War is a lot like socialism. It's great at the beginning (for some people). Under socialism, the free stuff starts flowing, speeches are made about a new beginning, and politicians tell you it will just keep getting better and better. 

In war, there isn't free stuff, but there is plenty of exciting video. The shock and awe stage of one of the empire's adventures in the Middle East is always one thrill after another for the people who support this kind of thing. Buildings explode in that evil country the war supporter still can't find on a map, speeches are made, and politicians tell you it will all be over in a few weeks, and X country's oil will pay for it all.

But don't take my word for it.

For those of us who have been around long enough to remember this same claim made at the outset of the Iraq War, this almost seems like a joke. But they're not joking. And there is always a new generation of suckers, not to mention the last generation who already lost their shirt at the casino and now "just want to win their money back."

When you return to visit that socialist country a few years after they've run out of other people's money, the jubilation is gone. It's replaced by hunger, homelessness, and, in some cases, empty zoo cages. 

A few years into the Iran War, Americans will find themselves tens of billions of dollars poorer, possibly in a long term recession accompanied by higher prices (stagflation), and confronted with the return of dead or permanently broken soldiers from a war everyone knows was based upon lies. And right behind the soldiers will come the refugees that the neocons who started this will tell you it's your moral duty to welcome and support.

But don't take my word for it. I had the pleasure of speaking with a man who actually led soldiers into battle back when the empire used to at least win its unncessary wars. Of course I'm talking about the great Colonel Douglas Macgregor, who, like a lot of men who have actually been in combat, opposes Washington's penchant for nonstop conflict. You can watch the video version of our conversation here:  
 

Watch Episode 223 with Col. Douglas Macgregor...

Tom Mullen is the author of It’s the Fed, Stupid and Where Do Conservatives and Liberals Come From? And What Ever Happened to Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness? 

 Tom