Preserving the Empire

In the waning days of the Soviet Union, the parents of military conscripts received the grim news that their unfortunate sons had fallen to a training exercise, a bout of dysentery, or a road accident near camp, when in point of fact, they had lost their lives trying to defeat the American-backed mujaheddin in Afghanistan. The price of territorial expansion by means of military adventurism is often steep which is why peaceniks were so heartened at Obama's ascension to the US Presidency. They actually believed his rhetoric- Obama's promises to withdraw from Iraq and start to wrap up the campaign in the old imperial graveyard of Afghanistan, where Great Britain and Russia had both squandered much blood and treasure to little avail. So when the peace camp accounting is done if it were ever deemed to be sincere, should not the thousands that gathered in the street to protest the last President Bush still gather by the multitude, the horde to denounce the current US Emperor, as our forces are more committed in Afghanistan now than under George W. Bush and in fact remain ever active in the Iraq conflict that Obama had pledged to abandon. In June, fifteen US service members had their lives taken in the old Bush fight in Iraq. Where is the new day Obama promised? Occupations continue and a new war is joined in Libya. I am aware that the US can not be the world's policeman but have enough Pax Americana in me to know a global power can never simply beat a hasty retreat. What amazes me is the disingenuous effort of the US anti-war movement which has proven itself to be not so much against violent conflict but simply against wars of American self-interest and self-defense or preemption when waged by leaders whose party affiliation happens to be the American GOP. If this contention is wrong, where is the street theater with hundreds up in arms, aghast, protesting Obama's aggressive wars?