G.I. Jesus? Battlecry -The new form of military recruitment from the RW

[itzamirakul]

Right now, on C-Span, there is a program that is focused on the military recruitment tactics currently being used in schools, among urban youth, among minorities. I am in another room, but listening to anti-recruitment teachers, to Rep. Cynthia McKinney and other professionals who are strongly opposed to the lying and strong-arming methods that military recruiters are using to combat the growing gap in the number of new recruits and the number needed to fight.

Something else that is disturbing me is this demand that I hear so many callers into C-Span's Washington Journal making. Many callers demand that if the illegal immigrants want to stay in America, then those immigrants must first serve in the Armed Forces, primarily in Iraq. Then, if they are not killed or otherwise destroyed, they may be granted citizenship. My thought is, if those immigrants DO serve in the U.S. military and the native-born Americans DO NOT serve in the military of their own homeland, then WHO really, is the true citizen of this country? I am totally against this or any war, but my rationale says, "A true citizen defends his country when needed."

Here is a snip of what I believe to be a related article from buzzflash:

G.I. Jesus? Denouncement of Right-Wing Christian BattleCry

A BUZZFLASH READER CONTRIBUTION
by Debra Schaffer Hubert

There is no military draft yet because the Christian Right is doing the recruiting on behalf of the government.

Ron Luce and his co-conspirators in the far right-wing Christian fundamentalist camps, are out there busily glorifying war as if it were godliness. They are having youth gatherings in stadium arenas called BattleCry. BattleCry is so filled with military metaphor and rhetoric that you would think it was a giant pre-boot camp designed to entice troubled youth trying to do good in the world to join the military. Ron Luce is applauding the Bush Administration's atrocities when he brings Navy Seals on stage and talks about how noble it is to be a soldier. Christian rock bands are used to entice the youth to come to these events. Otherwise, I doubt they would be willing to go. It is like being at a rock concert one moment with feeling happy and open, then a speaker is brought in to brainwash you. George W. Bush even sends an endorsement to be read at BattleCry. Virtually all of the propaganda used in the BattleCry literature is utilizing military rhetoric; from a hummer sporting a red revolution flag on stage, to dog tags, posters with youth carrying automatic weapons and Navy Seals giving Christian testimony and making "BattlePlans." Militarism is the epitome of misogyny.

My question is this: If Ron Luce claims he is trying to guide the youth around an evil culture, then why does he openly support the US military war machine with its dumping of weaponized radioactive uranium, known by the misleading name the Pentagon gave it, Depleted Uranium, all over an entire continent, rendering it uninhabitable forever? This, in the name of their God?

The BattleCry Christian youth movement is supported by big money from the Christian right-wing Fundamentalist industrial complex. They are not only promoting war and thereby military recruitment, but also homophobia and severe sexism by advocating the relinquishment of the right of sovereignty of women over their own bodies and firmly denouncing sexual diversity.

They have proclaimed they are the definitive deciders as to what God wants, and they are furiously working their literal biblical interpretations into the government.


more: www.buzzflash.com/contributors/06/05/con06203.html

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

1. Well, as everyone knows, Jesus was a big fan of murder and carnage.

Didn't "Bring it on" and "Smoke 'em out" come from the Sermon on the Mount?

[Gman]

11. Don't forget He loved torture and rape

it's in the Bible... just ask 'em. Just like its ok to own slaves.

[mark11727]

12. Yup. And instead of ending each prayer with "amen" ...

...He'd pump His fist and shout

"U-RAH!"

[itzamirakul]

15. I think it was from the Sermon on the Boat...you know...

The MISSION ACCOMPLISHED boat sermon...

[paparush]

25. LMAO!! Sermon on the Boat Bwahahahahahaha!!!

[demigoddess]

2. using immigrants to fight for this nation and then rewarding them with

citizenship sounds so much like the Roman Empire. They would conquer an area and then use those people in their army to keep Rome itself safe, so the citizens would not have to. A long come-down from the original citizen-warrior.

[rodeodance]

9. yes, there has been a few articles about this I forget the numbers-Hispani

c mostly.

[The Deacon]

3. Hey!

How about a ROTC program & military recruiters at Patrick Henry College - these little freaks have such a hard-on to influence the political direction of the country maybe they can try Blocking Bullets for Jesus! We can even give them their own unit so they won't be contaminated by "outsiders" - call it the Stepford Children's Own Volunteer Brigade.

[itzamirakul]

17. I think the students at such rw colleges are preparing for careers in

DC and therefore do not need military experience. They are going to be Aides and Political Staffers and Lobbyists, etc.

The training they are getting teaches them how to lie, steal and manipulate their way into great wealth and power and how to maintain an army to protect their personal rights and property. And then they always have to stay on the alert to be sure no one steals the fortune that they have acquired and that no one gets too much more wealth than they have.

How dare we progressive liberals teach our children to love art and literature and to take time from greedy grasping to enjoy nature and beauty even though it puts not a penny in our pockets?

No, I do not think that recruiters go to such colleges as you mention.

In fact, I believe that the majority of high schools that recruiters visit are in lower income neighborhoods, regardless of race or ethnicity.

[RagAss]

23. They better take some Military classes...gonna need em....

....our kids ain't gonna eat their shit like we ate their daddy's shit.....trust me....

[kineneb]

4. Hitlerjugend-aaggh!

Some years ago, the neo-Nazi groups came up with the idea of substituting "Jesus" and the Bible for Hitler-style tirades. Their ideas remain the same, just with a religous coating. I was looking through "The Beast Reawakens" by Martin Lee last night and what he wrote about is coming true. Same hate, same racism, same fascism, just using "christianity" to disguise it.

