We've Got to Stop Our Wars - Or Else!

About the Book

A History of Creative Warmaking None Can Equal!

You have to give our presidents credit —“ eight wars — that's number 8 — since WW II! What other country can make that claim? Number One in War! Doesn't that warm the cockles of your heart?

What other country can even come close? Not counting civil wars now, they're easy, angry factions with a history of friction, all right there in the same country, no long distances to travel and carry gigantic bombs and missiles and transport soldiers half way around the world in ships and planes, not to mention little things like carting food all over the world, trying to make sure it doesn't go bad — listen, that's how SPAM got started, good travel smarts!

And look at how thoughtful all of our warring presidents have been about making sure that our loyal soldiers get a real Christmas and Thanksgiving turkey dinner no matter how filthy and bloody and panicky they may be in some wild wooded land they never heard of whose strange looking citizens are always shooting at them or cutting their heads off. President Bush himself went all the way to Iraq to serve a real turkey dinner — well, he was actually holding a fake one himself for the photo op — for Christmas, or was it Thanksgiving? The point is — how many leaders in those pesky little civil wars actually go to serve a turkey dinner to their soldiers on Christmas — or maybe Thanksgiving? Not one I've ever seen pictured on CNN!

And let me say this — sure, there are lots of little wars between countries sharing a border, sharing water and all that ordinary stuff. But we don't have such easy ways to start a war — peaceable Canada above us and pretty little Mexico below, our only stormy borders being the oceans on both sides. Some might say that we were blest, living in peace with such nice neighbors.

But no! It would be too boring! And what of all of those weapons of mass destruction we've paid so much for and can boast of to the whole world? George W is from Texas, a great big state, and his father had two fine wars, and he doesn't want to trail behind his Daddy! Only Jimmy Carter neglected all of that high-cost hardware, letting it get dusty. "Not one missile, not one bomb went out during my term of office to hurt anyone," he says. Is he boasting or apologizing?

He just wasn't creative enough! All of our presidents since WWII, except him and Eisenhower, have traveled far and wide to locate good spots for their military masterstrokes. Just five years after WWII, Truman began the saga by interfering in a civil war between North and South Korea....I don't remember exactly, but I think one of them must have been involved in our Civil War, I don't know which side, I think the North, but Truman felt he had to pay back the debt, so he tried to stop the North part of Korea from planting communism onto the South, so he sent a few thousand of our young soldiers way over there to kill or be killed, and when some of them really did get killed, their parents were told "They died for the country."

This is what is always said to the parents or wives, and the government never says what would have happened to "their country" if they had NOT fought and died way around the world, but no doubt something terrible would have happened to "their country." Anyway, when General-President Eisenhower came into the Oval Office, he ended that war, and even though he was a fine general and could have waged a few dandy wars, he didn't have one, which plunged the Military Industrial Complex into a slough of despond — all that great battle know-how gone to waste!

This time was called "The Cold War," which sure is perplexing because all wars are pretty warm, even hot with powerful weapons. When President Kennedy came into the Oval Office, a lot of "advisors" were in Vietnam, like about anywhere in the world 'cause we're so smart other places want to shar

About the Author

Jacqueline Taylor was born in a working class neighborhood of Buffalo, New York. After graduating from Juilliard Music School, she returned to Buffalo and became movie-art critic for the Buffalo Evening News. After marrying, she moved to Oak Park, Illinois, where she was a music- restaurant critic, articles appearing in Chicago papers. In protesting the Vietnam War she was kissed by Dr. Spock, and presented “Improvisation for a Distant War.” Gulf War One was documented in a play presented in Unity Temple, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Moving to Massachusetts in 1991, she became the critic for the Salem Evening News, later moving to Melrose where she presented “A New War, Anyone?” and co-founded “Patriots Opposed to Unnecessary Wars.” She still sings, teaches voice and writing, and struggles for peace.