Muscle and Blood

On the browse and searching for information I came upon this 2005 article, from WSWS (World Socialist Web Site), on military base restructuring in the US.

WSWS analyzes the restructuring of military bases on US soil as "preparations of the US ruling elite ... for military intervention within the United States itself, against future domestic social and political unrest." Red state versus blue state thing, and states that the "decision to redeploy American military forces in such a way as to give a heavy preponderance to the South and Southwest has the most ominous implications." The Civil War sort of thing.

For all the wordiness of this WS article the author completely misses the truly obvious ominous, which has nothing to do with the US restructuring of bases on soil in the south and southwest, as that is nothing more than good business sense as the cost of living and labor are cheaper, particularly in the south.

What WS overlooked is the "realignment" of military jobs. In the past decade the DOD has phased out many MOS (military occupational specialties, see WaPo below) , and continues to do so, with more and more jobs previously performed by a self-sustained military now going to civilians.

Everything from laundry, cooks, food inspectors, to security guards at the base gates are now likely to be civilians, and more MOS phase outs coming. A "leaner military" yet with more boots available for the "all war all the time" future - with civilian support personnel.

Best part of it is, for the ruling class – more civilians more dependent on jobs from the government/military - paychecks signed by y-o-u. Will these working folks bite the hand that feeds them? The more dependent you are on Big Daddy government – the more you'll have to support and love Big Daddy. Think of it as selling your muscle and blood to the Big DaddyCo and you owe your soul to the company store.

Slick huh?

(The WaPo did raise concern about civilian/military job realignment in 2002 so ya can't say you weren't warned. "... support functions such as accounting, legal counsel, maintenance and communications.")

A mind that's a-weak and a back that's strong. Another day older and deeper in debt ...