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N O T E S F R O M T H E C A F E F I A S C O
Volume 9, Number 3 - September 2004
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DEMOCRATIC NATIONALISTIC CONVENTION
So I wait for 30 years for one of us, the people who convinced the country to end the Vietnam War, to make a serious run for the Presidency. Clinton hid in England during the War. Gore went into the service and didn't make a ruckus when he came back. We're not clear what Bush and Cheney were doing, but it didn't involve personal risk in any form. Now, I'm not a huge fan of John Kerry's politics, but at least at one point in his life he stood up and spoke truth to power about the use of military force as a instrument of American policy.
And so I looked in on the Democratic Diversity-Fest here in Boston to see what the Kerry campaign would look like and what did I see? I saw the biggest collection of military brass assembled in one place since D-Day.
I knew that we were in trouble, but I didn't know that we were in this much trouble.
For two going on three years we have endured the constant mindless mantra of "support the troops, support the troops" from all points of the political spectrum until this phrase and concept have become completely meaningless. Yes, we did terrible things to people when they came back from Vietnam and we are all determined not to make same mistakes now, but it seems to me that the best way that we can "support the troops" is not to put the troops in stupid situations that mean that they will be killed for no good reason. In place of a debate about how we can do this, we have substituted this mental pabulum. - a precursor to full-blown American militarism masquerading as foreign policy.
So what is Militarism? Mr. Webster defines Militarism as "a policy of aggressive military preparedness." Sound familiar? Militarism is when your primary method of reaching your foreign policy goals is to call out the troops. Sound familiar? Militarism is when you automatically think everything military is good. Sound familiar? This is what I saw on the stage at the Democratic National Convention.
John Kerry has decided to run for Commander in Chief rather than President of the United States and he's not doing this in a vacuum - the polls told him that this is what the American people want. One would hope that, should he be elected, he will come to the realization that there is a reason why the Founders lodged the power of the military within the context of civilian leadership and not the other way around. We already know where his opponent stands on such issues.
In the meantime, I going to continue to hope that my countrymen don't toss out the democratic experiment because fear-mongers have taken over our political life. The world is a dangerous place. Our sudden realization of this three years ago can make us rise to the challenge of living in the world or make us hide ourselves behind inadequate troop strength in order to try to mold the world in our image - in the final analysis an effort as futile as it is stupid.
In the meantime, I'm practicing my salute. And gritting my teeth.
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"Notes From the Cafe Fiasco" is sort-of-written, sort-of-edited, and sort-of-published whenever the Muses allow. (Subscribers will probably note that the Muses have been kicking my butt of late.) Misconception, writing, and production are supervised by the spirit of the 13 pound fuzzy Perfect Master - Koji Spriggs and his vocal successor Smudge. Unsubscribing is easy. Send a note to me and I will take you off of the list. No problem. If you wish to continue to be receive this excuse for wisdom, do nothing. But remember: not to decide is to decide.
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Marshall T. Spriggs
[email protected]; (617) 666-1571
One does not need buildings, money, power, or status to
practice the Art of Peace.
Heaven is right where you are standing,
and that is the place to train.
- Morihei Ueshiba
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