Follow the Money

One of my biggest beliefs in this world, sadly, is that when you're in doubt about the motivation of a particular person/country/party just follow the money and you'll soon have your answer. It's cynical as hell but I'd rather be known as overly cynical than highly naive.

That being said, I watched the documentary "Why We Fight" this weekend. It's a film about the American military might, how that might was forged and why, and most importantly what that might is being used for today. It's fascinating.

The movie itself leans to the left and so many of the people who would actually be swayed by it won't bother to watch because they'll be offended. These people are retards. The movie leans to the left, it doesn't go all Michael Moore on the bit, it just throws out some opinions. The sad part is that the politics of this issue hardly matter. It's not about WHO is doing it, it's about WHAT is being done.

The film opens with the farewell speech by Dwight Eisenhower as he leaves his post as president in '61. It's amazing. After many years I finally realize that I too, like Ike. He warns the people of the world that now that we have a military we may be compelled to use it for less than ideal reasons. Which of course we have done and continue to do. His prophecy is bitterly accurate. In an aside that speaks volumes he mentions "God forbid what would happen if the President of the United States didn't know the military like I do".

And of course subsequent presidents have been completely incompetent in managing the american war machine since he left the office. So he nailed that one too. Ike was fucking brilliant.

The movie moves on throughout the years and conflicts and elaborates a bit on the mechanications of war. Most frighteningly focusing on Cheney and his plans (in 1992 mind you) to become the world's only super-power and to then manage the world with an iron glove. On the one hand this sounds good, I'm an American and I want clean streets and smooth running engines under the hood and all that. On the other hand, he's basically saying he wants to kill brown people in foreign lands so I can have all that. Which puts me at odds. I kinda like brown people, and I certainly don't want them killed even if I don't like them personally. It's ugly. And it's American Policy.

I recommend this movie to anyone who wants to maybe put the pieces together a little more easily. Basically it comes down to this. We, the american people, spend roughly $750 billion a year annually on "defense". You think we spend that much without expecting some payback? Hence you get your Halliburtons and Lockheed Martins and whatnots. War is business, and in 2006 business is good.