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War - The American cash crop

Many countries have relied on a single main export for their income and economic stability. For the Americans, this export is war.

The great depression that began in the USA with the Wall St crash of 1929 caused unprecedented levels of unemployment and destroyed heavy industry. Sweeping political changes followed with the landslide election of Roosevelt, the New Deal programs, the suspension of the gold standard, and the recession of 1937, which after a period of sharp growth, returned unemployment to depression levels.

Wikipedia

Wikipedia

The Americans were in a bad state, but it wasn't long before the second world war broke out in Europe.

This war would solve many problems in the USA with the revitalisation of their economy and the beginning of an unprecedented period of growth.

They joined the war in 1941 after the attack on Pearl Harbour. While many American men were away fighting in Europe and the Pacific, the people back home were enjoying a new period of prosperity and consumerism. This was the answer to the economic prayers of the USA.

Since World War 2, the USA has been in a constant state of war until the present day.

Occupations of parts of Europe, Japan and parts of the Far East Axis continued until 1955. The Korean war kicked off in 1950 and military involvement in Vietnam began in 1959.

Military action ensured the continuation of economic prosperity as tax money was taken from the people and handed over the military industrial contractors. It also had the added bonus of ensuring the backing of the people for the state. American patriotism during conflict saw that the policies of intervention went (mostly) unquestioned.

When there wasn't any actual military conflict to be had, there was the Cold War.

The Cold War never escalated beyond name calling and sabre rattling, yet cost billions to wage and galvanised the spirit of the Americans against the new foe of Communism.

World War 2 had supposedly been fought in the name of freedom against Fascism, yet the cold war saw a reaction to communism worthy of any paranoid dictatorship. Communism was a political ideology, yet was not dealt with in a political manner. The carrying of a Communist party membership card would result in arrest an imprisonment. Even allegations without evidence became enough to persecute those suspected of Communist sympathies.

The Cold War continued the practise of huge military spending and expansion through the production and testing of atom bombs, hydrogen bombs and delivery and protection systems. It was this level of spending that would bring down the enemies in Russia through financial collapse rather than military conquest.

This period of anti Communist feeling also served to bolster the idea of patriotism in the average American, ensuring they don't question the policies of Government for fear of being unpatriotic or even denounced as a communist.

Another fundamental part of the Cold War, aside from the arms race, was the space race. The quest to put the first man on the moon resulted in massive spending coupled with huge technological advances.

As 500 million people around the world watched Neil Armstrong set foot on the moon (And goof his pre prepared line) America was one.

The Apollo missions were never about science. They were about beating the Russians, solidifying the patriotism of a nation and continuing economic stability. No more moon missions are planned and space exploration has stagnated. It is no longer politically necessary. Now we have other means to achieve the same goals with even better results.

When the Cold War finally ended in the early nineties with the collapse of communism, America was fresh out of wars. They were involved in UN spats such as the Gulf, Somalia and Kosovo, but had no wars to call their own.

To remedy this situation we were given a new concept - The War on Terror.

The war on terror is a totally new concept in military conflict. It is similar to the Cold War but includes armed confrontation. The new enemy is Al Quaeda, an invisible group that encompasses any terrorist action. The war cannot be won and is not supposed to be. It is a perpetual conflict that will keep the USA at war for as long as they deem necessary.

Two nations have already been invaded and conquered, and the current President has his eyes on a third. In between the armed incursions, there are the domestic operations. The American people are for the first time, treated as enemy combatants.

When the enemy is not in some foreign country that you can invade, but living in your country, among your own people, unseen and undetected, you can treat every citizen as the enemy until they can prove other wise.

The War on Terror has not only caused conflict outside American borders, but it has removed most of the basic freedoms of those living within.

Of course the average American citizen is a patriot. They don't want to be branded a terrorist any more than they wanted to be branded a Communist. That's why they let it happen. The military spending continues, the American people stand as one against the new foe.

War. What is it good for? The power and influence of the strongest nation on earth since 1941.

4 Comments:

Angry Exile said...

The problem the Americans have is that they've forgotten how to do it properly. Jeez, they were pretty handy in WWII but Korea turned into a messy quagmire, Vietnam turned into a messy quagmire, Afghanistan turned into a messy quagmire and Iraq turned into a messy quagmire, bits of which are exploding even as US troops leave so the Obamessiah has something he can point to as an achievement in next year's elections. The big successes were Iraq 1.0, which had near universal support from other nations, and the Cold War, in which they encouraged the Soviets to beggar themselves in a game of keeping up with the Major-General Joneses. But I think that last can be overturned because they've allowed themselves to fall into the same trap with the War on Tourism, Alky Aida never having had a prayer of getting the resources to inflict any real damage to America settling for provoking it into an hugely disproportionate, wasteful, bloody and expensive response.

Bucko said...

Very true AE, thier exploits in WW2 were when they really new how to fight a war. The funny thing is, that's the first really modern war they were involved in.

Regardless of how subsequent exploits have gone tits up, wars have propped up the economy and created solidarity at home.

It seems now though, that this policy may be unravelling itself. It was never sustainable forever and the war on terror is draining resources rather than creating them.

I wonder if the next target be actually be the American people if the economy goes back to the great depression. Unless Europe breaks out into war again at the same time as the EU zone splits up.

Trigger happy said...

Many years ago an old soldier told me the Americans were only good because of the tremendous amount of ordnance they used and the number of shells they put down and bullets launched.

I suppose then that having bullets n bombs to waste would be the result of a thriving armaments industry.

As for the war of terror, it has become muddy because there isn't an identifiable enemy the US can face. People planting bombs in Afghanistan and running away makes for a difficult opponent. Of course, there's always 'allies' like Pakistan and the devious Saudis, but as the Obama loves his sponsors too much then that won't happen. Perhaps Washington is hoping the Norks make a game of it and China turns its back on the peninsular...

Bucko said...

Trigger happy - I have hared the same about the American use or ordanance.
The motor vehicle industry helped in WW2 aswell because the Germans relied heavily on horses. Sectors of industry not usually associated with arms made a huge contribution that helped them immensely.

As to the war on terror I think is is supposed to be that way. Sustainable rather than winnable.