My young co-worker has joined the Army, because they are giving him $30,000 and promising him that they will send him to nursing school for 2 years.
The workplace is divided between those who wave the flag and tell him how proud they are and those who are concerned that he will be killed in Iraq. (No one but he thinks that he is going to nursing school instead of Iraq).
I thought that if I explained that he was going to be used as a storm trooper for imperialism, he would reconsider. He's a very sweet boy, but not too bright, so the co-workers on my side didn't think he would understand the concept. Here's how it went.
Me: "Do you realize that you live in an Empire? And life is sweet, because you are here. Do you know that Americans are 5% of the world's population and use 25% of the world's resources?"
Recruit: "So? You live here too".
Me: "But what if some people don't want to give us their resources?"
Recruit: "Then we kill them."
Me: "Yes. And that's what they want you to do".
Recruit: "That's OK. If you don't like it, then go move to another country."
My friend, who was listening to the exchange, looked at me and said, "I guess he does understand".
Thursday, December 27, 2007
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1 comment:
Dear Wage Laborer:
Thanks for this post. I just located you through commondreams.org and wanted to respond to this post. Thanks for making the attempt with this recruit, though it doesn't appear to have had the desired effect. What is so sad is that, as you said on another post, most of us do not have an appreciation of what is actually going on with this war, or others. People do not understand Imperialism or that we are all interdependent, globally. As the people, most of them young, return from this, or any, war zone, they are ignored or despised. The mentally wounded are regarded as faking it or lacking the courage to "get over it". The military attempts to discharge them to avoid financial or medical responsibility. It is so sad. Please continue to speak for your truth and allow those who disagree to learn, in their own time, the greater truth that We Are One.
Peace,
st john
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