Our nation just memorialized the 60th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. It was the spark that lit the explosion called “the good war”. Conspicuously absent from most history books are some startling facts:
American investments in Nazi Germany at the time of Pearl Harbor were astronomical! Standard Oil of New Jersey had $120 million invested there; General Motors had $35 million; ITT had $30 million; Ford had $17.5 million.
In Charles Higham’s riveting 1983 book “Trading with the Enemy” he states: “What would have happened if millions of American and British people (during WW2), struggling with coupons and lines at the gas stations, had learned that in 1942 Standard Oil of New Jersey shipped the enemy’s fuel through neutral Switzerland and that the enemy was using Allied fuel? Suppose the public had discovered that Chase Bank of Nazi occupied Paris (after Pearl Harbor) was doing millions of dollars worth of business with the enemy with the full knowledge of its main office in Manhattan? Or that Ford trucks were being built for German occupation troops in France with authorization from Dearborn, Michigan? Or the ITT built the Focke-Wulfs planes that dropped bombs on American and British troops? Or that crucial ball bearings were shipped to Nazi-associated customers in Latin America with the collusion of the vice-chairman of the U.S. War Production Board?”
So what have we learned from history? How has the seed of “corporate greed” grown into what we experience today? The total lack of any semblance of patriotism, choosing instead the mantra: “the business of business is business”. There are no borders to these elites, only bridges toward increased profits. These are the “puppeteers” who pull the strings of the “bought and paid for politicians”, regardless of political party. These are the “war industrialists” who sell arms to both sides of many struggles, loan money to all the governments doing battle, and sit back to watch “Uncle Sam’s armies” protect their corporate posteriors!
This new “war on terrorism” should have been fought decades ago, by most of the world’s nations in conjunction with one another. “Search and destroy” missions conducted by our country should be replaced by “seek and arrest” actions by a United Nations police force. Any country that should somehow refuse to cooperate would be ostracized through total economic means. Believe you me, when lots of money is at stake, “principles go out the window along with the fugitives.”
After that scenario our nation could truly send a new message to the world, by pulling back our troops, our airbases, and our Navy closer to home. The billions saved would go to rebuild our cities, grant every American the health care our politicians have, fix our educational system, etc., etc., etc. Then, we would discontinue foreign aid to any country that represses its citizens (which means not much aid at all). That ridiculous adage of “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” has created terrible alliances with no substance. Isn’t it time we redefine the manifesto our founders scripted for this republic, both morally and spiritually? Our leaders would acknowledge to the world that elements of our governments past did in fact act against our own national precepts, i.e., “Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness”, through many different and illegal covert actions.
Cleansing our national soul is the only recourse this nation has to redeem our past and build a true “Golden Age”.
Philip A. Farruggio is a free lance writer, radio talk show host and small businessman. He can be reached at brooklynphilly@aol.com