This article is basically a brief addendum to my recent article about the Constitution, the “Founders,” and the related mythology, confusion, contradictions and hypocrisy involved.
An example of extreme irony is how many members of the United States “armed forces” loudly and proudly proclaim their loyalty to and reverence for the U.S. Constitution, and the Founding Fathers. Now you might ask, “What’s so ironic about that?” Well, it’s just a tad hypocritical for members of a “government” standing army to wax eloquent about how much they love the document that forbids the existence of “government” standing armies.
The irony is made worse by the fact that, when they join up, they swear an oath to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic,” and to “bear true faith and allegiance to the same,” and then they immediately violate that oath by becoming part of a standing army that the Constitution forbids, and that pretty much all of the “Founding Fathers” (federalist and anti-federalist alike) vehemently opposed. Where the Constitution lists the powers that Congress would have (in Article I, Section 8), it states that “Congress shall have Power To ...raise and support Armies,” but then immediately adds that “no Appropriation of Money to that Use shall be for a longer Term than two Years.”
The Founders were well aware that a standing army, made up of professional soldiers, was (as Samuel Adams put it) “always dangerous to the Liberties of the People.” So they included that provision to make sure that forming a military would always be a very temporary thing, and that the army would consist of average Americans, who mostly just wanted to be done so they could go home, rather than consisting of career soldiers who would always be looking for some new war to engage in. Because they knew that, as James Madison put it, “No nation could preserve its freedom in the midst of continual warfare.” For those who don’t already know this, the U.S. military has been involved in one war or another for 222 out of the last 239 years. That’s basically being at war somewhere or other for 93% of the nation’s history.
That’s why it’s rather odd for members of the largest standing army in the world to be cheering rah-rah-rah for the U.S. Constitution, when “the Father of the Constitution” said this:
“A standing military force, with an overgrown Executive will not long be safe companions to liberty … The means of defence against foreign danger, have been always the instruments of tyranny at home. Among the Romans it was a standing maxim to excite a war, whenever a revolt was apprehended. Throughout all Europe, the armies kept up under the pretext of defending, have enslaved the people.” - James Madison
So, you folks in the military, if you actually took your oath seriously, and actually intended to defend and uphold the Constitution from all enemies, you would invade the Pentagon, and maybe the White House and Congress too, take out the career war-mongers, and then quit. But of course, since the career war-mongers are the ones who give you your orders, and your paychecks, you aren’t going to. But, to be honest, you should at least stop pretending that you give a damn about the Constitution.
(It should be mentioned that the Constitution does provide for a navy, without the same limitations as those imposed on raising armies, mainly because it's difficult for a bunch of soldiers out on the ocean to oppress the people living on land. However, if the members of the U.S. Navy took their oaths seriously, they would be doing battle with the U.S. Army.)
(Larken Rose is a speaker, author and activist, having advocated the principles of non-aggression, self-ownership and a stateless, voluntary society for over twenty years. Donations to help support his articles, videos and other projects can be made by PayPal to "larken@larkenrose.com" or by Bitcoin to 13xVLRidonzTHeJCUPZDaFH6dar3UTx5js.)
"Well, it’s just a tad hypocritical for members of a “government” standing army to wax eloquent about how much they love the document that forbids the existence of “government” standing armies."
Yup. War is a racket, as Smedley Butler said. The standing army and the central banks (including the first one, back in 1781) are two arms of the same crony racket.
Soldiers are the lowest form of life on earth. Raised to kill people while being extremely proud on it and wasting the money of hard working civilians that hardly can pay for living.
But what the situation if someone attacks your country? Sometimes people say," Attack is the best defense".
The constitution is of none effect.
These soldiers are just tax collection officers don't buy US bonds and you get bombed!
ahh, hypocrisy, it runs rampant in our time.
so many institutions do the exact opposed of their stated intent. Sometimes I think turning around their stated purpose is the best way to understand why they exist...
but alas, until we remember our spiritual roots, that we are spiritual beings having a human experience, that the power of life and death is within our hands, that sickness and wellness are states of mind... we will continue to look outside ourselves for answers that will never come, we will keep reaching for a Savior that never comes, or perhaps is already here but who's advice we ignore because we just can't hear it, we just can't believe it, we just can't accept it.
but we each have the power to remember these things, we all have the power to save ourselves, we all have the potential to remember who we really are...
let peace, love, and joy be your guides.
namaste
( the divine in me honors the divine in you ; )
The main idea and concept is right. The way you present things and the facts really give shape. But it is normal to be thus way when we discuss about force and Gouvernment
Tentara america meamang sangat terlatih,,, 👍
Great info about constitution. It was really informative and unique for me.
Thanks for sharing #author
Spot on, Larken. Unfortunately, the zombie apocalypse is here and most of the zombie horde are too far gone to care.
Thank you very much for this valuable information
I think every where in the world forces is power and they have the control of their country what ever forces want they do whic is known as hypocracy
Eloquently put and to rub salt in the wound they've enslaved the people to fund such forces ................
A very good article, about the constitution
@larkrnrose
A really interesting run down. Thank you@larkenrose!
I agree with @michiel's opinion that the soldier is the lowest life form on earth. Soldiers are raised in a harsh training environment and are prepared to slaughter all enemies, they are also more concerned with the life of the country than their own lives. But there is little difference in the warrior's presence in my country, where the oath that is spoken seriously by the navy does not make a battle with the army ..
Thank you for sharing this excellent article @larkenrose.
greetings know,your writing is great
greetings know,your writing is great
That is way people no longer want history to be taught; tyranny is of all times and every thing has happened before; we would see through their crappy plans...
Soldiers protect us and also cause as harm sometimes that my view.....thank you
I would say every coin has two sides. It is up to you from which side you see. Yes the Army get a lot of money in the budget which could be spent on the poor people in the country but at the same time, they defend us against foreign aggression. In my country, Pakistan, the army gets more than 20 percent annual budget which is a huge money and could bring a pleasant change in the lives of many of my countrymen if spent properly but at the same, there is another side to the matter. They also protect us against terrorists and aggressors.
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Soldiers are the lowest form of life on earth. Raised to kill people while being extremely proud on it and wasting the money of hard working civilians that hardly can pay for living.