(ThyBlackMan.com) “Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war…” This phrase was written by William Shakespeare – and appears in Act 3, Scene 1, line 273 of his play, “Julius Caesar. “Cry ‘Havoc’ is the recurring mantra of the hawks. I’m not talking about the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA, the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL, or the Seattle Seahawks of the NFL. I’m referring to some establishment Republicans in the House of Representatives and in the Senate. These gentlemen and gentlewomen want America to flex its military muscle whenever and whenever they say. They’re always chirping about the need to place our brave American soldiers – our men and our women – in harm’s way. To the hawks, war is America’s stock-in-trade – and the military surplus store is open for business.
Don’t take my word for it. Think about the last two years or so. The hawks screamed and moaned and groaned when President Obama ended America’s combat operations in Iraq. They called him weak. The hawks demanded American boots on the ground during the “Arab Spring” in Egypt. The hawks called the President an appeaser when they didn’t get their way. The hawks wanted American military intervention in Syria. When that didn’t happen, they wondered aloud how America lost its swagger. The hawks proposed American soldiers be sent into the conflict
between Russia and Ukraine. No, seriously – I’m not even joking. Of course, that didn’t happen – and the hawks immediately transformed into boo birds.
Who are the hawks specifically? There are several of them – bordering on many – but they are led by John McCain. Mr. McCain, of course, is the war hero and longtime Arizona Senator referred to as “the maverick.” Paradoxically, Mr. McCain has been as wrong as 4 left feet as it relates to wise deployment of America’s armed forces. John McCain repeatedly said in 2003 during the ramping up to America’s war in Iraq that our great nation would be welcomed by the Iraqi people as liberators. We weren’t. Mr. McCain theorized that American combat operations in Iraq would be brief and decisive – lasting only a few months at most. America’s war in Iraq lasted over 8 years. Mr. John Cain proudly declared that when Saddam Hussein’s (mythical) weapons of mass destruction were discovered by our military, that America would be completed justified in attacking Iraq. In retrospect, we never found any WMDs; and our war in Iraq has been thoroughly exposed as a sham layered in a dizzying network of lies.
Saddam Hussein was a dictator and a man who committed many evil acts – but he was not affiliated with Al Qaeda. Mr. McCain, Vice President Dick Cheney, and the rest of the hawks were wrong for unsuccessfully attempting to link Hussein to the cowards who attacked America on 9-11. Thousands of American soldiers were killed and wounded in Iraq. And for what? Because President Bush and the hawks wanted Hussein taken out.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney is the hawk of hawks. Never has one VP wanted to wage war with such reckless abandon. Mr. Cheney despises President Obama; and will seize any and every opportunity to call him feckless and every word synonymous with weak. Mr. Dick Cheney seems to honestly believe that there isn’t any global conflict which cannot be resolved with [a] firepower, [b] good old American tactics and ordinance, and [c] both a and b. Why is Mr. Dick Cheney so bitter? The man got the wars he wanted in Afghanistan and Iraq; but you couldn’t tell if you didn’t already know that in advance
Right now, Mr. John McCain is telling anyone who will listen that he was right and POTUS was wrong about Iraq. Mr. McCain wants – wait for it – America to re-deploy soldiers to Iraq ASAP. Chop chop! Make it snappy. He wants more American blood, talent, and treasure offered up there… and he’s using “I told you so” as the basis for his argument. One of the primary reasons “the maverick” lost his 2008 presidential bid was because he stated during his campaign that he felt America needed to stay in Iraq another 75 years. At minimum.
Has anyone else noticed that many of these GOP hawks are also the same guys who preach the traditional Republican values of financial constraint and the balancing of America’s budget. Folks, wars don’t save money. Wars cost money – and lots of it. A huge chunk of our nation’s current deficit came as a direct result of the fact that President Bush authorized two wars (in Afghanistan and in Iraq) without paying for either one of them.
Might does not make right. President Obama understands that. Why don’t the hawks understand?
“Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war; that this foul deed shall smell above the earth.” Well said, Mr. Shakespeare.
Staff Writer; Arthur L. Jones, III
This talented brother is a local Minister, weekly featured Democratic Op-Ed columnist, non-profit advisor, and sees the Braves winning it all this fall. Rev. Jones welcomes your comments! Please email him directly at: tcdppress@gmail.com.