If I Had a Hammer!

Jingoism is an “extreme patriotism, especially in the form of aggressive or warlike foreign policy.” It may also be defined as a “blind love of one’s own country.” Jingoism is often expressed by an unwillingness to take a painfully critical look at one’s own nation. Jingoism crosses international lines, meaning that this form of extreme patriotism is not restricted to the United States of America.

So let’s take a look at the nation we all love and call home:

The United States is but one of 196 nations in the world today and we possess the largest and most powerful military the world has ever known. We are no doubt the world’s only true super power and the influence (both good or bad) that we have on the rest of the world is mind-boggling.

For example, 95% of military bases throughout the world are owned and operated by the United States of America; totaling about 662 American owned and operated military bases that exist outside CONUS (the lower 48).

For a clearer perspective on this startling statistic consider that Russia owns and operates only eight military bases outside of Russia, Great Britain seven and France five. Now for a nation whose population makes up a mere 4% of the entire global population this is a rather large and disproportionate military footprint wouldn’t you say? There is no doubt that the United States of America has plunged headlong into the Empire business.

Look, there is nothing wrong with any country desiring protection from external threats. We live in a dangerous world and there are indeed nations with much smaller militaries that are based solely within their own boarders for safety and security purposes. Citizens should at least expect this from their governments. Yet the United States of America has opted to create a massive military industrial complex (in spite of Dwight David Eisenhower’s sage advice not to do just that) whose global footprint is incredibly large. This goes beyond having a military for safety and security purposes and becomes the Empire’s primary tool for implementing our nation’s foreign policies.

Since the end of the draft in July of 1973 it has become glaringly apparent that our nation’s well skilled military has become the private professional army of Washington’s political establishment. Currently there are about 1.4 million people now serving in the Armed Forces of the United States; that’s only about 0.4% of the total population (http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/what-percentage-of-americans-have-served-in-the-military/). These men and women are indeed brave and committed Americans who want to protect their country from foreign threats, as well as preserve the American way of life. Thank God for them. But this is not the point . . .

While we can honor all these brave Marines, soldiers, airmen and Coasties, even admire them, we should at least ask ourselves why we need such a huge global military footprint? When any nation’s military becomes the political system’s private instrument for implementing its foreign policy we should become concerned. Why?

Well, in the words of military historian Andrew Bacevich (Col, USA retired): "Today as never before in their history Americans are enthralled with military power" and "America will surely share the fate of all those who in ages past have looked to war and military power to fulfill their destiny. We will rob future generations of their rightful inheritance. We will wreak havoc abroad. We will endanger our security at home. We will risk the forfeiture of all that we prize." Herein I propose is the most pressing problem we Americans face today: Our love affair with military power.

Bacevich also quotes James Madison: "Of all the enemies of public liberty, war is perhaps the most to be dreaded.... No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare" (The New American Militarism: How Americans Are Seduced by War, Apr 22, 2013).

I love my country. I willingly served in the military for twenty years. I still believe in the American dream of freedom for all and I would be willing still to defend the core value of freedom to the best of my ability.

Yes the United States has a huge problem and it isn’t the men and women in uniform; rather it is the culture of militarism that has evolved since the end of World War II. More importantly the notion that such an enormous, expansive, and expensive military is necessary to keep Americans safe and secure is a myth. Such an enormous military provides us with such a false sense of security. Remember America was quite military strong when 9/11 occurred.

We may be confident in expecting a lot of saber rattling and war talk during this upcoming 2016 presidential election. We will hear over and over again that the only sure way to protect American citizens is to ensure that a well-oiled and well-trained military remain intact, if not become even larger. “Peace through strength” will be the popular mantra. Not only is this untrue but it violates the basic premise of the Christian Faith (but that’s a topic for another post).

You see when one looks at the world and sees nothing but nails the hammer becomes the only tool of choice. Sadly, the military solution is becoming that hammer. It is becoming America’s default problem solver—and this is a huge problem!