Lawrence Wilkerson: If Biden wants to actually respect and protect American troops, he must put a stop to stupid, endless wars.
“The ill-advised and illegal 2003 US military invasion caused most of the current madness; Trump’s “maximum pressure” sanctions and saber-rattling predictably and demonstrably backfired; Iran’s offensive military capacity is actually rather limited and wildly exaggerated,” Sjursen argues.
America has sent 2.77 million service members to war since 9/11. When they come home, are they getting the support they need?
Former U.S. Army infantry officer Erik Edstrom joins the BBC’s When Kathy Met Carlos to discuss the toll that combat takes on soldiers, and the failings of veteran care in the United States.
“Upon returning home, you see that the cost of war is a long arc.”
Listen here.
Dennis Laich and Erik Edstrom — What is the best way for Americans to honor and respect veterans’ sacrifices? There’s no single right answer, but there are plenty of wrong ones – including our “thank you for your service” culture.
Yet another Franco-American Forever War in Africa is failing. This time, it’s in Mali.
Retired major Danny Sjursen reflects on Washington’s support of a coup in Mali, and argues that this latest chapter in America’s neocolonial legacy boils down to “the three Rs: Resources, Rivalry, Relevance.”
Read the full article here.
The United States has been embroiled in “nonstop war” since 9/11, fueled by an astonishing funding of the military-industrial complex and pursuit of never-ending conflicts overseas.
Retired lieutenant colonel William Astore argues in TomDispatch that we have all become “American POWs,” while brave whistleblowers like Julian Assange, Chelsea Manning and Edward Snowden, who expose what is being done in our names and with our money, are left to suffer “grim fates.”
Read the full article here.
“What mad story can we possibly tell ourselves to justify the continued building of more ecocidal and genocidal weapons?”
Retired lieutenant colonel William Astore warns in Popular Resistance that the stories Americans tell themselves about war – ones where violence is always the answer and America is always a good actor – are dangerous.
Read the full article here.
In an op-ed for Salon, retired U.S. Army colonel Gregory A. Daddis criticizes America’s “ritualistic fawning” over veterans, particularly those who openly support military coups and encourage sedition and hatred.
He mentions retired Lt. Gen Michael Flynn as one example of a veteran with anti-Democratic sentiments that detract from the immense sacrifices of the many heroic men and women in our nation’s all-volunteer force.
Read the full article here.
Former Lt. General Michael Flynn is facing intense scrutiny for floating the idea that President Trump should invoke martial law to overturn this fall’s free and fair presidential election.
Lawrence Wilkerson, retired U.S. Army Colonel and former chief of staff for Secretary of State Colin Powell, joined MSNBC’s Chris Hayes to discuss his shock at Flynn’s willingness to intervene in battleground states and “re-conduct” the elections. He criticizes Flynn for inciting insurrection — “something a military officer shouldn’t do” — and says he should be rebuked and reprimanded for his actions.
Watch the full clip here.