1/5/2022

JRB – I’m working on a letter to editor. See below. Would appreciate your input.

Dear fellow citizens,

            As we prepare to mark the 1st anniversary of the riot at the Capitol, we must ask ourselves if we want to perpetuate a military class in our society.

            The Christian Science Monitor suggests, “Americans promiscuously place veterans on a pedestal. This elevated status may be giving some vets the idea that they, more than others, know what’s best for the country.” Unfortunately, some vets were persuaded by social media to disrupt our democracy. According to a CBS analysis at least 81 of the 700 individuals charged in relation to the Jan 6 riot had ties to the US military.

            The tragic situation in Myanmar illustrates the danger of having a military class in society who appoint themselves as the arbiters of good governance. On February 6, 2020, the generals there declared that the November election was fraudulent. Unlike the Jan 6 event in the US, their coup was successful, and Myanmar has been devastated as a result. In addition to an economic collapse due to strikes, the military is attacking the citizenry. Most recently, on Dec 24, soldiers killed more than 30 people, including children, who were fleeing their homes in the Kayah State.

            In 1961, Eisenhower warned in his farewell address, “we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military–industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.” When I was a child in the ‘60s I could never imagine soldiers attacking my community. Unfortunately, I can now.

            This makes me wonder if we should be investing so much of our tax money into the military. I worry about the role of the military in our society. When these questions come up for me, I consider moving to Costa Rica which eliminated their military in 1948 and have used their savings to fund health and education.