Marginalizing the U.S. Military Without Firing a Shot

Many have said that those perpetrating the daily atrocities on America,
as our current nanny state appears intent on doing, could not have planned our ultimate destruction any better. The news of the day hints at the military banning smoking by U.S. soldiers. The cigarettes they smoke while awaiting their next drop onto a battlefield of IEDs, grenade launchers, AK47s, and insane suicide bombers must certainly be some very dangerous smokes.

About 1 in 3 in the active military smoke, and that number goes up significantly among those in combat, compared to 1 in 5 of the general population. The fact they are in constant danger of losing their life or limbs likely plays a very large part in their not worrying too much about the future risks associated with smoking. The genius' that have determined to make it against military regulations to smoke, or use any tobacco products, most certainly have considered how many volunteer soldiers the U.S. will lose as a result. Or not! As a former smoker, I know very well that no power on Earth could have prevented me from smoking or forced, coerced, or threatened me with anything short of actual death, into quitting, without denying me my basic freedom. Quitting smoking requires a personal decision, and a lot of self control. It is not possible to legislate or regulate a person into quitting. Since our soldiers already lay down their lives daily, perhaps even the threat of death would not be a persuasive argument.

One thing is for sure. The military works well as a machine primarily because of teamwork and discipline. Forcing team members to break the rules by denying them the right to smoke, when they are already addicted to nicotine will most certainly cause a breakdown in military discipline for months, at least up to the time when we lose close to about 1/3 of our already undermanned military, as they fight two separate wars. Perhaps they have determined that fact, and gone one step further by understanding we would be required to re-institute the draft to keep fighting these wars, and can therefore control the President's ability to continue making war by regulating soldiers out of the all volunteer military. Are these far left loons that smart? Perhaps, they are certainly making huge leaps of progress in very short order. Another 6 months like the last 6 months, and we may no longer exist as a free nation on the Earth

Could you draw up the hobbling of the military any better without firing a shot? I doubt it, just as I seriously doubt you could draw up a plan to bring down the capitalist society any better than the actions of the President of the United States, along with the 111th Congress. Who is the architect of this assault on our country? Is it Barack Obama? Nancy Pelosi? Is it any one individual? I don't think so. I believe it is the unintended consequences of the far left ideologues, who have seen their opening, and are taking their shot at controlling The United States. They have not considered the consequences yet. In fact, the far left by definition ensures that no consequences need be considered, as the platitudes of their beliefs are all defining and all important. The scary thing is, they are succeeding. They have the funding of George Soros, plus the 250 odd organizations controlled by Acorn, the ACLU, the majority of Congress, the president, the Universities, The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and now even the courts, it seems.

It is not the majority of Americans who want this move to the left. This is the left who have organized, obtained funding, gained control of politicians through their pocket books, and by financing their election campaigns. As a result of George Bush being the arrogant cowboy he was as president, and scoffing at the left, he succeeded at empowering them to heights not even they could have imagined. As we attempt to control behavior through sin taxes, why not enforce that same control over the military, when they have no choice but to obey the orders of their superiors? I will tell you why. The military is all volunteer. Men will lay down their lives for their country. They have for more than 200 years. They will not deny themselves the liberty they risk their lives to keep. They will not deny themselves the right to choose to smoke, or to choose any of the behavior that comes with freedom of choice, particularly when they are not only addicted to the nicotine, but use the very act of smoking to assist in alleviating the fear as they risk their lives every day.

How many people have you heard say they quit smoking until, and you fill in the blank of whatever anxiety you have heard or can imagine. Now compare that anxiety, such as a divorce, losing a job, or getting skinned in the market, to walking into a firefight with zealots who consider dying on the battlefield, or committing suicide in the name of jihad, their ticket to paradise and 70 virgins. Can you think of a better way to decimate the ranks of the military without firing a shot? I can't.

Everyone knows smoking is bad for your health, but 60 million Americans smoke every day anyway. Does the government have the right to prevent you from smoking? Perhaps, if the government chooses to make it an illegal act. Will the government make smoking illegal? Of course not, the tobacco industry donates too much to their election campaigns. The tobacco industry provides the biggest cash crop in a number of states. The tobacco industry provides for the livelihood of too many Americans to make smoking illegal. The government will, however, take away the rights of an individual when it suits them. If you aren't in the military, and if you aren't a smoker why should you care? What right will the government take away tomorrow? At the rate we are going now, it will not be long until everyone loses some of their rights. The government is starting with those liberties that aren't as popular, and do not affect as many people as other rights, that may be cause for alarm by the majority. How long until popular opinion will not matter? Not very long, assuming history is any indicator, and history, as you know, repeats itself over and over again. Have you considered what is happening, really happening, in our country today?