13 September 2015

Another Tool in the Imperial Arsenal

https://theintercept.com/2015/09/09/u-s-special-forces-expand-training-allies-histories-abuse/

This is but an update or reiteration of an old and well known tale. Special Operations forces 'training' foreign police and military units are an almost mundane aspect of imperial expansion. This is but one means that empires employ to expand their power without having to micromanage colonial bureaucracies. It's rule by means of proxy.

While Robert Kaplan and other neoconservatives and imperialists try to put a humanitarian face and these types of operations the truth is far more sinister and devious.

US troops operate in these countries and likewise the militaries of the subject countries are brought into the United States. Guerilla groups are trained on US soil and official militaries are trained and their officers are wined and dined. Certain bases in the United States are crawling with foreign military officials. They're on a working vacation, making friends and essentially being recruited.

The US establishes relationships with these people and this sets the stage for future expansion as well as providing the empire with tools to manage situations that become bothersome or to put it euphemistically, unhelpful.

This type of training sets the stage for 'stay behind' or Gladio type agents and operations. Military and paramilitaries are recruited and sometimes act directly as US agents. In Cold War Europe this proved devastating as the US wielded the strategy of tension, destabilizing societies with terror in order to shape the political agenda. Coups and assassinations, combined with terrorism and illegal operations allow the shadowy Praetorians to run operations, launder money and enrich themselves behind the backs of congress and anyone else who would hold them to account. Post-Watergate they fell back into ever deeper shadows and embraced privatization on a larger scale. Post 9/11, this privatization has grown exponentially.

One is reminded of CS Lewis' discussion of 'inner circles' a theme that comes out in his Space Trilogy. These types of inner circles operate in these relationships. This is well documented in the scandals that have been exposed, investigations and numerous witness testimonials.

These relationships establish a platform for future coups d'état, business deals for the military-industrial complex. These relationships establish 'beachheads' for future regional actions, intelligence operations, proxy operations like we've seen in the Horn of Africa and contacts or liaisons with paramilitary groups. One thinks of the complex situation in Colombia where the US works with the military but there are also numerous Right-wing paramilitary groups with unofficial ties to the military in some cases and with corporations in others.

 These activities are imperialistic and frankly sinister. These people are not 'defending' our freedom. They are expanding the empire and therefore are rightly identified as thieves and murderers in uniform. They have willing collaborators to be sure but that in no way negates their culpability.

We don't have to 'hate' the US military, but we most certainly do not venerate them. We do not 'honour' them in our meetings and worship. They are not to be praised or respected beyond the threat of violence they represent. Christians should have no part in these deeds and the organizations that support them.

Unfortunately like Rome and Assyria before us, almost the whole of our economy is engaged in one way or another in supplementing this project or is in some form integrated with it. We cannot completely disentangle ourselves. We cannot fully divest. But... we can probably do a lot more than we do. We are bound by the Cognizance Imperative, once we possess knowledge we are bound to incorporate it into our ethics and act accordingly within our context. If we can divest, then we should. If this means living as second class citizens, if it means a lack of status, security and respectability, then we should count it all joy and follow the mandates of Christ.

We expose their deeds to the world. Most people are unaware of how all of this works. We open people's eyes to the truth of how the world functions, the plans and deeds of evil men. God willing we can rescue some of our young people from volunteering to be part of this murderous lie that is the United States empire.