Future Friday: Military and Climate Change

Sunday is Father's Day and I have been thinking about Daddy who died in 2015. My father was in the military as a non-ranked private and later as a Lieutenant Chaplain.  He was proud of his service as many veterans are.  We honor veterans often during the year in the United States of America: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Fourth of July, and Veterans' Day.  

Bob Murdock in uniform

The United States of America is my birth nation. I will say this about  my country; it has an unhealthy relationship with the military.  From my days of  pacifism to now, I have changed.  Now I do believe that nations have the right and responsibility to defend themselves, but the question has to be discussed in depth...to what extent do we defend ourselves?

It may not come as a surprise that the largest industrial military in the history of the world is also the single biggest polluter on the planet. 

Minneapolis 2017 - 43rd Annual May Day parade.  Photo: Shutterstock licensed

Do we keep the industrialized military funded and operating to the destruction of the planet?  I would think that this would be a no brainer, but in fact that is exactly what the U.S. government and people are doing: even though Pres. D.D. Eisenhower said almost 60 years ago:

"In the councils of government, 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."

 

For example, that military power continues:  When the U.S.A. chose to go to war in Afghanistan for "the defense of the country", the Taliban that was almost at near death wasn't willing to turn over one man, Osama bin Laden, founder of al-Qaeda.  So the U.S.started bombing Afghanistan then they and Britain invaded. What has happened to their environment in the almost 20 years of war and U.S. occupation?

The nation has been deforested.  Burning trash military trash in pits has released pollutants in the air causing health issues within civilian as well as U.S. military personnel's bodied.  Not to mention well over 100,000 people have been killed and the Taliban is strong yet again. 

In Iraq munitions (bombs) were used that has caused an increase in cancer and birth defects from dust storms when the sand was affected in burning oild fields and trash pits.   Iraq has been polluted...for what?  Al-Qaeda didn't even operate there.   But there was oil to be had; oil when burned causes carbon dioxide.

Oil that runs our battle cruisers and ships, jet fuel to fly our planes all over the world: our military pollutes the seas, the air, and with bombs the earth.  

And dare I mention nuclear weapons?  Yes, I dare.  Talk about the danger of ending the earth's clean air and land and water...one nuclear bomb would be disastrous and retaliation bombs will end life completely as we know it globally...GLOBALLY.

Photo: Shutterstock licensed

Can you imagine?

We as a nation have to limit our military for the sake of our children and grandchildren.  The U.S. military industrialized complex just pollutes too much.

-Kathleen

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