The Empire's Ship is Sinking
History has shown us that empires crumble when their thirst for power overtakes all other sensibilities. According to United States Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, America could stand on the precipice of such destruction. His insights form the foundation of the short documentary The Empire's Ship is Sinking, and it's a rarely-heard point of view from inside the heart of the beast.
Wilkerson knows of which he speaks. He flew over a thousand combat missions during the war in Vietnam. He later served as the National Security Advisor to President Ronald Reagan, and as Chief of Staff to General Colin Powell during the administration of President George W. Bush. He possesses intimate knowledge of the inner workings of war, and has witnessed first-hand how the propulsion of endless conflict continues to line the pockets of the very wealthy and decimate the existence of the lower classes worldwide.
Many key tenants of modern-day warfare are covered in the brief, yet wide-ranging interview that structures the film. From the more than 800 bases the United States military operates across the globe to the increased proliferation of weapons manufacturing, conflict means big business for the American elite. There seems to be no profitability in peace. The wealth created by these global skirmishes does not promote a more productive capitalistic society, because none of it falls downward in support of the lower classes. In some cases, as Colonel Wilkerson points out, foreign policy is based more on business considerations than humanitarian ones.
The issue is so complex and far-reaching that pinning the blame on a single culprit becomes muddied and elusive. In a way, we are all complicit. According to some reports, over 70% of retired military generals are recruited by the nation’s top weapons manufacturers as spokespeople and advisors. It falls on them to convincingly sell the need for continued conflict to the American people. In large part, the citizenry accepts these arguments without question or protest.
Wilkerson contends that such a path is unsustainable, and will surely spell doom for America's reputation, economic vitality and moral dominance in the world. The Empire's Ship is Sinking forces us to consider the corporate complex that drives America’s violent incursions across the globe.
The war of the banksters, by the banksters, and for the banksters. The banksters own the United States government who starts wars for the owners. All talks that do not address the banksters are hollow gibberish.
Great interview by Abby Martin with Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, very clear and precise and to the point. I got the distinct impression that neither of them would
go along with any BS. Well done and well produced. Thank you:)
In the US (and most empires or powerful nations)... War is about money for the military industrial complex and power expansion (regional or global) for the government. The US is heavily deeply entrenched in wars because of their corporations' greed and their politicians' drunken thirst for power... not to mention their selfish and narcissistic population who would do anything to keep their decadent and materialistic way of life... even it means they have to vote and support war mongering politicians and leaders.
Nope, dropped him when he said; "there was no proof Assad used chemical weapons." I call bullsh*t.
This is what Governments do! Government is a tool of the powerful to exploit the less so. It has always been this way and it always will be! This is especially true in a Republic or a Democracy.
In a republic, legislators pay NO price for laws they pass. This gives them incentive to use government's exploitive powers to a much more damaging degree then was able to be done in the past.
You can clearly see this when the WORST case scenario for a modern politician is taken into account: He/she does not get re-elected and so gets a lifetime pension + full health care + a book deal explaining how (Fill in the blank scape goat.) was to blame for the ill effects of their law and last, but certainly not least, at $200k-1 mil a year consulting gig for the corporation that used them to pass the law that screwed over the citizens to their benefit in the first place!
This will come as a shock to most people, especially socialists, but this is how the world works. As I always tell people the powerful have always taken advantage of the less so. It is neither good nor evil, it’s simply natures way!
With all of this in mind the solution to all our problems with government is to become powerful yourself! Doesn't matter how you get that way be it by hook or by crook. Once you are powerful than you can make the rules.
If you’re looking for things that you personally can do to scale back the influence/wealth of the powerful (In the US, Russia, China or anywhere else.), AND at the same time increase your own, start with these 9 things:
1) Save at LEAST 10% of all you earn. If you are not saving at least that amount you are no better then a slave living for what your master gives you to eat. (Get yourself a free PDF copy of “The Richest Man in Babylon” Easiest book you’ll ever read on personal finance and is taught in parable so enjoyable to read as well.)
