PARANOIA HAS BANKRUPTED AMERICA
When World War II ended England played on America’s pride to
take over as the world’s number one superpower.
Colonialism was petering out as a viable way to extract lucrative income
and the cost of maintaining the British Empire outweighed the benefits. A very poor return on investment. Overextended across the globe and up to their
eyeballs in debt it was time to quietly acknowledge defeat and handover the
baton. All imperial newbies fall under
the tantalizing spell of geopolitical power that provides them with a temporary
feeling of destiny and the special role falling into their laps. The rallying cry of the new kid on the block
became democracy and freedom. America
would protect the world from dictators and communism and safeguard the interest
of its friends and allies.
England was relieved of a huge financial and political
burden, left to licking its wounds and faced with a decaying industrial
might. An old bulldog eying the outside
world with an air of disdain and disbelief and despairing about its once
vigorous health and vitality. All
gone. Wealth is a fleeting thing if not
invested wisely and prudently. Capital
is greedy by nature and lacks vision.
And heart! And wisdom! A nation that shares its wealth on an
equitable basis and invests heavily in its people will always outperform a
society that rewards few at the expense of many. Will we ever learn?
NOT A LONG ROAD, BUT A SPECTACULAR ONE
You can’t encapsulate America, its humble origins and stellar
rise, with a few pat phrases and assumptions.
Its history is complicated and filled with contradictions; from the
original settlers and the struggle for independence; slavery and slaying a
pristine continent and all and more accomplished within the span of a few
centuries; aided and abetted by a huge influx of people from disparate
backgrounds and cultures. A witch’s brew
of newcomers, often desperate, eagerly seeking a brave new world and new
opportunities. A nation built on a
foundation of genocide and slavery, of untold wealth and extreme poverty. If anything, a nation of extremes. Anything is possible was the dream. A land of enterprise and innovation. A land of milk and honey where the roads were
paved with gold. England had its class
society that separated the gentry from the peasants, in America it is wealth
that dictates and separates. When you’re
on the way up and the world around you gushes about your prowess, wealth and
influence, it is all too easy to lose sight of the cost. Of vision!
It happened to England, to Russia, to France, to the ancient Roman
Empire! Even tiny Holland had a brief
kick at the can.
THE COST OF EMPIRE
Empires will do anything to stay on top and failure is not an
option, even if its knock becomes painfully obvious and cannot be ignored. As nations all of us would be better served
if we remained within our own borders and minded our own business. But we don’t.
When a nation like America starts to believe in its own narrative, its
destiny and global role, it automatically invites a growing level of blowback
and resentment of other nations. Nobody
likes to be beholden to a superpower or feel intimidated or threatened. America’s foreign policy has always been
centered on the simply philosophy that you are either with us or against
us. One of the tools that any imperial
power uses to maintain its position is an army and to justify its expense and
size you need enemies. For reasons I
cannot explain and fathom we have always maintained the conflict model as the
best way forward. You can justify armies
if you have enemies. Enemies real or
imagined. Male insecurity? Carry a big stick and everybody will fear
you? A failure of intelligence? We are a complex critter and the purpose of
this article is not human frailty but how rampant paranoia is bankrupting
government budgets all around the world and here too, America excels in size
and expense. Trillions of dollars are
spent on what might happen. Potential
threats with limited potential of inflicting real damage are met with billions
and billions of dollars in counter measures, and mostly financed with newly
printed or borrowed money. Printed paper
mostly which explains growing inflation numbers and weakening purchasing
power.
A WORLD FILLED WITH
ENEMIES
“Some people see
conspiracies everywhere and their prayers are answered when obscure websites validate
their suspicions.” W.B
Not a single government enjoys undertaking costly, mission
impossible scenarios, with billions spent and with a dubious rationale and
outcome. So, why are they? Is it about losing face? Is it about showing strength at all costs? Or is this a case of self-induced
paranoia? Eager to follow in the
footsteps of the former USSR?
Communist Russia was a prime example of a nation that took
internal and external security to new heights.
They developed a security apparatus that was pervasive, intrusive and
threatening. Russia was done in by its
rigid form of governance, military spending and a bureaucracy that killed its
economy. China is probably the only
other nation that rivals and even surpasses the U.S. in surveillance paranoia,
obsessed with information gathering, civil compliance and control. Where does all this insecurity come
from? Are the threats real or imagined? Is it about control and the fear of losing
control? Are citizens even aware of the
cost of all these programs and the costs associated with them?
