The Crusades

In the Islamic world the current Iraq war is being compared to the crusades of the Middle Ages. The Bush Administration repeatedly states that this is not a crusade, nor a war on Islam, but on ‘terrorism’. As terrorism is a tactic, not a state or form of government, this argument does not carry a lot of weight. It would appear that the U.S. has set in for a long term occupation. (If this were actually a war on Islam, hopefully it would be carried out as the war on Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.) With only fringe candidates calling for an immediate withdrawal (even Hillary says it would only happen during her second term). One has to believe there could be an ulterior motive. Hence a look back at the original crusades. Europe at the time of the first crusades, the continent was rife with oppressive nobility, taxes were high, starvation was common, and disease was rampant. There were even laws in some realms that when a peasant woman married, the consummation would be first with the lord, baron, or duke of the realm under which the woman lived. All these elements coming together could easily combust into a revolution. How does a corrupt system of government prevent the down trodden from finding a leader for a revolution? Have the religious leader of the system call for a holy war to reclaim the Holy Land. A crusade to end the evil rule of the infidel. All men capable of bearing arms, and of the disposition to do what is right, would then be sent half a world away for years at a time. Those who died would be heroes of the realm and those who survived would be far enough away to not be a threat to the kingdom’s corrupt government.
Sounds familiar…..
The probability of a Hillary presidency looms on the horizon, Bush has given the presidency tremendous power to bypass The Constitution, and high level government involvement in internationalist politics (which is hostile to our liberty) is rampant. With a military already hostile to the Clintons, it is no wonder she doesn’t want to bring the troops home. Add in that the oath sworn by all military members includes the phrase, “support and defend The Constitution against all enemies, both foreign and domestic” and a president or Congress could have problems if they pass legislation, or executive orders, which not only violate The Constitution or Bill of Rights, but would dismantle them or make them subservient to another political entity. They would then be domestic enemies of The Constitution and therefore at odds with the U.S. military, which is a place no sane person wants to be. But if the U.S. military is entirely engaged on the other of the world…. Who is going to prevent the government from running roughshod over the citizens? Only the citizens themselves using the tools recognized in The Bill of Rights. And if we allow The Bill of Rights to be compromised or completely taken away, where will we be?