2) Keep your uninvested money in physical form. Either in Gold, Silver or, more pragmatically, physical currency (Remember in the most recent financial panics in the US (2008), Cyprus (2012), Greece (2015), etc. people were trying to get physical cash, not Gold or Silver.). If you must use the banking system only use Credit Unions or Savings and Loans. Keep only as much currency in it as you need for expenses over the course of a couple of weeks or a month tops (Business owners will need more because of tax and logistical reasons.).
3) If you’re a wage slave paying down a lot of debt talk to an attorney about bankruptcy. You are doing your patriotic duty by not repaying banks. Fractional reserve banking is fraud so don’t lose a single nights sleep if you don’t repay another cent of it!
4) Speaking of being a wage slave, if you’re getting a refund at the end of the year then you need to change your withholding status so you OWE at the end of the year. Why give the government a free loan for a year while you are paying 100+% from a payday lender?!?! Society trains you to be a slave, that doesn’t mean you actually have to be one!
5) When possible use physical cash when you purchase things. This helps by a) making it hard for the powerful to profile you and add you to their metadata. b) allows those so inclined to reduce the power of government by being “tax neutral”. c) supports the poor by making merchants obligated to accept cash through your free market choice to use currency, as opposed to governments tyrannically passing laws forcing merchants to accept
6) Try keeping your patronage away from large entities, i.e. don't use Google use DuckDuckGo.com or some other small search engine that does not have massive power and also tries not to keep personal search information. You can easily switch out your tablet and cell phone search engines as well. For an Apple product just go to “Settings”>Safari>Search Engine. As I always say, " Whenever you centralize power it always helps the powerful." And yes I realize the irony of saying this on a Google owned platform. :)
7) Vote 3rd party, preferably one that pays lip service to freedom and liberty. Your vote doesn't really count anyway so you might as well make the powerful pay more for the privilege of owning you by adding the number of parties that they have to bribe (Remember action 6 above.)!
8) Copy and paste this list to any future posts that you make on Youtube, or anywhere else for that matter. The only thing better then you doing these things is getting OTHERS to do them as well.
9) Government is a tool of the powerful to exploit the less so. It has always been this way and it always will be. An example of this is how the powerful use the Government to enforce its guilds. The Federal Reserve (A banking cartel.) and the AMA (A medical cartel are two prime examples. ANYTHING that you do that reduces that power helps keep you free!
You can search the internet for other actions that you can take and if you have any good ones feel free to let me know. The first two are hands down the best an individual can do (Least effort and most effective.).
OMG please get someone besides Amy to do these. She really turns a lot of people off on so many levels. I agree with most of this video but I don't want to hear it from Amy.
Finally I'll leave you with a quote from Philip K Dick from his novel VALIS. "The Empire never ended". We are just an extension of the Roman Empire vial the Roman Catholic Church. Look into it with an open mind if you don't believe me.
Guess, what ignorant and superstitious Xtian majority runs the USA? You lot must be quite proud of the tidy, fascist martial society you've created...eh hypocrites?
The truth sucks don't it. best figure out how to grow tomatoes and teach your children.
In reality the time it takes to watch a couple documentaries a month, most of the problems in the usa could be solved in the manner presented in my prior comment.
It always has been up to YOU not someone else. Get with it ...or dig a hole, jump in, and pull it in after you. Either is fine with me. If you don't do the first, you will get the second.
Go ahead, look online and see all the stacks and fields full of the 5 to a plastic coffins waiting for you. See where the foreign military have been practicing on our soil, who have no qualms about shooting you or bombing your relatives. Or be a do nothing bum while pretending that nothing can be done, with all evidence to the contrary. When a little shared activity towards nominating and electing decent people is so easy in comparison, it is sickening that the people want to be like the Jews and wait until it is too late. Brilliant.
Well said @John.
Suggested reading (about 4 double sided pages) "War is a Racket" by Major General Smedley Butler, written in 1935 and available by doing a web search. Butler suggests several things that need to be done to smash this heinous activity.
