America the Bizarre

I think I mentioned here the lunacy of the Jade-Helm conspiracy. For those who missed it Jade-Helm 15 is the name of a rather large US military exercise being conducted over the summer. The activities extend through a number of southern states. Those are the states who benefit most from US military base spending – the jobs and cash those bases generate are a major subsidy for some states that otherwise rival poor Greece for fiscal instability.

Our red state brethren are famously patriotic too. They wave flags of all sorts – some patriotic, some traitorous – at every opportunity. They supply a number of our most aggressively hawkish Senators and their even more hawkish Representatives. Apparently there is no world problem that cannot be resolved by a good old bombing.

So, it may come as a surprise to you to learn that those same red states – some of them at least – appear to be concerned that Jade-Helm is not a training exercise at all. No, not at all. It is actually a cleverly disguised attack on those states. Yes, the internet is full of conspiracy theories claiming that the US military is about to invade … the US.

Stupid as this may seem to the more sensible amongst us, Jade-Helm managed to prompt the Governor of Texas to alert his local national guard contingent so that they could monitor Jade-Helm and, presumably, fight off the invaders if need be.

Now, why would the US want to invade the US?

To enforce Obamacare of course – why did you need to ask?

Obamacare is so frightening for our red state friends that they fear invasion, military occupation, and being forced to get cheap health care at the end of a gun barrel.

It is within this climate of careful reasoning and calm thought that we are entering our next presidential election season.

Good luck everyone, it can only get worse.

Donald Trump might become a viable GOP candidate.

Oh. Wait …

And to make matters worse we now hear that some soldiers were shot at during the start of the exercise. Two days in a row. At the same place. By the same person. Was anyone providing security for these soldiers?

Oh. wait …

Bizarre indeed.