One wouldn’t know from the media but the whole world is shaking these days from wars and rumors of wars. The American empire’s thirst for new blood seems to have no end. The latest request is for a doubling of funds to crush the Islamic State. This would bring the total budget for just that specific war up to $7 billion. By the way, does anyone know why Syria is such a threat to our security? But it doesn’t end there. Another $3.4 billion is being requested to stockpile weapons and military equipment in good ol’ Eastern Europe. Can anyone out there say, “In your face Russia”? Meanwhile, troops are being added — not subtracted — into the eternal, now 15-year, war in Afghanistan. Let’s not forget troops in Iraq and Syria along with the trail of tears in our holy war demolition of Libya. Nor should we forget that the Pentagon has put robotic drone war on steroids, opening up a brave new world of future Mad Max apocalyptic scenarios. The Pentagon’s insanity has pivoted to Asia as the new playground of blood-sucking, and is currently building at least 60 military bases throughout its next target: Africa. Within the stock market casino, smart money is all in on the war-making corporations. No boom and bust economies there. It’s all boom all the time for as long as the eye can see.
The media is fairly quiet about all this. Our muscled up Pentagon is the bloodiest and most demonic force of evil in the world, but you’d never know it or even think it if all you do is parrot idiotic memes such as, “Support our troops” or join the fascist chorus of “USA! USA!” during political rallies. All of our political choices support our addictive blood thirst.
Not one politician or political party is sane enough to insist on the financial downsizing of the Pentagon’s war budget. Our military monster is up to $750 billion of our tax dollars. In comparison, the departments of education, interior and transportation are a combined $95 billion. Think about that the next time you’re being tolled on roads you built or have to pay to have access to a national park you preserved or simmer knowing that your child is one of around 30 in a classroom with one teacher. Yep, your tax dollars are at work overseas raining down death on other people’s kids, destroying the infrastructure that allows for a civilized life and continually plundering the earth for the profit of a very few exceptional people who think they are gods.
And gods they are. Gods of blood and terror whose stench is that of sulfur and whose fruit is the wailing of tears and gnashing of teeth. Of them I ask, “How long, o God, must the demons reign?”
Rev. Rich Lang is the Seattle District Superintendent of the United Methodist Church and can be contacted at [email protected]