.I.L.: Operation Iraqi Liberation? They changed it after too many people like me noticed.
R: (wrinkled brow, then shakes his head) No, I wasn’t. But I’m not surprised.
C: They use and laugh at you in the military.
R: (purses lips, deep breath in, nods his head in agreement)
C: And it’s not going to stop. Syria is the same. So is Iran (both here).
R: I know.
C: (looking in his eyes to read his status. I don’t have anything else to communicate, and am open to contribute more if this would be helpful)
R: Look: I’d appreciate it if this conversation stays confidential.
C: Agreed. (zero details of time and venue do this) Keep your eyes and ears open, Brother. There might be an opening to take action. Be prepared.
R: (nods in agreement)
C: (I extend my hand to shake; he embraces firmly) Best wishes.
R: You, too.
**
I make all factual assertions as a National Board Certified Teacher of US Government, Economics, and History, with all economics factual claims receiving zero refutation since I began writing in 2008 among Advanced Placement Macroeconomics teachers on our discussion board, public audiences of these articles, and international conferences (and here). I invite readers to empower their civic voices with the strongest comprehensive facts most important to building a brighter future. I challenge professionals, academics, and citizens to add their voices for the benefit of all Earth’s inhabitants.
**
Carl Herman is a National Board Certified Teacher of US Government, Economics, and History; also credentialed in Mathematics. He worked with both US political parties over 18 years and two UN Summits with the citizen’s lobby, RESULTS, for US domestic and foreign policy to end poverty. He can be reached at Carl_Herman@post.harvard.edu
Note: My work from 2012 to October, 2017 is on Washington’s Blog. Work back to 2009 is blocked by Examiner.com (and from other whistleblowers), so some links to those essays are blocked. If you’d like to search for those articles other sites may have republished, use words from the article title within the blocked link. Or, go to http://archive.org/web/, paste the expired link into the box, click “Browse history,” then click onto the screenshots of that page for each time it was screen-shot and uploaded to webarchive (blocked author pages: here, here).
Let's hope that the number of aware military grows and grows.
ReplyDeleteProves one thing--they are in it for the pension and retirement payout and medical benefits
DeleteLucky for him, he does not have to go and fight.
7 middle east countries need to be destroyed for security of Israel. to get folks to enlist, 911 attacks were 100% USrael
Proves one thing--they are in it for the pension and retirement payout and medical benefits
DeleteLucky for him, he does not have to go and fight.
7 middle east countries need to be destroyed for security of Israel. to get folks to enlist, 911 attacks were 100% USrael
“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”
ReplyDelete― Smedley D. Butler, War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier
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“WAR is a racket. It always has been.
It is possibly the oldest, easily the most profitable, surely the most vicious. It is the only one
international in scope. It is the only one in which the profits are reckoned in dollars and the
losses in lives.”
“To summarize: Three steps must be taken to smash the war racket. 1. We must take the profit out of war. 2. We must permit the youth of the land who would bear arms to decide whether or not there should be war. 3. We must limit our military forces to home defense purposes.”
― Smedley D. Butler, War is a Racket: The Antiwar Classic by America's Most Decorated Soldier
The invasion of Iraq wasn't for OIL rather for destruction of a nation for the sake of another nation.
ReplyDeleteCheck for yourself, Sadaam Housain was about to give US for much cheaper OIL and buy millions of US made vehicle but we went to war any way. It was never for OIL or any other resources.
We the people love to worship the chosen and die for the chosen one.
You can criticize, US, Its administration, the Congress but you better not go Criticizing Israel.
And You Didn't.
Good Boy...
Tom: click on either of the first two links of this article to see what I document about Israel's illegal and lying War of Aggression on Gaza.
DeleteYou're a Bad Boy until you do.