When I was growing up during the cold war, a neighbor of mine offered his thoughts on the nation he loved: “America will never be defeated from without, but it was most vulnerable to the enemy within”. My neighbo r was an American army medic during WWII and a respected policeman. His words have stayed with me throughout my life. George Washington, warned Americans of the dangers a standing army would pose to our constitutional government.
What the Bush administration did in 2003 was act more like the Nazis did in 1939. Dick Cheney is on record that he expected our troops to be seen as liberators. That was one of the many miscalculations these 'enemies within' possessed, when they invaded Iraq. Our troops and government contract army were instead seen more as invaders and occupiers.
The American who attacked and killed Americans at a Bowling Alley in Maine recently could have been suffering depression due to post traumatic stress. What can arguably be seen as the enemy within are well funded “Think Tanks”who have actually brought you at least the last 78 years of American Foreign policy. This isn’t bureaucracy at it’s most dysfunctional, but close. It is abuse of power that screams for accountability.
Reconciliation offers a path toward inner gold. Instead of playing “Risk” halfway around the world, isn’t it healthier for our nation to pursue peace and reconciliation home and abroad? We are sufficiently traumatized by these escalating events. America’s mental health depends on being outside the 'dupe tank'.