LA JOLLA, Calif, — Power Behind Close Doors has recently uncovered a new and interesting phenomenon emanating from many western university campuses. It involves a large grass-roots organization and the numbers are increasing. They are a group of bright and enthusiastic American citizens — “the New Veterans” — a disciplined group of young servicemen and women who have seen the Good & Bad of the post WWII world at a young age.
This unique collection brings together an emotionally bonded warrior group of men and women. The New Veterans are capable of organizing into a powerful and much needed winning, progressive, third party majority in America. The numbers are notable and growing. As of 2007, these New Veterans number 23.6 million. Included in that number are 1,800,000 female veterans. These large numbers are due to America’s many and continuous involvements in international military conflicts since 1945.
As one graduate student recently said, “America has been at war for some 68 years. This fact is very hard to comprehend. How many Veterans does 68 years of war produce? I do recognize it as a fact and it directly relates to our two-party system. Our system is changing, and it has become gradually less effective due to the lack of competent people going to Washington. How do I say that? Our elected officials aren’t doing their job and I take as proof the approval rating for Federal government. Take for example Congress’s approval rating which as of July has RISEN to 39 percent. Our President just new, has only a 59 percent approval rating. These rates are an improvement over last year! Therefore, it is becoming obvious that there is a need for a new political posture. I speak for University and College students. I also say this also based on the actual existence of the Warriors class. If we did have competent people in Washington, why would we have such heavy numbers of Veterans and growing?”
The Power Behind Closed Doors thinks that the real question is, “Is any one listening in America and is anyone willing to participate and become involved?”
The answer is apparently a resounding no. Generally speaking, American Veterans are not supposed to become active. Although they have been a large body of civilians, they have never organized before in the political sense. Large numbers were surely the case in WWII. Traditionally American Veterans were not supposed to become active as an organized political force.
Many students and student organizations are now becoming aware that these new Warriors are coming in an almost endless stream. They are coming into the educational system after having served in many undefined and ongoing active military operations. These new Warriors now know the horror of their life of combat, death, destruction and casualties in far away, unnamed places fought for unknown reasons. Their basic question is, “How come the government didn’t support us on the same level they supported the WWII effort?” Where is the support for equipment, follow-up medical care, public awareness and moral support? This is a powerful question with significant political ramifications. You can’t treat people who are sent out to fight for their country in that way.
The Power Behind Closed Doors listened as another student-Warrior said, in a somewhat agitated state, “You can’t tell me that we wanted to win. No one out there fighting was sure if we were supposed to win or lose.”
After talking to many students, it is easy to understand that this new group of dynamic college students can and are becoming a potential independent political force under a self-motivated banner titled, The American Warrior Class. This is a most interesting title. This is a most interesting title because this group will provide a vehicle for like-minded people to meet, share ideas, brainstorm, strategize, develop new approaches to public policy, and to spin off subgroups to raise public awareness of, and campaign about, specific national issues. Think About It.
In another case, a WWII Veteran, who was educated under the GI Bill, said, “It must be remembered that the government and the military totally supported all of its military forces during WWII and I mean in an unlimited sense. What ever we wanted we got. There was no limit.”
Many political writers have used the traditional concept that “Real Political Power” emanates from unseen grassroots movements, which is now being considered on university campuses as The American Warrior Class. It can be considered as an alternate to the current political system, which does not provide the new American Warrior Class any hope for the future. Hope is a big deal. After all, we really live for the future. We have to point out here too, Americans work to ensure American leadership.
There is an interesting comparison and relationship between WWII veterans vs. Post WWII veterans. A good question to ask ourselves is “are these two groups the same?” Apparently, not; there is a dividing line.
Take, for example, the educational opportunities for both groups of veterans. The WWII Veterans, starting in 1947, entered the university system en masse. They were driven by the opportunity to obtain an advanced education, which was beyond their reach prior to WWII. University degrees were extremely hard to attain and relatively rare. These veterans returned to civilian life after a four-year degree and time to re-assimilate. They returned to civilian life with a high confidence level in the traditional American two-party system. They therefore represented no threat to either party.
In terms of present-day reality, the post WWII veterans have faced a world of continued military actions, not wars, without much public support. “Military actions” versus “wars” is a big difference. Wars are declared after both houses of government have debated and weighed-in on whether or not the entire country is willing to take the responsibility for the consequences of war. “Military actions” imply and demand less responsibility. This means actual and real world differences in support to post WWII veterans. Everyone remembers how the government denied the maladies surrounding the use of Agent Orange and even more recently the deplorable situation with the sub-standard treatment given to Veterans at Veterans hospitals such as Walter Reed due to under funding. The Power Behind Closed Doors believes that it is evident that the American Public tends to sit back and just observe events anymore. Americans just hold out hope that normal political system will find solutions to America’s problems. What confounds us at The Power Behind Closed Doors, is that we believe that hope combined with inaction is un-American. What makes more sense to us is hope combined with action. That seems much more American.
It also seems that most American’s want to maintain America’s superpower status. This attitude appears to be counterproductive and totally confusing.
It is becoming increasingly evident to most Warriors, especially after returning from overseas assignments, is that the public has no idea as to what is happening in the world in terms of American military actions and actually the public has a complete lack of interest. Is this really the case or all Americans just living in La-La Land?
To quote famous Carthaginian historical political quotation that directly applies to American military leadership and policy is, “You know how to win victory, Hannibal, but you do not know how to use it.”
This is the quotation, which haunts many of the New Warriors because it addresses the basic concept that winning wars or battles does not solve real problems, like how to properly manage the various countries America has invaded in order that they prosper. Throughout history, actually winning the battle solves one problem, but creates many new ones.
In a front-page article published August 2, 2009 by the front page of Sunday’s San Diego Union Newspaper ran, “Student veterans taking up residence on San Diego State University’s (SDSU) Fraternity Row.” The article made the point that “different bands of brothers share common ground.” What this means is that The Warriors have established a foothold or beach head on a large western university campus. By establishing a Veterans House on SDSU Fraternity Row the university believes it is the nation’s only fraternity-styled home for American’s Warriors. Liewer also reported that the Veterans House will serve as a social hub for the 500 member Student Veterans Organization including the university’s Reserve Officer’s Training Corps Program.
The authors of Behind Closed Doors all support this grass roots beginning of a national Warrior Class. Simper Fi.
Power Behind Closed Doors asks one simple question. What will the American Warrior Class do and when will they do it. The third party door is open and only the Warriors and their supporters can step through it.
James Madison summarized the 3rd Party concept when he said,
“When the variety and number of political parties increases, the chance for oppression, factionalism and non-skeptical acceptance of ideas decreases.”
Not a bad thought.
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