I watched with great interest the hearings conducted by Senator Biden on April 2, in preparation for the two days of testimony by General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker before the several Senate and House committees this week. Given the background of the April 2 testimony, the statements and responses of Petraeus and Crocker can be examined through a much clearer lens. That examination cannot be reassuring to the American people.

One of the most bothersome messages that I took from both the general’s testimony and that of the ambassador is the so-called Sunni Awakening. Although they try to frame this as a positive, what their testimony discloses is that there is a cadre of former Sunni insurgents who we now identify by the patriotic moniker: Sons of Iraq. The interesting thing about the Sons of Iraq is that we pay them not to hurt us! Petraeus himself asserted that what we pay these local thugs and villains is less than the cost we would otherwise bear in “blown-up vehicles and equipment, not to mention the price of life.” The idiocy of this proposition is astounding. The most advanced and powerful military force the world has ever know has fallen victim to a protection racket – and our military governor not only lauds this as a major step forward, he lobbies for more funds to continue paying the extortion.

But perhaps I’m being too harsh. Perhaps General Petraeus has hit upon a plan for sure and certain success in Iraq. A plan so elegant in its simplicity that perhaps the general himself has not yet fully grasped it. We need not limit our payments to the Sunni Awakening and the Sons of Iraq. At twelve billion dollars ($12,000,000,000) per month in war costs, we could pay each and every one of the 24 million (24,000,000) Iraqis – every man, woman and child – a $500 per month stipend to simply behave themselves. Since the median income in Iraq is $144 per month (in 2004), this would be a real boon. For a family of four it would be a $2000 per month income without ever lifting a finger. That’s equivalent to a $12.00 per hour full time job for the head of the household. All for simply for keeping the peace! No bombs, no bullets, no blood, no problem. Brilliant.

And of course, while we’re at it we can send a one-time payment of $600 to some Americans to try to purchase their loyalty, too. That money will go to Americans who work for $12.00 per hour – many working two such jobs just to make ends meet. Americans who can’t afford health care and are just a paycheck or two or a serious illness or injury away from losing everything, but they’re not parked on top of one the worlds largest oil reserves. Americans are apparently not contained within the Washington, and particularly the Neocon (neoliberal) definition of “America’s vital interests.” It betrays a greater interest and lust for the American Empire, than patriotic care and love for the American Republic. A trillion dollars a year to support an empire founded on the antithesis of our own founding principles.

What became abundantly clear in this week’s testimony is that General Smedley Butler’s words are as apt today as they were in 1935 when we published War is a Racket.

"I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism. I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."