Brace Yourselves – Bushco is Politically Co-opting Our Military

[wadestock]

First we find that Thomas Barnett is in fact the intellectual “genius” behind the entire concept of using US military force as a miracle grow agent for democracy throughout the world. Neat strategy for Bush, who wanted to get rid of Saddam all along, and all the other neocons savoring the idea of spreading all the wonderful elements of our society throughout the world.

Also wonderful general news for the military industrial complex. Kinda gives them a free ticket to relentless spending and expansion in the name of world order, don’t you think? Hell, with the overall demise of our private sector business, this is becoming the best US business opportunity going.

Well now brace yourselves, you may have noticed the rise of the military into political arena throughout Desert Storm and now W War. But did you take notice of the articles written concerning how the military can now DIRECTLY PARTICIPATE IN POLITICAL ACTIVITIES???

WHAT YOU SAY....WHAT ABOUT THE HATCH ACT? ISN’T THERE SOMETHING WHICH PREVENTS THIS OBVIOUS ABUSE?

No, what we’re talking about is a DOD directive known simply as 1344.10.

Check this out….
http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2004/9/3/162335/9285

Sorry if this has been posted before....but it took me a while to research this and find this article from a friend who originally spoke about this to me a couple weeks ago.

“About 15 percent of the 4,800-plus delegates and alternates to the convention in New York are veterans, organizers said Monday. An additional 3 percent are active military personnel.”

“As it turns out though, it's actually not such a good thing to have active-duty military anywhere near a political convention - if you value your democracy. In fact, up until just a few days before the convention, it was quite illegal for active-duty military even to attend.”

“Soon after being published, the original AP report, linked above, was removed from the RNC website, and from most or all of the major news outlets which had published it, including the AP wire service copy. The few outlets which still haven't taken down their copy of it are getting harder to find, but the Google cache will give evidence to its original distribution.”

“The new version of the document extends the permissible functions which may be attended to include conventions:
4.1.1. - A member on Active Duty may:
<...>
4.1.1.3. - Attend partisan and nonpartisan political meetings, rallies, or conventions as a spectator when not in uniform.”

“So, Wolfowitz added a bit which extends the new right to be a "spectator", to include the right to participate:
4.1.2. - A member on Active Duty shall not:
<...>
4.1.2.3. - Participate in partisan political management, campaigns, or conventions (unless attending a convention as a spectator when not in uniform).”

“Well, naturally, nomination or candidacy for civil office (whether elective or otherwise) is also clearly prohibited in nearly all cases, in both versions of the directive. However, there's an important exception built in to both versions which has been subtly but significantly altered in the latest version. The previous version stated that, regarding nomination or candidacy for civil office:
4.2.1 - <...> When circumstances warrant, the Secretary concerned or the Secretary's designee may permit a member to file such evidence of nomination or candidacy for nomination, as may be required by law.
So, previously, the active duty member might be allowed to file the forms and papers necessary for candidacy, but nothing more. The new version significantly extends this allowance, and creates the necessary, and final loophole which was needed:
4.2.2. - When circumstances warrant, the Secretary concerned or the Secretary's designee may permit a member covered by the prohibition of subparagraph 4.2.1., above, to remain or become a nominee or a candidate for civil office.
Pretty nifty. All it takes now for the active-duty serviceman is the permission of the Secretary (or his minion) to get their name on the delegates ballot list. If they actually get elected, they're out of luck, but if they're appointed as a delegate, they're on their way to New York City. “

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE WORLD WILL LOOK LIKE AFTER ANOTHER 4 YEARS OF BUSHCO

1. The Military Industrial Complex rallies under “The Pentagon’s New Map” to build up a vast infrastructure with the expressed purpose of extending military influence throughout the Middle East and other parts of the world.

2. The military becomes further entrenched within our political system and springboards off the above “better do it now than wait” mentality to bring forth a political will which approaches levels equal to the cold war against the Soviet Union.

3. The ever power seduced Neocons within the Republican Party interpret their election to office as a further mandate to seize power, and while they can, use their sick opportunism to extend the good vs. evil argument, even devise excuses for who to attack and why.

It’s all the worst elements imaginable coming together... with extremely disastrous potential effects. I’ve been hammering home to as many people as I can....hey you think the first 4 years were bad...just wait....this is just the start of something considerably more ugly.

You know any fence sitters...make sure they read this article and consider the implications.

[Demeter]

1. This Might Not Be A Bad Thing

Because when soldiers get out of their war room womb and face real people in real situations, reality has a chance to set in.

It's just like the religious homeschoolers--once their kids encounter reality, truth sets them free--provided they don't have a psychotic break that they can't recover from.

They can build their little bubbles, but they can't put us in them.

[wadestock]

2. Too much can go wrong with this...

I would love to believe you're right...but do you think that there are enough "Clarks" to make something good happen on average?

I'm not in any way talking down to anyone in the military. The point here is simple....Bush has been USING the military (see those letters 2 feet high). Let's keep our military voluntary, and as disconnected an organization from political life as possible. Then and only then might it remain above all this crap.

The military industrial complex has its own built in insidious nature.
If you've read Thomas Barnett....you see that we are changing our generic military doctrine to believe that OFFENSIVE military actions....PREEMPTIVE military actions are GOOD. It scares the schit out of me that his teachings are becoming entrenched as part of a globalization strategy. I see through all of this. It's the ultimate opportunism. Barnett has spoken to the choir in a big way.

Think generically about this and the insidious implications. Think of how Bush has spoken to the general mass of people and gotten them to rally behind the troops for all this supposed good intents. It's just too insidious and corruptible a game to play.

The "good vs evil" thing should have you generally alarmed. More accurately, the Barnett doctrine is the overall idea that the world has in it a number of poor misguided children, which really need our help to see the way....the way to US capitalism.

These children need a spanking to get in line....and possibly a good thrashing if need be.

They are not really able to rehabilitate themselves on their own. US military is the big stick that brings them along.