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SOLDIERS
OF MISFORTUNE They’re
"brave," "courageous" and "defenders of 'our'
freedoms." Everyone in power seems
to be basking in the glow of spring love for 'our' young warriors, but if
time teaches us anything about the praises of politicians, it is that such
sweet words last about as long as cotton candy in an April shower. If we are honest, and if
we look at things from the perspective of political leaders, we see that
soldiers are but instruments of state power. They’re seen as, say a
queen bee 'sees' a drone; they are expendable. How can we come to any
other conclusion in light of the way veterans of military engagements past
are treated, not by protestors who may oppose their imperial violence, but
by the State that employed their services? Soldiers of World War II
were subjected to dangerous exposure to radioactive materials, causing
uncounted effects in thousands of men over generations. The veterans of
Vietnam were exposed to the ravages of Agent Orange, but found their
enemies not in grass and mud hootches in the subtropics of Asia, but in
the Veteran's Administration hospitals, the chemical companies, and the
politicians who represent their interests, who rejected their health
concerns for at least a generation. When thousands of men and women went
to the (first) Gulf War, they experienced serious life-threatening
illnesses that they called the Gulf War Syndrome. Who opposed them,
assuring them that it was 'just in their minds'? The same folks who
opposed their predecessors! The raging protests of
Vietnam forced the government to deep-six the draft (which had been
unpopular since the Civil War), and institute what they claimed was an
'all-volunteer' service. Yet, who volunteers-- and why? Studies have shown that
low-income levels and chronic unemployment is an important element in why
some people opt for military service. Slick, computer-generated ad
campaigns promise thousands of dollars for college, and emphasize
individuality under the “Army of One” pitch. With few prospects of a
career in an economy driven by recession, and the demoralizing weight of a
dead-end job (if one is able to get one), the ads on TV can prove
irresistible. The Philadelphia-based Central Committee for Conscientious
Objectors (CCCO) considers the military’s present recruitment efforts as
a "poverty draft". The Jennifer Lynch’s of
the world, surviving in the low-growth economic battlefield of West
Virginia, find the military a viable, stable option in an unstable
civilian economy. How many people in the
services would be there, if education was truly affordable? Or if the
economy was out of recession? As Congress passes
resolutions praising the troops, the very same House of Representatives
moves to cut some $25 billion from veterans' health benefits over the next
decade. The love of politicians seems ever so fickle these days. Meanwhile, more and more
public dollars gets funneled into the cavernous maw of the
military-industrial-complex. As this happens, we see
the economic underpinnings of war. Wars are not waged on
behalf of the many, but for the few; those few who can, and will benefit
from ravages of war, like oil companies, defense industries and the like.
How can this most recent war be for the benefit of a people who
overwhelmingly opposed it, in unprecedented numbers? Least of all, are
wars fought for those who fight in them. They are drawn,
overwhelmingly, from the ranks of the poor and the working-classes; those
who can find no space in a tight economic environment. They fight abroad
because they are exhausted from the never-ending fight at home, for a
decent, affordable education, for decent housing, for a job with some
degree of longevity. They are fighting to
survive against a truly ruthless enemy-- those who run America’s
economy. Copyright 2003 Mumia Abu-Jamal
http://www.mumia.org/freedom.now/ |