A defense-tech company tied to war contracts is now talking about sacrifice, citizenship, and national service. That says more about power in America than patriotism.
Military conscription involves threat of force—imprisonment of draft dodgers—to build the strength of the imperial army. The government ended the draft in 1973, as the last American ground troops were pulled out of the war in Vietnam. The persistence of the Vietnamese armed struggle for independence, and the majority of the American public’s opposition to the war demoralized the troops, causing drug addiction and instances of fragging—soldiers rolling a fragmentation grenade into the tent of dangerously gung-ho commanding officers. For five decades the volunteer army subsisted on personal inducements to enlist, such as federal support for college tuition and home loans, and patriotism, which rose after the 9/11 terror attacks. Now, the Iran war is the most unpopular in history, and college and home ownership are now out of reach for the working class. Hence, a draft.
Palantir is the most dangerous corporation in America, scraping data from Federal records to identify peaceful protestors against ICE raids. Israel uses it to identify not only Palestinian Resistance fighters but their relatives, journalists, and health care workers in Gaza for assassination. It has the potential to collect data from social media, e-mails, texts, create a database of political dissidents, and take action such as cutting off access to bank accounts.
Trump has abandoned soft power abroad—the ideology of America as the defender of freedom and democracy—using only war, military blockades, and overthrow of governments. As the Republican and Democratic Parties’ policies of war abroad and austerity at home alienate the American public and delegitimize the whole system, they can maintain their rule only through force.
Tariq Cyril Amar has sublimely titled Karp's Mein Krap (my take), as AI KAMPF. Pityful drivel. He will be like dust blown by the incoming storms. A pretender. Grist to the mill.
Trump/Palentir/Israel’s campaign for boots on the ground in Iran got a lift yesterday from Fox, where a rabbi discussed the need for Americans to steal Iran’s enriched uranium — a nearly impossible task. He never suggested the IDF do it, nor did Trump or Palantir. All of those aiming for an American draft are despicable subhumans. Billionaire entitlement needs to be stopped.
Military conscription involves threat of force—imprisonment of draft dodgers—to build the strength of the imperial army. The government ended the draft in 1973, as the last American ground troops were pulled out of the war in Vietnam. The persistence of the Vietnamese armed struggle for independence, and the majority of the American public’s opposition to the war demoralized the troops, causing drug addiction and instances of fragging—soldiers rolling a fragmentation grenade into the tent of dangerously gung-ho commanding officers. For five decades the volunteer army subsisted on personal inducements to enlist, such as federal support for college tuition and home loans, and patriotism, which rose after the 9/11 terror attacks. Now, the Iran war is the most unpopular in history, and college and home ownership are now out of reach for the working class. Hence, a draft.
Palantir is the most dangerous corporation in America, scraping data from Federal records to identify peaceful protestors against ICE raids. Israel uses it to identify not only Palestinian Resistance fighters but their relatives, journalists, and health care workers in Gaza for assassination. It has the potential to collect data from social media, e-mails, texts, create a database of political dissidents, and take action such as cutting off access to bank accounts.
Trump has abandoned soft power abroad—the ideology of America as the defender of freedom and democracy—using only war, military blockades, and overthrow of governments. As the Republican and Democratic Parties’ policies of war abroad and austerity at home alienate the American public and delegitimize the whole system, they can maintain their rule only through force.
Read James Fallows’s National Service - a compelling analysis.
i will, thanks
Extremely insightful article. I wish it was required reading for every one of voting age.
Tariq Cyril Amar has sublimely titled Karp's Mein Krap (my take), as AI KAMPF. Pityful drivel. He will be like dust blown by the incoming storms. A pretender. Grist to the mill.
Trump/Palentir/Israel’s campaign for boots on the ground in Iran got a lift yesterday from Fox, where a rabbi discussed the need for Americans to steal Iran’s enriched uranium — a nearly impossible task. He never suggested the IDF do it, nor did Trump or Palantir. All of those aiming for an American draft are despicable subhumans. Billionaire entitlement needs to be stopped.
The plutocracy, rule by the rich, long here, entrenches itself.
Thank you, and well done.
Softly, you channel Smedley Butler.
Awesome article. A relationship between a company like Palantir and government is the epitome of irresponsibility.