TPM Marshall "Trump and the Weaponization of Military Sacrifice (important read)

[NRaleighLiberal]

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/trump-and-the-weaponization-of-military-sacrifice#more-1085114

by Josh Marshall

For more than 150 years, the United States resisted the creation of a large standing army. To a great degree, technology and especially geography made it unnecessary. The United States maintained a significant, though relatively small Navy and a small professional army which served as a nucleus around which a large force could be assembled during national emergencies. This happened during the Civil War, World War I and again in World War II. The World War II army was never fully demobilized and a large standing army (all four services) has been the new normal for three-quarters of a century. Most of us take this as a given. But it is worth remembering why early Americans thought standing armies were at least in tension with democracy if not outright inimical to it.

One reason for the resistance to standing armies was that they made the state too strong. Another reason was that they tended to be used to fight wars which – in addition to the other problems with wars – distorted or endangered the civilian character of democratic government. What we’re seeing today from President Trump is a very specific danger with the militarization of civic culture: an anti-democratic leader can use military sacrifice as a totem to squelch dissent.

Here’s a tweet from someone named “Donna Warren”. Presumably she’s a real person, though she could simply be a twitter concoction, a fake persona. That doesn’t matter. What matters is that President Trump RT’d this tweet yesterday. In context, that means he endorsed it.

DONNA WARREN 🇺🇸 @DonnaWR8
Replying to @DonnaWR8 @realDonaldTrump
I wonder what this BRAVE American would give to stand on his OWN two legs just ONCE MORE for our #Anthem? #MAGA #NFL

Let’s be clear that we don’t know anything about the man in the picture. The photograph almost certainly was created for a different use. But as the image is used here, you can see the whole mindset, use of loss and blood as a cudgel in its most brutal form. The act of protest is enrolled as a specific disrespect of this man who has had his body ripped apart in military violence. Images like this, combined with these words, are meant to inspire rage at the targets of the attack. Guilt, admiration and vicarious horror are transmuted not simply into opposition but rage at dissenters.

snip - click the link above for more, including the pic discussed above

[WestMichRad]

1. Drift: The Unmooring of American Military Power

Rachel Maddow wrote the excellent book "Drift..." about how the USA incrementally turned into a military-driven nation, rather than following the wisdom of the founding fathers that the military endangered our civilian government. Outstanding book, highly recommended. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drift:_The_Unmooring_of_American_Military_Power
Here is a link to Rachel discussing her book:

Our military certainly serves numerous useful purposes, but as things now stand it appears to be devouring the beast. It's difficult for me to understand how some worship this institution and not only are deaf any criticism but act with outrage to any critique of our military whatsoever... but then I have never been a fan of beating the nationalist drum.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. .