Who is winning? The Military Industrial Complex
By: Hugo Omar Aghosta
Part 1
I'm certain that the political posts get to be too much, but few are as obsessed as I am about how we got into this mess. It's really quite simple as I look back over it. Starting in 1960, Eisenhower warned of the danger of the military-industrial complex. More than a term bandied about to make memes with, the threat was real and is now our reality. The final straw was the passage of Citizens United which allowed unlimited contributions to lawmakers. Naturally, many of those donating are in the arms, banking, oil and pharmaceutical businesses. No longer a joke, "pay-to-play" is the norm, not the exception. Some might remember when bribes to Congress were illegal, now it is sanctioned and supported by law.
Since before the breakup of the Soviet Union, the CIA has been involved in chicanery in foreign countries. Deposing a "dictator," replacing him with a puppet who represented "U.S." interests or influencing elections. These interests in the post cold-war era are primarily oil interests and forward installations for the global military bases and spy network.
It's important to recognize that Bin Laden, Saddam Hussein, and the Afghan Mujadeen were once honored guests here in the U.S.
Long before 9/11, an effort was made and deals were signed for the trans-Afghan pipeline. $2 billion was given to the mujadeen to, as then Director of the CIA put it, "kill every soviet soldier they can." Bin Laden wanted a different consortium of companies to construct the pipeline, not one loaded with ex-state department officials including Cheney, Rice, James Baker, Brent Scowcroft and others. The race to build this pipeline began in earnest in 1993, at stake is access to enough oil to supply Europe for a decade or even much longer. The 4th largest natural gas deposit in the world is also in Turkmenistan.
All this before the alleged provocation to go to war in Afghanistan. We have two monumental army bases already built on each end of the pipeline. One near Kosovo and the other in the former Soviet country of Uzbekistan.
No connection was ever made between Hussein and al Queda either. An evil man by any measure, (he did gas the Kurds) little was said about us arming him to fight Iran. The U.S. gave Saddam the spores and base ingredients for the production of nerve agents banned by the Geneva accord. Years of U.N. inspectors did their job, the inventories were destroyed and none were ever found during or after the war. Our state department inventing a story to get access to Iraq's oil fields.
Here we are again with another story, more gas and oil wealth, Syria. Mire pipelines at stake. More fabricated "human-rights" intervention. Millions displaced and many, many thousands dead and injured. Don't believe a word.
Already the state department is banging the war drum about Iran. Retired general Wesley Clarke told Congress in 2002 that he was told the U.S. wanted to control 7 countries: Iraq, Lebanon, Somalia, Libya, Sudan, Syria and finishing with Iran. Essentially, every country on the gulf.
To summarize, the official stories are bogus. The intent is and has always been to control the regions of the world where oil and gas are prevalent. From the Middle East and Persian Gulf, North Africa to the Caspian basin to the bloc of former Soviet countries, we have relentlessly pursued our oil ambitions. We have created via the military-industrial complex, the military-petroleum complex. This empire is going bankrupt. This continued war for oil is not about defense and decreases our safety and the quality of our life as well as those in the countries we have bombed literally back to the stone age.
Why should we get involved? I believe every problem we have in this country is symptomatic of our countrie's priorities. Our Congress is for sale to the highest bidder. Our cities and infrastructure nationwide are in grave condition. Our healthcare system and social safety-net continues to be inadequate as expenditures for war increase. These are corporate wars. Elite wars. Wars for profit.
We must unite and let our government officials know we've had enough.
Next time, a peek at the way the World Bank and IMF are used to control (enslave) developing countries.
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