Unfortunately Butler doesn't really provide the how to get those things done. In this docu Wilkerson is lame, just a talker like the rest with ZERO actual methods to accomplish. Just the oft mentioned getting sick of it and do something. Then mentions the absolutely stupid, "revolution may be required". That would be yet ANOTHER WAR which would benefit and strengthen the very families that he mentioned, that need to be put out of the war profit, banking, and oil business. If they want to do something beneficial, fine, but I doubt it since they think of all of you as the enemy of the planet, to be eradicated.
As a matter of fact that is exactly what those who profit from war, the banksters who own the central banks, defense companies, and the major oil companies want and are pushing us toward to weaken the usa, so they can reshape it into some flavor of collectivism which benefits them even greater; having no competition at all. Their worldwide plan. Read the Georgia Guidestones if you are confused about that; also available for a few mouse clicks.
Having looked at this issue for a long time. The only METHOD that I can find to accomplish the change that is needed to stop this perpetual war profiteering murderous activity, WITHOUT helping the real enemy, being those families Wilkerson spoke of, is for as many people as possible to gather together to see to it wise, decent, honorable people, who agree to a contract to enact term limits and to get rid of their war profit practice, their central banking practice of long term inflation then deflation profiteering, and encourage Nikola Tesla patent projects as well as others that are workable to supplant their big oil, are NOMINATED to run, in plentiful numbers, to run under all parties for all offices. And to expose the frauds. Someone knows the truth about them. The purpose for gathering together. Find the right people and you will have an excellent govt instead of corrupt corporatism.
The silly notion of waiting until enough people get ticked off enough to take their muskets off the wall, in this technological age means that they will be too late and will end up dead for the most part. The weaponry available to the so called professional military, likely of foreign countries sent here to kill you, is quite fantastic compared to a rifle. Exactly how are you going to hide and mount an offensive when their satellites and drones and infrared systems can locate you so easily? At least when you come out. After some guerrilla strike losses the enemy would simply wipe out everyone, everywhere, including your wife and kids using tactical nukes and/or Tesla type weapory. If that is what you desire, which it seems far too many do by their nonsensical bravado blather and procrastination; which most likely is all talk or they would have done something already, then by all means keep doing nothing.
The easy sensible way, by out maneuvering them politically, since the people have that power, has been presented by me on this website in many comments. I know for a fact it works. However, this time around, rather than pulling my hair out due to all the do nothings who deserve exactly what they get, slavery, I'll wait for them to get off their backside before I help this time.
There will always be evil that you will have to deal with from time to time, yet the do nothings desire for me to spend my time and loss of income to take care of it while they do nothing and reap the reward. Not this time. You have your answer, a good workable method. All it takes is the smallest of motion, about an hour an month or so. And the do nothings refuse to even do that. They do nothing but point fingers and blather, which should be at themselves. I consider Wilkerson to be ignorant, when such an easy method is available.
I've been reading these outraged comments for many years now. While interesting they in no way mean that any of these outraged citizens will do anything more than leave these comments. Of that I'm absolutely sure. Just talk. Or you could say all for entertainment value.
I always have a problem with these guys who were full on in creating the problems we face and then wait until they retire to say something about it. Only then do they feel out of the limelight and so look for a way to sell a book or go on a speaking tour and then want us to honor them for being thoughtful. In a thousand missions how many innocents were torn apart with the bombs he dropped. How many families and children destroyed. He was the empire builder and I have no respect for him even if what he says is true.
How can we stop the war pigs?
The so called global superpower, is always up to looking for threats in every part of the world. Threatening through military might for unconditional subjugation. Though the superpower needs to come to terms with reality. It's inability to provide its own citizens with free education and health care, rampant gun violence, environmental pollution in the name of industrial growth, excessive commercialization and consumerism based social structure, xenophobia towards immigrants (originally who they are themselves) are its internal problems which it disguises through ‘Global War on Terror’ a new strategy for establishing the ‘New World Order’. Though, above all it is spreading its internal ills throughout the globe in the disguise of globalization. The so called superpower post WW II has always fought against weaker countries to establish its masculine might. It always advertises itself as a safe keeper of nuclear weapons while branding every other (non-western country) as an offensive force who ever want to develop nuclear weapons. As nuclear weapons are really a threat to the world why not all who have it get together and get rid of them. Oh! but then the so called global balance (actually imbalance) of power which is always tilted towards the superpowers with their immense military might and innumerable nuclear warheads will be gone. So, in the name of liberty and justice the superpower is engaged in a perpetual war against the so called 'axis of evil' and innumerable terror groups. The ever mounting casualty lists are being brushed away as unavoidable collateral damages without which large scale human massacres by these evil forces couldn't be stopped. It is never bothered to address the root cause of increasing terrorism rather just keep on fighting blindly only to benefit its military industrial complex with longer order lists for drones, bombs, tanks and all other imaginable and unimaginable kinds of weapons and surveillance systems.
