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A GRIM COMMENT ON CONFLICT: 4th July 2010
We at Alt3 made a policy decision some time ago NOT to comment on current open and active wars. Even although warfare significantly impacted the individuals, the business community and the international community, we felt this was a responsible thing to do because, let's face it, there is usually enough propaganda to cloud the core issues without us clouding them even more.
However ... the world has reached such a critical tipping point that we can no longer sit back and allow the perceived responsible decision makers in their ivory towers to continue the mess they have made. The 4th July seems an appropriate time to make a statement.
As an example, let's look at Afghanistan - which has become a classic mess. We have absolutely no doubt at all that in many years to come historians will look back at what has taken place and proclaim the war in Afghanistan as THE series of events to avoid. Let's take a closer look ... and we will see that warfare has become big business for all concerned (apart from the poor individuals supposedly fought over, which is why, in the near to medium future, the business of warfare will not go away in spite of the good intentions of the unwary ). War is no longer about ideology. It is about money. It is the boom business (forgive the pun) of the 21st century.
The Industrial-Military complex needs war.
In 2009 the global expenditure on the military totaled $1531bn. This was an increase of 49% since 2000, regardless of any global financial meltdown. Doesn't this seem even a bit strange to anyone? In a world with the increasing availability of weapons and the intent to use these weapons, there is a massive under the surface arms race taking place. Warfare is big business. Peace is bad for business. There is no profit in peace. Reality is harshest when it kicks you in the teeth.
A number of years ago when the Allies sent their armies in to Afghanistan, the Taliban were soundly beaten. But the enemy wasn't gone - and in time they returned. They were allowed to return because of two reasons:
1. the safe havens (and material support) in Pakistan
2. significant anecdotal evidence to suggest that many of the extensive funds available for the reconstruction of the country may well have been filtered away through corruption in Afghanistan, or "payments of goodwill", continuing the poverty and desperation
Further than this, as the military was unable to tackle the desperate poverty of the Afghan people, and it was perceived abroad that the Afghan government was unwilling to do so, the poverty, the desperation and the continued presence of foreign troops became the breeding ground for a new resurgent insurgency - an insurgency that became well armed and with new methods of funding previously unavailable to the old Taliban. Shockingly, these methods of funding included:
1. opium and heroin - 90% of European heroin comes from Afghanistan. This trade has not disappeared in spite of the level of surveillance along the Afghan borders. How is this possible?
2. it has been reported from some circles that while Pakistan has been in receipt of vast amounts of US money, some of this money and subsequent training and weaponry has been channeled to the Taliban. It has also been suggested by others this may also have happened from some sections of the Afghan government itself. This is the same Afghan government who have passed incredibly strict and horrendous laws much in line with Taliban thinking such as it is permissible for a man to rape his wife and it is permissible for a man to starve is wife if she refuses him sex.
3. the "protection money" paid to Afghan "security groups" who guard supply convoys through the Afghan countryside and "provide" safe passage and freedom from attach.
The Taliban have more funds now than ever before - much of this is supplied by the very Allies who seek to destroy them. All ideology aside, the Taliban have absolutely no reason to give up their guns. They are becoming rich through warfare, as are a number of the regional political and bureaucracy officials. On the other side, the military-industrial complex has no reason to change how they do business.
Has this been the plan? We could have ended this situation in Afghanistan years ago ... but didn't. But then, on either side, why would someone end a situation that was giving them so much revenue?
We are now in a situation where we are fighting a war for a country than does not want to be liberated. And the worst thing is ... this has been going on for years, draining the west where an untold amount of funds have been siphoned into the hidden bank accounts of the corrupt and the armed ... and the arming.
What a mess - and we are paying for this with soldiers lives, innocent people and increased taxation. We have been sold an illusion by the same people who gave us the illusion of the Iraq war.
But actually, there is one other chilling fact many in the west are gleefully unaware of ... Pakistan which is slowly but surely becoming more extreme in its religious and ideological views, has nuclear weapons. To repeat, we are fighting a spreading war for a country that does not want to be liberated - and their increasingly friendly neighbour has nuclear weapons.
The west seriously needs to either get out of Afghanistan as fast as humanly possible, or it needs to halt the association between warfare and business. Personally I believe the association between warfare and business has now become so entangled that neither of the above options will take place. This will invariably mean the future of the type of extremism that threatens the survival and existence of the west will increase - because war is a business and more people want such a lucrative revenue stream.
Whatever happens, it is now a dire necessity for the world to re-assess its blind strategy of combating extremism, hampered at home by political correctness, hampered abroad by the acceptance of corruption and the inability to distinguish between friend and foe. All sides in all conflicts know war is a business as they seek to increase their business opportunities and maximise profit.
What a complete mess we have gotten ourselves in. The mismanagement of the global situation has caused this mess. Making war a business has caused this mess. Incompetence continues the mess. We are now at a critical tipping point where extremism will gather momentum. Take a look at the other flash points around the world and you will clearly see there is no profit in peace.
What was that First World War expression when speaking about the waves of soldiers going over the trenches? Oh yes ... lions led by donkeys. That's exactly what we are ... and it is time to create some accountability.
Regards
JS
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