All Over The World

The United States Probably Has More Foreign Military Bases Than Any Other People, Nation, or Empire in History:

Like most Americans, for most of my life, I rarely thought about military bases. Scholar and former CIA consultant Chalmers Johnson described me well when he wrote in 2004, “As distinct from other peoples, most Americans do not recognize—or do not want to recognize—that the United States dominates the world through its military power. Due to government secrecy, our citizens are often ignorant of the fact that our garrisons encircle the planet.”

To the extent that Americans think about these bases at all, we generally assume they’re essential to national security and global peace. Our leaders have claimed as much since most of them were established during World War II and the early days of the Cold War. As a result, we consider the situation normal and accept that US military installations exist in staggering numbers in other countries, on other peoples’ land. On the other hand, the idea that there would be foreign bases on US soil is unthinkable.

We may think such bases have made us safer. In reality, they’ve helped lock us inside a permanently militarized society that has made all of us—everyone on this planet—less secure, damaging lives at home and abroad.

Meanwhile, the pope reiterates the Golden Rule and people fawn all over him in the country that does not practice it.

The Golden Rule

The Golden Rule states: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

I wish that our politicians had to follow the Golden Rule whenever they took action or passed legislation. The founders should have put it in the Constitution.

If this were so Bush may have thought twice before invading Afghanistan and Iraq. If he had to follow the Golden Rule then the Iraqis could have rightly unseated Bush from power and tried him and hung him.

If this were so Bush may have treated the citizens of New Orleans differently after Hurricane Katrina.

It’s interesting to note that it was Bush’s favorite “philosopher” that the Golden Rule is most often attributed to.

If politicians were required by law to follow the Golden Rule then perhaps Congress would give us the same health care plan that they have.

If politicians were to follow the Golden Rule then perhaps Barack Obama wouldn’t be bombing the shit out of the Pakistanis.

I suppose there are times when it is necessary to do unto others as they are doing to you. I simply wish that the Golden Rule was considered first and that this other “ungolden rule” was used only as a last resort.