take a critical look at the state of our home. learn all the facts. try to be empathetic towards people being displaced by war.Why do these things happen? I'll tell you ,its to keep us all down and talk nonsense on the net instead of fighting for a more just world..... the wool is being pulled over all our eyes,time to wake up and realize who the real adversary is and how to go about doing something productive to make this home, earth, the world what it can and should be, ignorance is the thing to be feared most, dont be misled by sound bights and simple answers .
August 13, 2016. LeeJai Cook, Roaring Springs, Texas USA. Our world civilization is rushing heedlessly towards the Day of Armageddon. On that Day the world as we know it will vanish. Our present civilization will never again rise in its present form. Jesus has elevated Elijah, the Old Testament prophet, to the position of World Ruler. [Malachi 4:5] Elijah will oversee the few remaining years that stand between us and the Day of Armageddon. I do not know when he will appear on earth.
Any concentration of power is evil. Power must be shared.
It should be obvious as to the root of the current military expenditures in the middle east; I$rael! The day the U.S. stops supporting Israel's acts of terrorism, is the day we war no more over there and instead focus on humanitarian efforts. We are currently experiencing The Crusades 2.0 but instead of popes instigating it, we have CEOs perpetuating it.
What a great episode. I agree- it's time for a revolution. If fifty percent of Americans were courageous enough to join the cause we'd have one. How can we utilize the Web to expose the lies and take back our lives most effectively.
Though the seeds for the quest of freedom are ancient, the real upheavals have only happened in the past few centuries. No reason to stop now. Keep freedom alive! Do your part. It's up to you.
Perhaps it is time for American soldiers to lay down there arms and let the ruling elite pick up where they leave off. Fighting unjust wars just so the elite can continue to dominate and prosper leaves little to be desired. Humanity is surely eroding and will soon disappear. Time for a REVOLUTION is at hand!
Dave - What books or articles have you read that suggest terrorist acts have been inside jobs? I kinda think you're right, and I'd just like to know your sources.
Let's go Bernie!!!!
Kenneth has succumbed to the brainwashing of the corporate media. He also lacks imagination and an open mind as do many republicans.
The notion that the world can't sustain 7 or 8 billion people is a preposterous myth propagated by the very same people who have created this problem. Do you realize enough food is thrown in the garbage every day in america to feed multiple "3rd world" countries? and i'm not talking rotting garbage food, i mean good food thrown in the garbage because americans bit off more than they could chew at the buffet. Don't believe anything you hear on any mainstream source.
At the very core of all the problems is confusion concerning basic human rights. Why? Because a "government" person can only be determined to be violating human beings by determining whether that "government" person is violating another person's basic human rights.
The Bill of Rights does not clearly state what our basic human rights are. It states how "government" people may "properly" violate the basic human rights of a given person or group of persons.
The UN Declaration of Human Rights states a few of our basic human rights and then adds more statements declaring how those rights may "properly" violate the previously stated rights. Some "rights" then effectively contradict other stated rights.
A supposed authority on human rights, Human Rights Watch, doesn't even have a rational definition of our basic human rights. I called them. If pressed, they fall back on the UN declaration.
If political entities are left to tell us what our basic human rights are (the status quo), well, we already see how that is going. The process was started hundreds of years ago by philosophers, and was hijacked by "revolutionaries" in the USA and France before the general populations were able to effectively participate in the debates, which would have certainly led to a rational and evolved understanding by all educated people today.
Well, we have a lot of catching up to do.