Winds Of War

In today's world will the winds of war prevail?

Once our earth was filled with green fields that were kissed by the sun. Once there were blue skies filled with white clouds gently floating high above. Once there were valleys where fresh clean water used to run. Now, those green fields are gone, parched by the scorching sun. Gone are the valleys  where the clear waters used to run. Gone are the hopes of mankind who let their dreams depart. Gone are those blue skies now clouded over by storm clouds and winds of war. Today, the powder keg of tension in nations has placed mankind precariously close to falling back into the abyss of caves. 

It is just more than just saber rattling coming from many of the Republicans as the world enters yet another repeating cycle of history. The tell tale signs are so reminiscent to the tempest the world was thrust into almost a century ago. Back then there was the crash of 1929. What followed was the Great Depression, then the currency war which led to the dominance of the US dollar. Soon after trade wars ensued. Next was the persecution of the Jewish people in Germany that lead to a mass exodus of Jews fleeing the winds of war. The refugee crisis that followed helped send the world to war. 

 

Today, the hand writing is already on the wall for the winds of war to come howling across the globe. Now, the leaders of nations are poised to engulf the world in flames of violent reprisals. Remember in 2008 the mortgage and auto industry collapse set off the great recession that followed.  Now, the US is on the verge of waging yet another currency war, this time with China. The US is already in trade wars with this new TTP treaty along with the existing NAFTA which has already decimated the American workforce in place. The mass refugee crisis from North Africa and Syria are all ready putting economic strains all through-out Europe. Even here in the United States are already faced with prolonged economic difficulties stemming form the bailouts of those same institutions that caused the great recession. The parallels of two similar scenarios of different eras are so striking it is too coincidental not to be overlooked any longer that the winds of war are already upon us.

 

Yet, like sheep being led to the slaughter the world is right in sink to repeat history again. The winds of war are all around. Are we too blind to see? Is Congress to self centered and oblivious to the harsh realities facing the American public? Are our leaders too immersed in foreign entanglements to realize the dangers of what our own policies have done? As sobering as those questions are yet no one is even trying to answer or offer solutions to shift the winds of war away. But, still our foreign policies have turned into global nightmares with the winds of war blowing right behind.

 

If we would only remember that our founding fathers realized the dangers of foreign entanglements. Yet, for the past half century the US has continued to meddle in other countries affairs that the average American won't, can't and too often realize any benefit that would elevate their quality of life from our involvement.  Congress in all of it's ineptness has only exasperated the ongoing economic quagmire here in the US and continues to pass the buck in regards to foreign policy. The results have only continued to advance the winds of war. Domestically, congress has again failed the American public. This time by not reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank. In light of what is already occurring across the country the economic reality is a far cry form what is being reported by the media and our fast talking office holders in Washington.  But, it is this latest move that proves once again that congress really doesn't work for the people but is beholding to the financiers that funnel cash into their campaign coffers.

 

The plain facts today is that over 75% of all the American workers in the US are living paycheck to paycheck with no savings to fall back on. In fact that their wages are less than $30,000 per year. Poverty level at best. Over 80% of seniors continue to just survive only on their meager Social Security allotments. When the President and Congress agreed to bail out those too big to fail banks in 2008 did absolutely nothing to stimulate economic growth here in the US. All that trillions of dollars that was infused into the too big to fail banks and the major auto manufactures did was increase the money supply by over 400% put this nation deeper in debt all the while left the US on life support along with the rest of Europe and much of the rest of the world.

 

When the worlds largest heavy equipment manufacturer Caterpillar announced it was putting over 10,000 workers on the unemployment lines ought to tell us something is drastically wrong right here in America. Now, the fact that Congress in their refusal to renew the Export-Import Banks charter has made many more companies and small business that rely on the Export-Import Bank realize only two options either move overseas or close shop here in the US. The corresponding results are with more people relying on unemployment for such a short time has put additional strains on budgets whose safety nets have already been cut leaving many Americans in an economic and financial panic. Another sobering element that is prohibiting economic growth is the fact that more American workers that still have jobs are now part time with wages not nearly sufficient to cover the increasing cost of living, This results in more people being not self reliant. When this happens the corresponding tax revenue from workers today isn't enough to cover the basic needs of a growing population now dependent on governmental safety nets. This breeds discontent which leads to frustration which leads to reprisals which leads to rebellion. The winds of war are brewing today here in the US if we don't find solutions to ease the strain of so many American livelihoods. 

 

But it is our foreign entanglements that have spurred the winds of war. With our own country in economic distress we embark on foreign entanglements that have from the past 35 years destabilized the Mid-East and Northern Africa. What we did recently by imposing sanctions against Russia all we did was ignite the wrath of a country that we have to be on friendly terms with. The sanctions have only caused great hardship to not only the Russian people but Americans as well. When we imposed sanctions against North Korea we should have learned that sanctions imposed against a regime whose own history has always shown animosity toward the west never works in transforming government.

The ongoing civil war in Syria with the lawlessness in Lybia in North Africa along with continuing turmoil in Afghanistan with North Korea added to the mix are many of the tempests that are being carefully orchestrated. And, it has been the United States that has continued to have a hand in every one. Our foreign entanglements are in direct contradiction to the warnings that our founding fathers warned us about over 250 years ago.  The trillions of dollars spent on the wars that by the way congress never did pass a declaration of war going back to Vietnam to Iraq and Afghanistan just shows the contempt our leaders have for the welfare of the American public. The only ones benefiting from all the conflicts the US has waged are the defense" industries and bankers.  It is these industries that shape US governance and foreign policy, continue to support congressional campaigns and certain Presidential candidates.  The thousands of men and women who have been sent into harms way without the approval of the American public is in direct violation of the American Constitution. 

 

 With this Presidential campaign season heating up what will it take before someone starts to educate the American public that foreign entanglements that the United States has been involved in for the past 50 years has had a direct bearing on the quality of life diminishing each and every year since for the majority of Americans. Just think if the US closed just half of military bases that are located in other countries moved those troops back home and used a WPA type program for returning service men and women to up grade our own failing infrastructure, support the local boarder patrols and reopen our closed bases the economic impact right here in America would grow and stabilize the US economy.

 

It has been the events since 9/11 that are harsh reminders of how volatile our world really is. With the US still engaging in foreign entanglements that have only put the world on notice that man has a very long way to go to avoiding the horrific reality that the winds of war will bring. Could it be mankind is fast approaching the cross roads for humanity? Many scientists and historians seem to agree that the hand writing is already on the wall. There are others that share a more optimistic view where man is headed. But, if history is any indication we would do well to be more pessimistic about our future. Mankind all too often has repeated their mistakes only in different variations all through-out history. One can not help wonder if humanity, yet again, will be thrust into events more catastrophic where the winds of war prevail.