"More than any other time
in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness. The other, total extinction.
Let us pray we have the wisdom to choose correctly." Woody Allen.
The US is at a crossroads, but Woody ironically offers about as much meaningful choice as we're
going to get from Republicans and Democrats. The real options are between perpetuating the US global military empire
and, in the process, bankrupting the country or pursuing prosperity
in a vigorous free economy. Certainly, I hope we have the wisdom to choose the latter.
Our total annual
defense outlay is upwards of $1 trillion, infinitely more than the defense outlay of the rest of the world combined. A major
part of that cost is approximately 700 overseas bases (some remnants of WWII and the Korean War) and, contrary to the
originally stated missions, troops stuck in quagmires in Iraq and Afghanistan. There are no good reasons for the bases
in Europe, Japan, and South Korea. Those people are financially and physically able to protect themselves. After
five to six years of nation building in Iraq and Afghanistan, there are literally no positive results to compensate
for the enormous amount of death, destruction, and financial cost.
It's time to bring all troops home. Let's
stop the wasteful spending and burgeoning debt due to war and the military empire, and invest our hard-earned dollars
in wealth-producing, job-creating enterprise in the good ole USA. If America is to be the model for free nations, let's
set the example through peaceful trade, diplomacy, and people-to-people interaction. War, military occupation, and meddling
in foreign lands only breed hatred and foment the criminal "blowback" experienced on 9/11.