“The love of God and
money has always been confusing for Americans; who do you serve and what do you
bow to?” W.B
TAX DOLLARS PAY FOR THE PARANOIA
As of 2021 the per capita cost in America for military
and security spending was approximately $2405.00
In comparison Canadian spending per capita in U.S. dollars
was about 701 dollars. Canada’s military
spending was 1.44 % of GDP, substantially less than what the U.S. spends but
globally Canada ranks at around 27th place. All other countries spend a lot less because
they can’t afford the expense of a large military investment. The 13.3 % percent the U.S. spends on its
defense budget is a net-negative enterprise.
From toilet seats to aircraft carriers and everything in between, it is
a completely taxpayer funded undertaking that other than impressive hardware
and technology, has nothing to show for it.
It is a cost factor from start to finish. If the current administration were to cut
this budget in half it would have the trillions of dollars in savings they’re
looking for to keep government going.
And I have mentioned this before in previous articles: there is nothing
wrong with America’s economy, it is the American government that is broke and
by extension, since it’s “We, the people”, Americans are stuck with all that
horrendous debt. Well over 36 trillion
and they’re only adding and adding.
According to one U.S. Republican senator; one trillion more every one
hundred days!
THERE IS NO COST TO BENEFIT RATIONALE
To justify all this military and security spending you have
to come up with reasons and this is where the paranoia kicks in. Ramp up the threats and get the media
involved with all kinds of catchy slogans:
America at war, America under
siege, America’s war on terror. Let
the media zoom in on images of people in the Middle East burning American flags
and shouting, “Death to Satan.” How much
weight does it really carry and how does the outrage of a few thousand people
compare to the mindset of the average global citizen? It’s a little bit like the boy crying wolf or
the religious zealot crying in rapture, “The sky is falling down, the end times
are near.”
The sad fact is that most violence in the U.S. is homegrown
and domestic in origin: gun and drug related, white extremism and racially
motivated hate crimes. Unfortunately
hate crimes are on the rise all around the world as regional conflicts and wars
cause many people to take sides that come replete with opinions. Some rather sad and unsavory!
The U.S. started out as a predominantly white nation, male
dominated and with strong evangelical roots.
Slavery, followed by an open door policy to attract cheap labor and
increase the nation’s wealth, didn’t come without consequences. Diversity is great if it is embraced with
open arms and hearts and nobody feels threatened or intimidated. Inclusion looks great on paper and ticks off
all the morality boxes, but reality paints a much darker picture. There is a pot boiling inside the U.S. with
highly combustible ingredients; poverty, declining incomes, debt, cultural,
ethnic and religious differences and the flames of racism, discrimination and
religious hatreds and phobia are burning at an all-time high.
COSTLY WARS WITH NOTHING TO SHOW FOR
There is another phenomenon in play that provided the impetus
for the increased spending on arms and security. Recent wars and conflicts that involved the
U.S. have not been kind to U.S. confidence and morale. More and more Americans are objecting to the
nation’s boys and girls coming home in body bags and many question the nation’s
role and involvement on foreign soil. A
rather bizarre policy emerged as a result: a zero casualty strategy, or at
least, minimize the involvement and numbers.
Better Intel, better equipment.
Intercept and react. Strike
before you get struck. In other words,
spend and keep spending more and use all that new technology to minimize
casualties.
FEWER BOOTS ON THE GROUND, MORE IN THE AIR
Several acts like the Patriot Act allowed for the constant
surveillance of the airwaves, monitoring billions of wireless and satellite
based communications. AI and sophisticated
algorithms monitor key words, especially those hailing from suspected regions
and individuals that are recognized as America’s enemies. America is not alone in monitoring and
hacking private conversations between citizens.
Operation Echelon, the mother of all invasive, monitoring programs, is
now used by several other nations as well.
Officially it doesn’t exist.
Officially the Pentagon and other American agencies are not engaged in
Black Ops, off the books security operations, but nobody can explain the
trillions of dollars gone missing. A
complete mystery. It only adds to the
growing paranoia. Don’t let the enemy
know what you’re doing, the secret weapons you’re working on.
CRY WOLF!
Once you ramp up the threat levels—even color code them, from
green to red—it is incredibly difficult to tone down the rhetoric and diffuse
the paranoia and the exaggerations.
Nobody likes to look foolish and none more so than politicians,
bureaucrats and generals. “Yep, we blew
your cash needlessly and we’ve got nothing to show for it.” We are living in a world that is increasingly
on edge, some of it self-inflicted, some brought on by our huge numbers, needs
and demands. One of my favorite phrases
is, “Too many people, too many voices and nobody is listening.” My personal wish list will never see the
light of day: International justice
based on the rule of law, International cooperation to stop drugs and
criminals, no matter where they live and hide out, putting an end to
corruption, money laundering and tax havens.
Nations respecting each other’s borders.
Just naming a few.
Paranoia is driven by a lack of trust. Trust is based on confidence, on intellectual
maturity, on reason and common sense.
Trust is also a process of growth and I guess we still have a lot of
growing up to do.
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