We
hear messages like this so often, starting in childhood, that most of us hardly
give it a thought when we hear this said, or see a message like this on a
billboard. After all, on Memorial Day, July 4th, Veterans Day and
many other times throughout the year, virtually every politician across the
spectrum will genuflectively spout this or other, similarly clichéd, homages to
veterans.
While
respecting the good intentions of most of our fellow citizens who’ve been in
the military, if we hope to see our country embrace foreign and military
policies that enhance our real security, we need to pursue a more thoughtful
understanding of the role that the U.S. military plays in the world. We also
need to look closely at the nature of our precious “freedom,” as well as
identifying the real threats thereof.
Before
we go there, it should be noted that many who urge everyone to “Support our
troops,” really mean “Support the wars they’ve been ordered to fight.” And many
of these same politicians are actually not very good about supporting those
who’ve come home from war physically and psychologically scarred. Our VA system
is chronically underfunded and there are way too many veterans living on the
streets, homeless, never having received the help they needed to recover from
the traumas of war.
Do U.S. Wars Defend Our Freedom?
While
we are taught from childhood that our military is in the business of defending
our nation, the reality is quite different. All wars fought, at least for the
past seven decades—and there have been many—have involved U.S. interventions in
the affairs of other countries far from our shores. In fact, the last time the
United States was invaded was fully 200 years ago, during the War of 1812. We
are blessed with oceans to the east and west, friendly neighbors to the north
and south and a general lack of enemies threatening military action against us.
Where
the U.S. has involved itself militarily around the world, from Vietnam to Iraq,
from Somalia to Colombia, from Panama to Pakistan and beyond, the troops or
planes have not been sent to fight an aggressive power threatening our security
or freedom. Rather, these invasions, coups, counter-insurgency wars and proxy
wars have been fought for geopolitical advantage and in pursuit of the
commercial interests and profits of influential transnational corporations.
To
the extent that there is a dislike for the United States in places around the
world, this is most likely the results of past aggressions by our government.
or support for despotic regimes. Our wars create more enemies than they
eliminate. There would be no ISIS right now if not for the American invasion of
Iraq. Likewise, it was the U.S.-Saudi proxy intervention in Afghanistan in the
1980s that led to the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
U.S.
taxpayers spend a pretty penny on what’s billed as “defense;” more than any
other nation, in fact, more than the next nine biggest spenders, combined. What
we are buying, however, is neither defense nor freedom. Rather, we are enriching
the Military Industrial Complex and, in many parts of the world, helping
maintain a status quo that is much more about entrenched wealth and power than
it is about anything else.
Who Should We Thank for Our Freedom?
When
this republic was founded, slavery was legal, women were virtually the property
of their husbands or fathers, and, in many locations, only white males who
owned real property were allowed to vote. The protections enshrined in the Bill
of Rights were only applied at the Federal level.
We
are indebted to many heroes who, over the course of these centuries, have
struggled valiantly to protect and expand our freedom. This includes
abolitionists, labor organizers, women’s rights activists and many other brands
of “freedom fighters.”
There are countless organizations we must salute, with the list including the ACLU, the NAACP, NOW and numerous others. Many of these struggles continue to this day. LGBT rights are still not enshrined in Federal statute. Nor are they recognized in all states. The civil rights movement made great strides in the 1950s and 60s, but, as we all are painfully aware, there is still much work to be done to ensure equal rights for all citizens regardless of their skin color.
There are countless organizations we must salute, with the list including the ACLU, the NAACP, NOW and numerous others. Many of these struggles continue to this day. LGBT rights are still not enshrined in Federal statute. Nor are they recognized in all states. The civil rights movement made great strides in the 1950s and 60s, but, as we all are painfully aware, there is still much work to be done to ensure equal rights for all citizens regardless of their skin color.
Another
aspect of our freedom is the right to breathe clean air, to drink clean water
and to live in an environment that does not make us sick. We must applaud those
who struggle to protect our rights to a healthy environment. And clearly, there
is still much work to be done to ensure our privacy, another area in which many
good people and organizations deserve recognition for their work.
Freedom,
if it is to be understood fully, is not simply a matter of ensuring a level
playing field for all under the rule of law, as important as that is. Another
critical freedom is the “Freedom from Want,” as articulated by President
Roosevelt in his famous 1941 Four Freedoms Speech. Many have struggled long and
hard to ensure workers receive adequate remuneration for their labor; that they
have safe working conditions; and that there is a social safety net that
provides a modicum to those who cannot work or cannot find work. These rights
are still a work in progress.
Likewise,
Roosevelt declared that we should all have the “Freedom from Fear.” He defined
this as “a world-wide reduction of armaments to such a point and in such a
thorough fashion that no nation will be in a position to commit an act of
physical aggression against any neighbor—anywhere in the world.” He made this
statement before nuclear weapons had emerged as the ultimate cause for fear,
threatening omnicide. Clearly, though, the logic of his speech must be applied
to these as well. Activists who have worked tirelessly for decades to promote disarmament
in general and nuclear disarmament in particular should also be recognized for
their contributions, although much more work remains to be done.
As
we consider the origins of our freedom, it is important to be clear as to who
is working to promote and expand that freedom, and also to recognize who is
seeking to restrict it.
It
seems that those who are boisterous cheerleaders for war, and want to give a
virtual blank check to military spending, are often on the side of restricting
freedom. From attacking workers’ rights to making voting more difficult, from
opposing marriage equality to attacking reproductive rights, from cutting food
stamps for the needy to opposing minimum wages we see constant attacks on our
freedom coming from the Right.
Those
who urge us to “Thank Veterans for your Freedom,” seem to believe that the
biggest threats come from without and must be resisted with military force.
Looking closer, far greater threats come from within our own society. So, we
all can, and should, be freedom fighters. There is much heavy lifting to be
done today. With much at stake, we are the ones who must each do our share.