Are the radical cutbacks surrendering America?

Did you know that 75% of American’s young people 17 to 24 are unfit for military service?1 When I grew up in archconservative Wichita, Kansas, going to school with the ultra-rightwing Koch brothers, data like these showing our American kids were unfit for military service would be proof positive of a left-wing, communist, or socialist conspiracy.

But who is really surrendering America to our enemies? You be the judge.

First, look at some facts in a report by a bunch of retired 4-star generals.1

FACT: Thirty-five (35) percent of young Americans are ineligible for military service because medical or physical problems. All across America, radical “conservatives” are slashing programs to prevent medical and physical problems for young Americans? So is that going to increase or decrease medical or physical problems of our young people for military service?

Question: If elected officials vote to stop, reduce or impair programs documented to assure the health and physical abilities of American young people to be in the United States military, are those extremist elected officials betraying the United States?

FACT: Eighteen (18) percent of young Americans are ineligible for military service because of the use and abuse of illegal drugs. All across America, radical “conservatives” are defunding and dismantling programs proven to prevent drug addictions, and our rates of serious addictions are increasing young people. It is our young people’s addictions fueling the border violence that has the Tea Party, AZ ranchers and international travelers in an uproar. It is heroin trafficking for the s America’s youth and young adults loading the weapons of the Taliban killing our soldiers.

Question: If the actions of these elected officials are increasing the addictions of American youth, are they not aiding and abetting the America’s sworn enemies and giving the financial resources to harm America?

FACT: Nine percent (9%) of America’s potential recruits are illegible to serve because of poor intellectual functioning. Again, radical “conservatives” are dumping every program or proven effort to prevent poor intellectual performance from prenatal through adolescent years. Most of the rich democracies have better academic outcomes compared to the United States in virtually every domain—even when those other countries are experiencing influxes of immigrants.

Question: If newly elected officials are causing more and more children and teens to be intellectually impaired, is this not allowing our enemies to overwhelm America economically and militarily?

FACT: Six percent (6%) of the young people cannot enlist in the military, because they have too many dependents under age 18. Radical “conservatives” have done everything the can to make sure young people have no access to contraceptives, and they support FOX network that shows the most programs showing teen sexual promiscuity.

Question: If the radical conservatives are promoting increased teen pregnancies that impair America’s readiness, is this allowing our enemies to claim moral superiority over decadence caused by our elected officials and right-wing media.

FACT: Five percent (5%) of young adults in America are ineligible to be in the military because of criminal record as juveniles. Radical right-wing elected officials have stripped delinquency and crime prevention programs from local and state governments while relaxing any restraints on those very persons having access to deadly weapons.

Question: If the radical cutbacks by right-wing zealots are encouraging more and more young people to become violent and criminal, is this inciting domestic disturbance and rebellion?

Now, my fellow citizens, this essay will engender a hue and cry from the paid agitators of the radical right. They will say this is essay is un-American. They will say the problems are the fault of the decline in morals, the lack of prayer in schools, two-working parents, single parents, unionized teachers and gays in America. So if that is true, why on earth do all those other rich democracies have fewer of these problems like Canada, Norway, Sweden or the Netherlands? Aren’t they the heathen lands?

Maybe those “bad” countries actually apply and implement the proven strategies that prevent all the above problems. Even more ironic, the proven strategies that those “bad” countries use were invented and proven in American—thanks for all our incredible scientific excellence that they use and the hired bounty hunter radical right decry.

If you detect more than a bit of outrange and righteous anger, you would be correct. Why would these newly elected, over-the-top so-called “patriots” consciously surrender America’s youth and future to our sworn enemies? Perhaps, for the same reason that Judas gave up Jesus—for pieces of silver, a few moments of fame, and the solicitations of the rich and powerful who flatter others for their own purposes.

Every other rich democracy seeks to assure their young adults are healthy, clean or sober, think and learn well, avoid having children when children themselves, and do not engaged in crime—but not our newly elected Radical Republicans. No, they truly want to plunge American children and youth into some sort of Hell.

The new radicals are NOT the conservatives I grew up with and admired in Western Kansas like Bob Dole. These are not the conservatives like Gerry Ford or Everett Dirksen who were Republican leaders when I worked as a page in Congress. Dole, Ford and Dirksen were good people who wanted good for all—not just financial patrons. When I went to see Bob Dole in his retirement, he talked with pride about taking on the food giants who were selling soda and junk food in schools—and that meant even going against Big Agriculture.

No, the new rightwing, radicals are more like Judas. They will sell your children, my children and America’s safety and security for a few pieces of silver. The really rich who pass out the thirty pieces of silver will be fine; they will hire private armies like the Mexican drug lords to protect themselves and fly above the chaos in the helicopters. You and I will simply tremble for ourselves, for our children, and for our futures—because America won’t be safe or secure in any way.

PS. If you think it is impossible to prevent all these nasty problems, then please go on line to read the Institute of Medicine Report on the Prevention of Mental, Emotional and Behavioral Disorders.2

1. McMichael WH. Most U.S. youths unfit to serve, data show. Army Times 2009 Nov. 5, 2009.
2. O’Connell ME, Boat T, Warner KE, editors. Preventing Mental, Emotional, and Behavioral Disorders Among Young People: Progress and Possibilities. . Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine; National Research Council, 2009.