Personal Account of Journalist or Professor, Miscellaneous

Perpetual War / A Mysterious Country – BONUS POST

[Please note: The word “Featured” on the left side above was NOT inserted by this blogger, but apparently was inserted by WordPress, and it cannot be removed. NO post in this blog is sponsored.]

“To be fair, one cannot entirely blame the current Oval One for our incoherence. Though his predecessors have generally had rather higher IQ’s than his, they too, assiduously served the 1 percent that owns the country while allowing everyone else to drift.”

-written NOT about American “president” Donald Trump, but about George W. Bush, by Gore Vidal

The first Bonus Book of the Week is “Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace, How We Got to be so Hated” by Gore Vidal, published in 2002. America’s arrogance and international meddling obviously play a role in why it is hated by most of the rest of the world.

In this hodgepodge of a short volume, Vidal lamented over how the Bill of Rights was slowly becoming violated by American presidents’ signing of freedom-curbing legislation over decades. Just one current manifestation of that is the ever-present, ubiquitous government’s spying on Americans without their consent.

In 1996, president Bill Clinton signed the Anti Terrorism Act and in 2002, president George W. Bush signed the Patriot Act. The contents of both laws smack of Hitler’s 1933 Enabling Act. Clinton and Bush at least involved Congress in most of their actions. Trump has not. His goal is to outdo all presidents who came before him, in terms of abusing his powers in war, profiteering and political retaliation while evading punishment. He will not stop until he dies.

Anyway, to the date of the book’s writing, Vidal listed all military actions in which US troops were sent overseas to do “peace keeping” in regions of conflict from 1990 onward (but there may have been numerous other operations that are classified). Needless deaths, ruined lives, no doubt.

Asia: at least through the 1990’s, 607,600 troops;
Africa: 1992-1995, 1998-1999, 32,752 troops;
the Balkans: 1992-1996, 1998 at least through the book’s writing, 21,600 troops;
Central America: 1998-1999, 5,700 troops;
Haiti: 1994-1995, 21,000 troops

…not to mention 4,500 troops sent to Los Angeles, CA in 1992.

Read the book to learn additional information about how the United States is becoming a dictatorship, and on when and why the author started to feel this way.

The second Bonus Book of the Week is “A Mysterious Country, the Grace and Fragility of American Democracy” by Norman Mailer [his previous writings], edited by J. Michael Lennon and John Buffalo Mailer, published in 2023. This hodgepodge of a volume showed that decades after Mailer described political, cultural and social affairs in the United States– the old cliche still applies– The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Mailer reviewed LBJ’s book, My Hope For America in 1964. He wrote that 1964 presidential candidate Barry Goldwater proposed there be a federal police force to protect ordinary Americans (especially young ladies) from “hate groups and bigots, Southern bullies and oil pirates.” In the 2020’s, the latter are alive and well.

Behind George W. Bush’s war, was the goal of eventual world domination. His supporters, who insecurely waved around the American flag as a way of showing they were patriotic, might not have even been aware how power-hungry Bush was. Mailer also thought Bush attacked Iraq to send a message to China that the U.S. was hegemonically superior.

According to Mailer’s description– “Terrorism is not attracted to negotiation. Rather, it would insist on no termination short of victory.”– Trump is a terrorist.

Read the book to learn much more information about the tenor of the times of Mailer’s generation, and how there has occurred more of same, in spades.

ENDNOTE: One Bertrand Russell quote in connection herewith bears repeating:

“There is something feeble and a little contemptible about a man who cannot face the perils of life without the help of comfortable myths. Almost inevitably some part of him is aware that they are myths and that he believes them only because they are comforting. But he dare not face this thought! Moreover, since he is aware, however dimly, that his opinions are not rational, he becomes furious when they are disputed.”

Such is the situation with Trump and his henchmen. Here’s a song Trump is singing now. [To avoid a spit-take, do not drink anything while singing this.]

I OWN THE WORLD

sung to the tune of “We Are the World” with apologies to USA For Africa, and to whomever else the rights may concern.

This is the time, when I maximize my gall, when the world must come under my rule.

There are people dying, and it’s time to force your hand.

My life’s the greatest of them all.

I will go on, spending every day, bossing everyone, everywhere.

My globe is making a change.

You are all part of helping my family, and the truth,

you know the world is all I need.