I peeked at some definitions of democracy just to see if I could get a basic understanding of what it meant. I’ve grown up thinking that we live in a democracy mainly because we get to vote for our president (and other folks as well). I think that’s a good thing, I like the idea of a government put in place by the people it governs.
Yet, recently I’ve been thinking about the fact that our tendency to think of our country as a democracy governed within some arbitrary boundaries that make up 50 different states is maybe not the most accurate. My thought is that it might be more accurate to think of the boundaries of our government and system as outlined not by the areas that our politicians govern, but were our military exerts it’s power. You see, ultimately I’m not ruled by the politicians (they make laws), I’m kept in line by the powers that enforce those rules, namely the military (and on our local level the police). So, it would seem that if we are going to be a true democracy we would allow citizenship and voting privileges for every person under or within our military presence. Otherwise, maybe it would be more accurate to say that we are part of the ruling class (all be it a large one) of an even larger empire that exerts it’s military rule over much of the rest of the world.
US Military Presence in The World
Chose Your Weapon (The Global Arms Trade)
One more map of US military bases.
It might be fair to also try to define different levels of true freedom and its boundaries…
just a thought
You are truly challenging my thinking đ I’m tempted to just get mad at you stop reading… (kidding).
I do think it is a bit of a stretch to say that just because we have military bases in a country that our military “power” exists there. I know for certain that those countries would disagree with you on that point.
Also, check out Romans 13:1-3. If we aren’t breaking the laws, we don’t have anything to worry about from the “executive branch.” They are called, ‘God’s ministers of righteousness.’ So, their power isn’t ‘over us,’ but rather in support of us.
You’ve got me intrigued. Good posts.
So, we studied this in my sociology class. The sociological ideal is that our government provides international leadership and sets a strong example for other nations in its approach to nuclear disarmament and the cooperative, nonviolent settlement of differences. It would be great if our presence througout the world was to facilitate this, but I think it’s the exception and not the rule. The reality is known as the Military-Industrial Complex, or Pentagon Capitalism. It is a relationship between the uniformed military, the aerospace defense industry, national security managers and the militarized congress. They are all connected and exist together to maintain a continual state of potential conflict. Conflict, or the threat of conflict allows our nation to thrive economically. Often the technology that we are “defending” against, is technology that we created and sold to other countries. But wait, there’s more. Our presence throughout the world is mostly to protect US economic interests abroad. There are a great deal of US corporations that greatly depend on their company’s operations in foreign countries. In 1992, the corporate investments in foreign nations reached $487 billion. You can imagine what that number must be now. We don’t have a presence throughout the world to lend a helping hand. Our presence exists to serve our own economic gain. Which continues to grow and grow and grow at the expense of the rest of the world. No matter how you size it up, our nation is shady.
Great points folks…
Andy, I think a conversation about freedom is a fabulous idea. Maybe I can get some moment and talk about my feelings on that next week.
Scott, check out my post tonight and let me know if you think it’s really a stretch. I’ll get on the Romans 13 passage in the near future.
Josh, you rock. Thanks for your wisdom and being right on.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on Romans 13, Ariah. If you blog on it, I’ll definately jump into the conversation đ cause I have a few insights of my own I’d like to share as well.
Good stuff!
Jamie
So it isn’t Ariah, but I read through Romans 13, Jamie I’d love to hear your thoughts. The prevailing feeling that I took away from it, and this is something that I began to perceive during my sociology class, is this: Change is possible. But it won’t occurr by attacking the governemnt. Leave it alone, I feel like Paul is saying. Of course we need to be aware and stay informed, but we aren’t going to bring about change by going after the government. Change will occur when we begin to love, neighbor to neighbor. Too often, government has this larger than life, machine like persona. It’s just people. The choices that are made reflect the heart’s of the people who lead. Mostly, governemnt is just responding to the prevailing social order. We need to change the prevailing social order and that happens by creating a culture of love. I hear Paul saying, don’t mess with the governemnt, it’s there to keep order. What’s the order that we want it to keep? Let’s go make that order, and the order is love.
Joshua,
I’d like to email you about your comment. Would you be willing to write to me so I’d have your address?
ncu212000@yahoo.com
Thank You đ
Scott
Hey guys, just wanted to make an amendment to a previous comment that could have been perceived in a very negative and insulting way. Thanks for the love Scott!
“Our presence exists to serve our own economic gain. Which continues to grow and grow and grow at the expense of the rest of the world. No matter how you size it up, our nation is shady.”
I greatly respect those who serve our country and I know I don’t completely realize the depth of their sacrifice. My comments were definitely not directed towards them, and I realize how they could be perceived otherwise. I do feel that a larger percentage of those who make the decisions that place these servants away from their families do not fully utilize the talent and abilites of these men and women for the greatest good, but are using it for selfish gain.
Joshua,
Thanks for being the loving person that you are and showing the maturity that you did. Scott, thanks for your maturity as well.
I love that I can write these sorts of things and they can create the level of conversation that they do, and that the readers are ones who truly express the maturity and love that I esteem to.
Thank you for being an example to me folks.