Now we see the unions demonized as money grubbing swindlers that are breaking the backs of American corporations. Meanwhile, the corporate sector has posted the largest gains in years. What’s wrong with this picture? Public sector employees are the first to feel the brunt of “reducing the budget”. This is because they are the easiest targets because they work for the government. Who will be next?

Let me illustrate some of the changes that have befallen this once great nation. Some are the product of politicians that have sold their souls to get elected, and some are the result of apathy of the American people that are “just not that into politics”, even though it is the lifeblood of our nation. The people have been co-opted by the media that presents celebrities as real news and by sporting events that take too much time away from the important issues in life.

Changes in American the American Way of Life

1. First and foremost is the ascendancy of the Military-Industrial-Complex. Before World War II the United States was a nation that manufactured products for American citizens and goods that could be sold around the world. During the Second World War the United States engaged in a war economy that continues to this day. The thinking of the politicians after the war was that America could be the lone superpower. This idea was brought back into vogue by the right-wing think group The Project for a New American Century.

Name Position(s) held in the Bush Administration

Elliott Abrams Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Democracy, Human Rights, and International Operations (2001–2002), Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Near East and North African Affairs (2002–2005), Deputy Assistant to the President and Deputy National Security Advisor for Global Democracy Strategy (2005–2009) (all within the National Security Council)

Richard Armitage Deputy Secretary of State (2001–2005)

John R. Bolton Under-Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs (2001–2005), U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2005–2006)

Dick Cheney Vice President (2001–2009)

Eliot A. Cohen Member of the Defense Policy Advisory Board (2007–2009)[60]

Seth Cropsey Director of the International Broadcasting Bureau (12/2002-12/2004)

Paula Dobriansky Under-Secretary of State for Global Affairs (2001–2007)

Francis Fukuyama Member of The President's Council on Bioethics (2001–2005)

Zalmay Khalilzad U.S. Ambassador to Afghanistan (11/2003 - 6/2005), U.S. Ambassador to Iraq (6/2005 - 3/2007) U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations (2007–2009)

I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby Chief of Staff to the Vice President of the United States (2001–2005) under Dick Cheney

Richard Perle Chairman of the Board, Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee (2001–2003)

Peter W. Rodman Assistant Secretary of Defense for International Security (2001–2007)

Donald Rumsfeld Secretary of Defense (2001–2006)

Randy Scheunemann Member of the U.S. Committee on NATO, Project on Transitional Democracies, International Republican Institute

Paul Wolfowitz Deputy Secretary of Defense (2001–2005)

Dov S. Zakheim Department of Defense Comptroller (2001–2004)

Robert B. Zoellick Office of the United States Trade Representative (2001–2005), Deputy Secretary of State (2005–2006), 11th President of the World Bank (2007–Present)

The purpose of the PNAC Project was to effectively rule the World. According to their charter:

PNAC's first public act was releasing a "Statement of Principles" on June 3, 1997, which was signed by both its members and a variety of other notable conservative politicians and journalists (see Signatories to Statement of Principles). The statement began by framing a series of questions, which the rest of the document proposes to answer:

As the 20th century draws to a close, the United States stands as the world's pre-eminent power. Having led the West to victory in the Cold War, America faces an opportunity and a challenge: Does the United States have the vision to build upon the achievements of past decades? Does the United States have the resolve to shape a new century favorable to American principles and interests?[5]

In response to these questions, the PNAC states its aim to "remind America" of "lessons" learned from American history, drawing the following "four consequences" for America in 1997:

We need to increase defense spending significantly if we are to carry out our global responsibilities today and modernize our armed forces for the future;

We need to strengthen our ties to democratic allies and to challenge regimes hostile to our interests and values;

We need to promote the cause of political and economic freedom abroad; [and]

We need to accept responsibility for America's unique role in preserving and extending an international order friendly to our security, our prosperity, and our principles.

Not only did PNAC call for American military superiority, it also called for a “New Pearl Harbor” to get American citizen’s to back this military posture.

2. The National Defense Budget from World War II.

The following is from The Center for Defense Information

Total cost of the Cold War (1948-1991) in 1996 dollars = $13.1 Trillion. These figures don’t take in account the appropriations bills passed by Congress for the Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. They don’t take into consideration the funding for the 18 clandestine military intelligence agencies that also run in the billions.

3. Total Amounts Compared to US Military Spending. From Wikipedia

World Total 1531 2.7 100

This amount of military spending is indefensible. Wisconsin faces a budget shortfall of 258 million dollars while the U.S military spends billions and hardly a member of Congress will vote against this rape of America. Just when Americans are are going to wake up and smell the corruption? I’m including the Tea Party members that make gallant calls for budget cuts but consider the military, the prime waster of U.S. funds in history, sacrosanct.

4. The All-Volunteer Army: Conscription of the less affluent.

I was an Army Recruiter for eight years. Believe me, we didn’t go into affluent area and pass out flyers. We worked on the less affluent young people that couldn’t afford college and promised them help with paying their tuition. We also promised bonuses of a few thousand dollars. This is the Army we have guarding America. No disrespect to the men, but most are from the poorer elements of society.

5. Where have all of these billions for defense gotten us?

We are in a deep recession while our government spends billions on defense, even though we have few enemies in this world and those that we do have couldn’t hurt us militarily. Where is the payback in all of this spending? We could have provided health care and made our schools the envy of the world. We could have high speed trains and skylines that would be magnificent. We need to reign in military spending before it bankrupts this nation. We are seeing no rewards by being the premier superpower of the world.

I’ve given you the facts, now I’m going to give you my opinion.

The United States can no longer function as the world’s lone superpower. Our economy is suffering and our middle class is almost non-existent. We have outsourced everything but the Military-Industrial-Complex. We have a nation that is controlled by corporations through their paid lackey’s in Congress. We have no real representation for the working class. The political system in America is run by money, make no mistake about that.

We need, more than any other legislation, honest campaign finance reform. The money that has entered politics has brought heinous results. The Republicans and many Democrats are working hand in glove with the people that keep them in power. Our Labor leadership has not shown a trace of backbone in the last 30 years. We need to take the huge sums of money out of politics and out of the Labor Unions. Campaign Finance Reform is “The Reform that enables all Other Reforms”. We need the people to demand it. The politicians have been co-opted and are useless.

It is time we brought our troops home and reduced our overgrown military. We should end the war in Afghanistan and leave those countries where we are involved militarily including Iraq. We also need to stop outsourcing our industries and bring manufacturing back to the United States. This might be one of the most important steps we take. As peak oil affects the world, getting foreign products to our shores will be prohibitively expensive. We need to start planning for a changing world.

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By Timothy V. Gatto timgatto@hotmail.com Read Tim's Book "Complicity to Contempt" and his Novel "Kimchee Days or Stoned Cold Warriors From Oliver Arts and Open Press and available on Amazon and all other online bookstores.