Summary and Response to: Chapter 13; Militarism and Violence: Who Benefits – By Barbara Chasin
Many institutions today portray the military as defenders of freedom and brings of democracy. Although what would the average person say if you asked them to define such words. I have a feeling that definitions would not match up, for the most part, with the actions our military undertakes on it’s home territory and else where. The military is only talked about as a conquering force but never is actual militarism talked about. The ‘justified’ military actions that take place everyday outside of the war zone consist of three types of violence; organizational, structural, and interpersonal.
Organizational violence consists of plans and production of systems, such as weapons manufacturing, under military action. A large part of this system is the cost benefit to America through business interests. With such a violent and capitalist based operation it is hard to create a egalitarian society where everyone can fit. In the name of these business dealings the United States government has done some horrific things. We preach democracy and yet do not allow it to occur. The leaders of these ‘occupied’ countries have little choice if they wish to remain the the United States good graces. They turn a blind eye to military action and from there on the lives of the local people can only suffer.
For these takeover to occur and the military to continue militarism as a system there has to be monetary substance to the act and before the act. In 1980 the United States which held about 5% of the worlds population spend 24% of the total military spending in the world. Since then the number has only risen. In 2001 the military received 396.6 billion dollars to spend not including the more secretive funding from the CIA’s budget of 28 billion dollars a year. “In one year the United States spends on the military more than 17,000 dollars per hour, for every hour, since Jesus Christ was born.” This funding effects not only active military campaigns all over the globe but also supports bases and trainings in Countries that are not currently involved. All of this money come from tax payers. That’s you…and me…and the rest of SSN carrying peoples within the United States funding the action of the military. Don’t we deserve to know what they are doing?
Once a war is over the defense of the area is needed, or at least stated as needed. Physically this is done though maintenance of military operation and the abuse of the local people This is done by strong ‘protections’ for the benefits of the people including random searches of private property without warrants, building up of military equipment, and testing human subjects with radiation and chemicals to ensure readiness of available treatments and resources. In these cases you have to ask who benefits and where the lines are drawn. When are my civil liberties more important then the fact that now that you’ve exposed a population to high levels of radiation you know what kinds of cancers are most likely? And who are these people being tested on? Not the rich or the affluent but the poor and the least likely to complain or be heard in a crowd. Security is important but the security of a few should not be burdened on the backs of the many.
