In the U.S., both the Republicans and Democrats have speeded up their search for money for the 2018 elections. Fractions that want to further their economic and political interests are making huge donations to candidates – including those in the race for president. These donations are a kind of investment and they generally get what they want. President Donald Trump supposedly won the elections with a “populist” discourse. One of his promises was that the military policies that spend the people’s taxes on the wars continued around the world would be given up. Trump’s tax reform led to great discounts for billionaires – of course, primarily for himself. Yet, the team running Trump’s election campaign had projected higher taxes for big companies and the rich. Trump was among those who have been heavily criticizing U.S. military presence outside the country, especially in Afghanistan.
Trump did the opposite after becoming president. He sent more troops to Afghanistan for the 17-year war to continue. Meanwhile, the Pentagon is building a “terror corridor” composed of the Kurdistan Workers Party’s (PKK) Syrian affiliate, the People’s Protection Units (YPG), on Syria’s border with Turkey. Trump is increasing the military budget that seems to be focused on the “generations-long war” in accordance with the Pentagon’s demands. The Pentagon is much more effective in the decision-making process of foreign diplomacy than ever before. As for the U.S.’s “Middle East” policy, it has been made to comply with Israel’s interests. The American people have no gains from this. Then how is it that Washington is being dragged into policies that prioritize Israel’s interests above that of the American people?
The answer to this question needs to be sought in the influence of the “Military-Industrial Complex” and the “Israeli lobby” on the decision-making processes. The “Israeli lobby,” which is powerful in the areas of finance, investment and media, is an extremely significant source of donations and support for both parties. For these benefactors, who are U.S. citizens, Israel’s interests are much above that of the American people. Upon Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, all eyes turned to the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA) and the Republican Jewish Coalition’s (RJC) favorite benefactor, Sheldon Adelson. Americans concur that this decision was made thanks to Adelson, the biggest benefactor in Trump’s election campaign. Americans should not sleep peacefully; in Washington, the decisions are determined not by their votes but by billionaire benefactors.
At the end of last year, four U.S. soldiers died in Nigeria. Let alone the American people, even the senators in the Senate’s committees that have authority on the conduct of military operations found out about U.S. troops carrying out operations in Niger after the four soldiers died. “Armed Services” committee Chairman John McCain, Senate Minority leader Chuck Schumer and Republican Senator Lindsey Graham were also among those who were quite surprised at this information. The senator were stating that they were not completely sure n which regions of the world U.S. troops are deployed. In an interview, Senator Graham said, “We’ll know how many soldiers are there, and if somebody gets killed there, that we won’t find out about it in the paper.” On a different note, it had also become clear that the Pentagon was fighting in Syria notwithstanding the congress decision.
The truths hidden from the American people need to be revealed. Reader comments in U.S. media on military activities abroad lay bare how much danger this matter presents to ordinary Americans. There are so many reader comments on these topics that one becomes tired of reading them. Trump had won the election by addressing the feelings of ordinary Americans. Homeland defense is not done through military means alone; we need to take into account the deterrent power of the public opinion as well. In this sense, transnational social media might also be an effective medium.
