Ten Lessons on Continual War

Many great men in history have told the truth and warned about government and war many times, yet people don't know history and whatever the current government war propaganda is always works. We're going to cover a lot quickly.

Richard (Dick) Marcinko was a Navy SEAL who fought in the Vietnam War. He received one Silver Star, four Bronze Stars, a Legion of Merit, two Navy Commendation Medals, the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry, and reached the rank of Commander. Then in 1980 he formed SEAL Team Six. After that he formed Red Cell to test the Navy's defenses against terrorism. There's a documentary on it. He was very successful at infiltrating the US military installations. He was able to place fake bombs on Air Force One and kidnap Naval officers. He was so good at it, or the Naval defenses are so weak and didn't like being exposed, that they placed him in prison for awhile. First lesson, the most powerful military force ever created in the history of humanity is vulnerable and doesn't want to fix it.

David Hackworth is one of the most heavily decorated US soldiers in history for his service in the Korean and Vietnam wars. He formed Tiger Force during the Vietnam War and reached the rank of Colonel. He received 2 Distinguished Service Crosses, 10 Silver Stars, 4 Legion of Merits, a Distinguished Flying Cross, 8 Bronze Stars with V, 8 Purple Hearts, 34 Air Medals with V, 4 Army Commendation Medals with V, and a few more. He declined going to the Army War College to become a General, twice. He criticized the Vietnam War saying that the US couldn't win and should withdraw. He was investigated. Then he left the US and lived in Australia for a number of years. He wrote a number of books on war, including heavy criticisms such as in his book 'Hazardous Duty' where he says that the military is too political, has sold out, is captured by the Military Industrial Congressional Complex of corruption, and would need a complete top to bottom restructuring to even be effective. Second lesson, the military institutions are weak, bloated, ineffective, and corrupt.

Dwight Eisenhower was the US General of the Army, Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, 1st Military Governor of the American-occupied zone in Germany, 16th Chief of Staff of the Army, 13th President of Columbia University, 1st Supreme Allied Commander of Europe, and 34th President of the United States. He knew some things. In his Presidential farewell address he warned against the economic, political, and spiritual influence of the military-industrial complex. Third lesson, the military industrial complex has massive influence over politics and propaganda.

Smedley Butler was a Major General in the United States Marine Corps. He received the Medal of Honor twice, the Marine Corps Brevet Medal, the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, Distinguished Service Medals from both the Navy and the Army, and the French Order of the Black Star. He served in the Spanish-American War, the Philippine-American War, the Boxer Rebellion, the Banana Wars, and World War One. In 1933 he stopped the Business Plot conspiracy to overthrow President FDR. He wrote a little book called 'War is a Racket' where he says that the US military is used as muscle for big business and bankers. He proposed adjustments to help correct the corruption, which will never be implemented. Fourth lesson, the US military is used by powerful people for personal benefit rather than anything benefiting the US public, who have little to no influence.

Henry Ford is one of the greatest industrialists in human history. In his autobiography he makes the case that there are people with international influence who purposefully stoke hatred of nations against each other to cause wars so that they can make money. Poor people die, and rich people make money. Ford opposed war. When there was no avoiding it, he helped the US win the war. Ford was one of the most powerful and influential men in the world, which means that the people that want war are even more powerful and influential than that. Fifth lesson, war actually is a massive conspiracy by corrupt people.

William Tecumseh Sherman graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, was the superintendent of the Louisiana State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy, Major General during the U.S. Civil War, and then Commanding General of the U.S. Army under four U.S. Presidents. He warned both the North and the South against having the Civil War, but they wouldn't listen to him. He tried to avoid the war, but failed. When he did join he warned that it would be a long and difficult war, but they wouldn't listen to him. He was instrumental in the North winning the Civil War. In a letter to James Yeatman on 21 May 1865 he said he was sick of war, even winning is bad, and it's only people that haven't actually been in war that want more war. On 11 August 1880 Sherman gave a speech in Columbus, Ohio where he said young men look at war as glory, but really it's hell. Sixth lesson, people who don't actually know what war is want war.

George Washington was Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army and first President of the United States. As a Major in Virginia, Washington started the French and Indian War, also called the Seven Years' War, which the British colonies were then taxed for, which they then rebelled against to start the American Revolution, where Washington led the colonial military to defeat the British who were considered the greatest military in the world at the time. After winning the war Washington literally had to stop his own army from overthrowing the congress and installing him as king at Newburgh. He knew some things. In his farewell address as President Washington gave some warnings. One of them was to stay out of foreign wars and to avoid foreign influence, and that the two are connected. Seventh lesson, foreign wars and foreign influence will destroy the republic.

James Madison was the fourth President of the United States and a key figure in creating the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights. He wrote 'Political Observations' on 20 April 1795 and specifically warned against wars as the greatest threat to domestic freedom. With continual wars you get: armies, debts, taxes, consolidated power, corrupt political appointments, seduced minds of the people, subdued force of the people, fraud, degenerate manners and morals, and less freedom. Eighth lesson, wars destroy freedom through many means.

Adam Smith is one of the most influential philosophers in modern history. His book 'An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations' in 1776 started modern economics. In the book he notes that war destroys goods and uses capital for unproductive ends and therefore makes a nation poorer, that to fund wars debt is usually needed which makes a nation poorer, that some manufacturers and financiers make money off of war and therefore don't want wars to end, and that people not close to the wars are entertained by them and also want them to continue. Ninth lesson, even though a country will get poorer through wars there are people that want continual wars for their own benefit and entertainment.

These observations about war and government and corruption aren't new in the last few hundred years. Some people have known these things for a long time. People fight wars for land, money, resources, slaves, obedience of the conquered, honor, prestige, glory, entertainment, survival, and obedience to some god.

“They plunder, they slaughter, they steal, and they call it empire; and where they make desolation, they call it peace.” - 'Agricola' by Tacitus 98 AD

“Avarice destroyed honor, integrity, and all other good qualities; it taught in their place arrogance, cruelty, contempt for the gods, and the habit of considering everything as having its price.” - 'The Conspiracy of Catiline' by Sallust 40 BC

“The sinews of war are unlimited money.” - 'Philippics' by Cicero 44 BC

"...war is a matter not so much of arms as of money, for it is money alone that makes arms serviceable..." - 'History of the Peloponnesian War' by Thucydides 411 BC.

Tenth lesson, money and war cannot be separated because money is needed for war, so there will always be people that want war to make money.

The people have been warned. The people will not listen. As General Sherman said in a letter to his wife on 2 June 1863, "Vox populi, vox humbug."

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