Sept. Seminar: Guns, Butter, Nation-building

["John Gelles" <johng@xxxxxxxxxx>]

        The war on drugs and the war on terrorism may
        not be parts of  a determined effort to shape global
        capitalism thru concious plans by nation's leaders.

        If this country is to fight the war begun 9-11, by
        selling "butter" to buy guns -- something is terribly
        wrong:

             It will mean we propose to let the market for
             "butter" limit (a) reform of global capitalism
             and (b) protection of our people from death
             and maiming by terrorists, and depression
             and impoverishment in a mindless market.

        Perhaps as a ploy, but maybe for real, our President
        has ruled out nation-building, (including re-develop-
        ment of our own pockets of poverty), like we did for
        NATO and in the Far East.  He has ruled out re-
        ordering global trade, priorities and doctrine:  ruled
        out the tasking of  nations (including our own) to
        enjoy the fruits of peace.

        He and his advisors, (who feared to nation-build in
        Iraq),  have followed the neoliberal belief that there
        is no money but the kind free markets create from
        private debt:

             This is doctrine that will lose the war and
             the world, until neoliberalism is finally
             buried beside belief in the gold standard.

        Our President rightly insisted that Islamic fascism
        will lead to suicide like Hitler's in his bunker and
        its psychopaths in their caves. But a lot of brave
        wonderful people (of Islam and every faith) may die
        for no reason -- if global capitalism does not rise
        to its Marshal plan height that can bring hope to
        every land.

        We may assume in the corridors of power, the
        President has been assured that we have all the
        trump.  As a last resort, he may have been told,
        Assured Destruction, (mutual or not), will deter
        Pakistan from defending the Taliban and India
        from protecting its future while the time is ripe.

        If the President is that timid and short-sighted,
        the money that Felix Rohatyn advises us to use,
        which would be created by spending on our
        domestic infrastructure, education and health
        care needs, (as well as defense modernization
        and war fithting), won't be around. Its absence
        will prevent nation-building in central asia and
        the middle east. Anxiety around the globe will
        make the decades ahead resemble those
        behind at their worst.

        This September seminar is nothing like last
        year. This year we are at war and the
        opportunity to unite and lead the nation is
        present. Russia will stand with us (and with
        NATO) if we only show we know which
        end is up.

             The issues are depression and war:
             we will either use war to fight missing
             wages, depression, recession and rabid
             fundamentalism or the latter will use us
             to hold on to hegemony to the last drop
             of its victims' blood--  blood that will
             be ours (as well as others) in spite of
             our professed intention to let nations
             build themselves in their own time.

            John Gelles