America's Military Today: The Challenge of Militarism

by Tod Ensign

In the face of seemingly unending resistance in Iraq and growing difficulty with recruitment at home, the U.S. armed forces are under increasing scrutiny from Congress, the media, the public, and even... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1565848837
• ISBN13: 9781565848832
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: New Press
• Length: 430 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.4" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Shaking Out the Garbage

My local visiting crier of Armegeddon tells me that if Jesus had not departed and was still with us, he would tell us Americans that all practicing Christians should withdraw their support from the military and eliminate the income tax that funds their mayhem and bombing. Those who wish to make war should do so at their own cost and risk of God's wrath ("Thou shalt not kill" is recorded in the Pentateuch as one of God's Ten Commandments). However, many Americans and many Christians included believe that an army is necessary to defend us from attack. For example, Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas) is for a strong defense while he recognizes that the Tory warmongers in Washington, District of Criminals, are on a global offensive since partnering with the British for WW II. We Yanks have been providing the brawn to British empire ever since. Our troops are being sacrificed in every political hotspot created by the British prior to WW II including Afghanistan and Iraq. Worse, ever since the Bush Crime Family blew up the Twin Towers and blamed it on the Arabs, Americans have been as war-frenzied as their forefathers were after FDR allowed the Japs to hit Pearl Harbor (see "The New Pearl Harbor" by David Ray Griffin). Have you heard of Marvin Bush? He was in charge of security of the Twin Towers when the power went off the day before for one hour the day before the planes hit. Disturbing questions like these are not considered by the Tories that have infiltrated the conservative movement in America. And their Toryism has led to the resurgence of WW III on behalf of American-powered British empire. It is in this context that this book addresses what it is like for the recruit, the kid being lied to by the paid military recruiter, to join the military and risk his or her life on behalf of Darth Vader Bush and the British Emperors. Not only will the recruit not know that he or she will be morally bankrupt killing and fighting civilians rather than armies, they will get the shaft as well. In Tod Ensign's chapter "Filling the Ranks", you see what the recruiters stoop to do to shake out the garbage and enlist whatever falls out. Many of your military buddies should never be enlisted but belong behind bars already. When you get to Iraq or Afghanistan and watch them kill kids in cold-blood, you'll wonder why you're in an army that Adolf Hitler would've loved. You learn about the backdoor draft where an enlistee can not separate when his or her time is up. Your backside belongs to the State! And in another chapter "Military Justice", you learn that "military needs come first" - all that stuff the recruiter promised you about a job, pay, conditions, college, etc, etc, was sheer buffalo pucky! You get whatever your commanders and their bosses agree to give you IN THEIR DISCRETION. You play their game by their rules, do not get killed while killing people trying to defend themselves from your invasion of their towns and villages, THEN you can get out (if they do