This morning, I appeared on “Judging Freedom” with Judge Napolitano. We discussed my recent article about why the U.S. military fights and related issues. With the Iran War, it’s obvious who’s lost. The American people have lost. The war has already cost our country roughly $100 billion, and Americans have been driven deeper into debt as inflationary pressures bite into personal budgets, which are increasingly stretched to the breaking point. Who’s won? Zionist Israel has won, at least for now as it pursues its vision of “greater” Israel. Iran has won (despite suffering considerable damage and casualties), emerging stronger on the global stage by standing up to U.S. and Israeli forces. And of course war profiteers have won, including fossil fuel companies, banks, and especially the military-industrial complex. The war’s been a disaster for America, yet the Pentagon is on course to getting a colossal raise by Trump. For the warmongers and weapons makers, losing is winning yet again. The Judge and I also talked about the U.S. military and its identity. I lamented the ongoing emphasis on lethality, on killing, the whole warrior and warfighter mystique. The U.S. military today has a narrow vision of professionalism focused on “kinetic” action—basically, winning by blowing things up, by killing “bad guys.” irrespective of legality and morality. The citizen-soldier tradition of World War II has been cast aside for warrior-nihilism. It’s a startling transition that’s been happening for decades but which under Trump/Hegseth has reached a grim apotheosis. Warrior-nihilism may be the biggest issue the U.S. military faces today—even more pressing than escalatory nuclear weapons spending, Golden Dome boondoggles, and grossly inflated budgets. The U.S. military is supposed to believe in something—specifically, supporting and defending the Constitution and our fundamental rights as citizens. A warrior-military that believes in nothing but its own strength is an anathema to anyone who believes in democracy. |