The English speaking countries (with the notable exception of Ireland)
have been relatively lucky in recent times in questions of war.
Because of this,  there has been an increasing unawareness of the
realities of war, and exactly what even constitutes war.

We have lived in a rather priviledged environment, and have come up
"victors' in the conflicts that our ruling classes have engaged in.
Even our ethnic disputes have been comparatively tranquil affairs,
involving principally an oppressor and an oppressed group, without
significant interference by  "outsiders" who would meddle in these
conflicts for their own ends.

Because of these blessings, our general population has lost any real
understanding of how wars are carried out, and what are the techniques
of warfare.     This knowledge has become the terrain of specialists
chiefly employed by the government.      But amongst these groupings of
specialists, warfare has since  been developed into a modern science of
terror.

One of the lessons thoroghly understood, is that war doesn't end at the
moment of  cease fire,  nor at the moment of termination of the use of
fire power.    The effects of firepower continue to devastate for
decades,  and even centuries afterwards,  unless an active program of
reversal is begun, such as The Marshall Plan to rebuild the US
controlled part of Europe.

These points seem somewhat obvious, but it is clear that not even the
Left intellectuals amongst the general population seem to clearly
understand the principles involved.   So we will continue on in review.

Firepower destroys economic infrastucture, and without this
infrastructure, people continue to die.    But now the killing occurs
not directly from a bomb or bullet, but rather from disease.
Hands can be washed  "clean" of the whole matter within the victorious
country, and a great pretense can be made that hostilities no longer
exist, and that it is time to move on.     History is replete with
examples of this sort of thing.     One of the most famous examples,
was the attitude towards Germany by the victors, during post World War
One.

So,  drastic deteriorations in health can often show where the war
really is, or at least where a war took place.      Let's look at a few
examples.

Africa is one area that has been victimized by war and defeat.      And
it is a very sick continent.      It's not due solely to the
"immaturity" of it's capitalism as is often assumed.     Nor to the
supposed defects of it's people.

Nor is the rampant disease in the more Indian areas of Latin America due
to a lack of capitalism or poverty,  alone.      In both Africa and
Indigenous America, disease and genocides, flowed forth from previous,
and current,  military defeat.     The disease that spread forth after
armed conflicts,  was then used to immobilize future resistance.

Let's look at some examples of US warfare strategy, and how it has been
used.      Chomsky has examined this somewhat  in re: to SE Asia and the
deliberate US destruction of infrastructure.    He has stated that the
goal was to destroy all possiblity for SE Asia to be a future factor in
achievment for decades after the actual withdrawal of firepower.
Principle to this,  was in leaving SE Asia as a region full of ill and
suffering people.

This is now the current US strategy in re: to 3 other regions of the
world, none of which are recognized as being regions in which the US is
actively engaged in war.      I am referring to Iraq, Yugoslavia, and
Russia.
All 3 are undergoing sharp reversals of publc health, that are the
direct results of having been losers in war.

But more still, the losing has not even stopped.     Because in fact,
the wars continue, though without much direct use of firepower currently
undertaken by the US.      It is sufficient, from the US government
angle, to continue these 3 wars, while using  methods other than direct
firepower.

It is comprehensible that the average citizen of the Imperialist Bloc
might not understand these basic truths about the relation between a
drastic decline in public health,  and a defeat in war.       This, due
to the pervasiveness of the propaganda machine.      What is harder to
understand,  is the feigned lack of comprehension of the Left
intellectual class in their articles about current affairs.

The imperialist war continues against Yugoslavia, Iraq, and Russia.
A materialist method of gaugeing the reality that war is involved in
these 3 areas, is simply to look at the health figures involved.
Drastically declining health indices,  don't just indicate mere
capitalist dysfuction.   They indicate acute trauma, and that trauma
comes about from a defeat in war.

In the case of Russia, much of the Western Left supported the Fall of
Communism,  as brought about by the Cold War.      So it is clear that
there is a vested interest in denying that a real war was actually
involved.      And there is a vested interest in denying that this war
continues in it's present forms.      This after using the phrase- COLD
WAR- for decades.      Was it just an empty phrase?   Most Leftists act
as though it was the case.

To admit complicity in supporting the defeat by imperialism of it's
contender, would be to admit beimg a factor in causing the suffering now
occurring in Russia and the former Soviet Republics.
So that now,  it is even necessary to deny that war against Russia
continues.

I am forwarding an article from The Christian Science Monitor that
briefly comments on some of the disease forms taking place in this war
torn area.

As a Marxist, I will continue to talk about the war against Russia.
It has nothing to do with support for the current government, or their
politics.      But to talk about this situation outside of the context
of calling this a war, is ludicrous and non-materialist to the extreme.

If there was a real peace, and not a continuation of hostilities, does
anyone think that the Western Bloc would not be capable of repeating The
Marshall Plan?     Then please explain your thinking.

Instead, all efforts continue to give Russia the knockout blow.
Crowing about the horrors of Chechnya, only detract from exposing the
real aims of the US led Bloc.    The US government is for the continued,
and more sustained,  defeat of Russia  and whatever allies may still
hang on.

Hopefully, a look at the figures supplied by the Christian Science
Monitor article will give pause to those that read them.      Blaming
the "Russian ruling class" alone is as reactionary an arguement
possible.      This is the type of health decline that indicate a people
defeated by war, and now slowly being exterminated by disease.

Tony Abdo