"To die for an idea; it is unquestionably noble. But how much nobler it would be if men died for ideas that were true!" ~ H. L. Mencken
Before you send Johnnie off to earn his college tuition the hard way � make sure he can read all the "Warning Labels" that pertain to military service. He won't find these as easily as the Surgeon General's Warning on his cigarettes even though cigarettes are slower killers. There are classes in schools that warn about "casual unprotected sex," but not many about casual unprotected war. The government schools, being infested by sycophants beholden to the State, will have coffee and doughnuts ready when the recruiters arrive to make sure Johnny gets a crack at trading an eye or a leg or a mind or a life for some college tuition and some shiny medals � maybe even a Gold Star.
Take some time and look at a couple of the glitzy new recruiting sites for the armed forces of the United States and see if you can find anything in the form of a warning that would really tell the whole truth about what could happen as a result of trying to "be all that you can be." Even if they warn about injury and death � they are not going to talk about being ordered to kill people under less than honorable and lawful circumstances. The military sites are not going to directly criticize their Commander-In-Chief for getting them into an unlawful, unconstitutional war. They are no more "Fair and Balanced" than Fox News. And the generals turn into pussycats after they retire, or, worse yet, "War Entrepreneurs" � still shilling for the War Party � with at least One very rare exception.
The Few, The Proud, The Constitutionally Literate?
If the US Marine Corps were really all about being "Semper Fi" to Honor and the Constitution before anything else, they would treat Major General Smedley D. Butler, USMC, Retired [the most highly decorated marine] with a lot more honor and respect. And if they would do justice to him there could be a lot of injustice prevented. Go to their site and look for him. His name is good for naming military bases � but his perspective on lawful and unlawful war is not being taught by the Marine Corps or the other armed services. There are important reasons for that. You can search their site for him by clicking here. Another subject not often mentioned on those enticing recruitment sites: The Constitution.
Major General Butler was never a pure "Peacenik." A fierce adversary on the field of battle, he was always in favor of Lawful War for Lawful Defense and Never for Aggression or Plunder. This is precisely the position of the Founding Fathers and the Framers of the Constitution. When he found out the truth about war he turned against the Machine. And that is the honorable reaction for a True Marine and True Patriot. When confronted with Truth he takes his position on the side of Truth.
It would be one thing to bury his history after he left the Corps if he had turned against his country and dishonored the uniform. But General Butler continued to serve his country � and its veterans � better and better in the years after his active duty � until he even thwarted a fascist coup to take over our government � and finally risked everything including his reputation to boldly come out against the Warfare State and the Military Industrial Complex � exposing War in general, as the Racket it is and always has been. Apparently other retired generals have not been so quick to join his ranks. If this was not a "Marine's Marine" there is no such specimen.
Even his Two [2] Congressional Medals of Honor cannot do justice to this man, who, even now, in his death, has the potential to save thousands, perhaps millions of American lives, as well as the lives of millions upon millions in other countries, who should not, who must not, be lost to benefit the Warmongers among us who have become drunk on the blood of Empire.
"HELL NO � WE WON'T GO!"
In my opinion, no young person who cannot intelligently discuss General Butler's book, "War Is A Racket," should be permitted to join any of the armed forces. I would further insist that all military personnel be schooled in "War Crimes Avoidance." This would primarily be centered on teaching the difference between lawful and unlawful orders and lawful and unlawful wars. Most military personnel do not consciously think about this until perhaps after their service � or never � according to Smedley Butler. They just follow orders. That is why Michael New is such an anomaly.