[itzamirakul]

18. I saw a special about the "new" Skinheads on A&E tv last week and it

was really eye-opening. It described exactly what you posted.

[kineneb]

22. here is a quote

I posted this in another thread, but it bares repeating:

Discussing John Trochmann of the Militia of Montana "...addressing the Aryan Nations Congress at Hayden Lake in 1990. Trochmann seized the occasion to argue that they should drop the swastika and the hood in favor of Jesus Christ and the Bible. This is what he did when he set out to create the Militia of Montana. By downplaying overt neo-Nazi themes and disguising his racist beliefs, Trochmann hoped to influence a broad audience of disgruntled Americans, who would doubtless have recoiled if they were blitzed with Hitlerian raves." (p.346)

Lee also notes the collaboration between David Duke and Pat Robertson/Christian Coalition. If more people had read this when it was published, we could have seen where the Little Emperor and his Minions were leading us.



 

[stepnw1f]

5. This Tactic Should Piss Off Real Christians

killing in the name of God? Sounds like the Taliban using God for their own messianic purposes. Helloooooo REAL Christians?

[knitter4democracy]

14. I for one am disgusted.

We never had anything like that when I was in the evangelical church. We had many vets at our college, most of whom were one step away from being brownshirts, but we never had anything like that. Are they hitting the evangelical colleges, too? Seems like there are many there who could serve instead.

[progressivebydesign]

24. I've seen things like "Warriors" for kids in churches lately..

they get them into this faux-christian-military group, and call them Warriors for God. When my stepdaughter was younger, they tried to recruit her all the time.. it's really scary stuff. Since when did Jesus become all about war?

[knitter4democracy]

29. That's just nasty.

Exactly. When did Jesus become all about war? Can't they see just how messed up that all is? Is their cognitive dissonance resulting in some kind of a lobotomy?

[itzamirakul]

19. Stepnw1f, there was a time when I thought I knew, but now I have to ask...

what IS a REAL CHRISTIAN? Here lately there seem to be as many Christian Spiritual Spinoffs as there are grains of sand...etc, etc.....

Anytime the government sends out recruiters who literally preach sermons to often gullible 15, 16, 17 year-olds, I literally have to ask that question.

And does that mean that ONLY Christian children are approached in this manner? What approach is used for other religious affilitations or aren't those youngsters recruited?

Who ARE the REAL CHRISTIANS that we would like to see stand up against this mixture of God and War.

[stepnw1f]

21. Any Christian That Doesn't Mix the Two

those are REAL Christians practicing and preaching PEACE and Love.

[BreweryYardRat]

27. I'm pissed.

:hi:

They're misrepresenting the Lord, trying to plant a false image of the Prince of Peace and represent him as the Lord of War. I find that utterly revolting, and borderline Satanic.

I'm not a perfect Christian, though. You're never going to find anyone who is.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

6. what I am worried about

is the hateful tone of these proceedings. I fear that the real reason BC was created was to make a rwfundie version of the Nazi Brownshirts and Hitler Youth that could then be led to attack gays, minoriites, etc, right here in the US.

[Sinti]

10. I worry about when they will turn on us, also

It's not that difficult to direct that kind of hatred once you build it up onto any presumed enemy. They are killing infidels, followers of Mohammad, in the name of their god, ironically enough because Islam is apparently a murderous and violent religion. Weird part is, the Muslims follow the same god, the god of Abraham, and accept Jesus as a prophet.

The seething, and vengeful god of these Christians would certainly find liberals to be some kind of anti-Christ... we're just too damn tolerant. I see no difficultly whatsoever in turning the killing of Muslim infidels into killing liberal infidels, even if those liberals are Christians.

I've also seen talk, though it is still just talk, indicating that they "can't wait until they start rounding us up, the world would be better off without our kind." You have to hope it's just a bunch of mental jism posted anonymously on a message board.

[Hoping4Change]

7. Just goes to show that fundies whatever the creed are stupid sheep.

[trixie]

8. My grandfather did that very thing in WW1

If you joined you got immediate citizenship. His platoon had the mumps or something and never left the base.

[itzamirakul]

20. Now that sounds like a pretty lucky break ...nt

[genie_weenie]

13. You have gotten the new PRV bible

The Pat Robertson Version.

LThe following in Luke is removed:

Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely. 3:14

Love you enemies; do good to those who hate you. 6:27

The Golden Rule: Treat others as you would like to be treated. 6:31-34

Love your enemies. 6:35

"Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful." 6:36

Don't judge or condemn others. Forgive those who have offended you. 6:37

Jesus warns against hypocrisy. The Christian right should pay more attention to this verse. 6:41

Love thy neighbor as thyself. 10:27

The story of the good Samaritan gets my vote for the best bible story. We should all "go and do likewise." 10:30-37

Too tough to follow...

[Rex]

16. Hell bound in leather.

The Prince of Peace just loves a good slaughter or indiscriminate bombing!

[bvar22]

26. There is already a program where you can 'FIGHT" for citizenship.

After Sept 11th, Bush* instituted a Fast Track for Citizenship for green cards holders who agreed to fight.


"Many of the troops on duty in Iraq do not count English as their first language and would prefer to take orders in their native tongue ... usually Spanish.
The revelation has prompted British MP George Galloway, one of the fiercest critics of the invasion of Iraq, to accuse the US of using its "green card" troops as cannon fodder.

The statistics, buried by White House spin doctors, reveal that a significant minority of troops fighting under the US banner are not in fact US citizens but residents hoping to speed up their citizenship."

http://www.notinourname.net/resources_links/green-card-troops-1sep03.htm

[CatholicEdHead]

28. Here is their website

http://www.battlecry.com/