Fifty years after the end of the Vietnam War, JJ Johnson reflects on the journey that led him, along with two fellow Fort Hood soldiers, to refuse orders to Vietnam. He compares then to our situation today, "the darkest period in my lifetime."
As the spiritual leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, Pope Francis unified people of different generations. He encouraged genuine love for humans—”Todo, todo, todo.” He spoke out against war, militarism, and the ravages of climate change.
Trumpism is only Bidenism carried to its logical conclusion. Joe Biden was in many ways heir to the militaristic liberalism of Wilson and Truman—especially visible in his efforts to revive the military Keynesianism of the Cold War.
No other practice, no other societal force is more favorable to the rise of authoritarianism and the rule of tyrants than pernicious war. Wage war long and it’s likely you can kiss your democracy, your rights, and just maybe your ass goodbye.
Now we know, in all their serious nonsense about not being able to afford to battle climate breakdown, afford to save the planet, or afford a basic decent life for ordinary humans - it isn’t expediency at all. It is ideology disguised as expediency.
The increasing number of murdered women, armed civilians, construction of ever larger prisons and violence against animals are manifestations of "war mentality". Violence we encounter every day is closely linked to wars we think are far away.
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