Retired Army Captain Calls Out Those Who Profit From War
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Severely disabled war veteran and retired Army Captain Allen B. Clark knows all too well the consequences of being a war casualty. An enemy attack on his Green Beret camp in Vietnam in 1967 resulted in the amputation of both of his legs below his knees. After 15 months of rehabilitation, 20 surgeries and eight years of psychotherapy, he went on to live a rewarding and fulfilling life. But questions haunted him. Why and how are wars really initiated? Are there underlying motivations unknown to the general population and especially to the warriors?
“Members of the military fight to take care of each other, not for glory, and little do we know the behind-the-scenes characters who profit from our dedication to our nation,” Clark said.
In his book Soldiers’ Blood and Bloodied Money: Wars and the Ruling Elites, Clark shares the results of his extensive and concentrated research. His findings, drawn from sources published as far back as 150 years ago, point to individuals and institutions throughout history who have fostered and fomented horrendous wars, including arms merchants; religious entities and their leaders; politicians; international bankers; media titans; and lawyers.
With a special focus on the American Revolution, Civil War, Spanish-American War and the “Banana, Banker and Oil” wars in the Americas, Soldiers’ Blood and Bloodied Money aims to reveal the political, financial, business, religious, social and propaganda truths behind the initiation of wars.
“These truths illustrate that we young patriots, who have gone off to fight in wars, are merely pawns in a much larger chess game of life — a game where the captains and kings and knights and bishops are the ones who often profit immeasurably in terms of financial gain or increases in power,” Clark wrote in his book. “Meanwhile, we perish or suffer immense physical and emotional wounds from which many of us never heal.”
About the Author The Honorable Allen B. Clark is a 1963 West Point graduate and PTSD survivor who lost both legs below the knees in 1967 following an enemy mortar barrage while serving in Vietnam. He is a recipient of a Silver Star, America’s third-highest decoration for Gallantry in Action, a Purple Heart, and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge.
He has served as a special assistant to the governor of Texas and as the Assistant Secretary for Veterans Liaison and Program Coordination, and Director of the National Cemetery System in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In 1993, he was recognized by the Military Chaplains Association with its National Citizenship Award. He is a frequent motivational speaker. In early 2018, Allen received the Patriot Award from the Greater Dallas Military Foundation, and later that year, he received the Sons of the Flag Legacy Award.
Could ‘Unknown Factors’ in Schools Stop Active Shooters in Their Tracks?
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While politicians wring their hands and debate complex gun control legislation, military expert and historian Dr. William R. Forstchen offers a strategy that could be implemented in time for the upcoming school year.
“We arm some teachers,” Forstchen said in a recent interview. “We should select people who are ex-military, ex-law enforcement. Train them, train them, train them. Compensate them. Put them in the schools, armed. They become the ‘unknown factor.’ I think this could make a major difference.”
Besides exhaustively vetting and evaluating these chosen members of the school faculty, anonymity is paramount. In fact, Forstchen added, “If they ever tell anyone or boast, ‘oh gee I’m armed now,’ fire them. You want these people to be anonymous.”
Forstchen’s perspective is informed by his 45 years of teaching and by the Beslan school siege in 2004 — an Islamic terror attack against a Russian school that left 333 people dead, including 186 children.
He believes that arming teachers could serve as a deterrent, or at the very least, a way to stop school shooters in their tracks.
“They would be the ‘unknown factor’ in every single school,” Forstchen wrote in a recent opinion editorial in The Washington Times. “They would be the men and women who, in those first precious seconds, would react rather than hide, be it against a lone killer or even a trained team of killers. They could buy time for other responders to rush in, rather than wait outside while mayhem runs rampant within.
“They would be the ones who would willingly put their lives on the line … but would be the surprise factor in a school that would fight back when seconds counted. They might not stop, but they would at least slow down an aggressor and buy time for a swift response … In so doing, they just might prevent a Beslan massacre from happening here.”
The Beslan incident also prompted Forstchen to write the book, Day of Wrath, which presents the unsettling scenario of ISIS-inspired teams launching a coordinated attack on schools — a threat he views as all-too realistic.
William R. Forstchen is a New York Times bestselling author and holds a doctoral degree from Purdue University with a specialization in military history and technology. He is a noted expert historian and public speaker and has been interviewed on FOX News, C-SPAN, and Coast to Coast on topics ranging from history to technology and cultural issues, to space technology development, to security threats.
How Our Government Really Works—What Every Teenager Should Know
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Whether you’re a student, parent, educator or engaged citizen seeking the truth, You Call This Democracy? How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the People from public policy expert Elizabeth Rusch paves the way for every citizen to not only understand the flaws in our current democracy but to also fix them.
“We think we live in a democracy. One person, one vote. But how democratic is our government really?” Rusch asks. “The hard truth is that political power is not shared equally among all citizens. It shouldn’t matter if you are rich, poor, urban, rural, Democrat, Republican, old or young when you mark your ballot. Your race and gender shouldn’t matter either. But they all do.”
You Call This Democracy? gives an honest view of how our democracy truly functions, who really has the power and why (and how that power impacts politicians and policies) and how we can work together to make our democracy more responsive to the will of the people.
Consider the following:
Presidents can take office without winning the popular vote.
Voting districts are drawn by politicians for their own benefit.
Millions of citizens—young, old, poor, people of color, women—are blocked from voting.
Money wields much more influence than the wishes of ordinary Americans.
You Call This Democracy? offers insightful solutions to undemocratic elements plaguing our government, with inspirational examples of citizens already working to make change. International comparisons, extensive sources and resources prompt readers to dig deeper ― and take action.
Supplementary materials to the book include Rusch’s “50 State Democracy Report Card” (https://www.youcallthis.com/your-state), where people can check to see how democracy fares in their state overall and on specific metrics, and how they can strengthen democracy in their state; and a series of short, fun, informative videos on the issues covered in the book, called Flash Course on Democracy, available free at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOGZlteO6dRY7aQV1uqpddW1C1maGLxP. Additionally, discussion guides and debate questions are available at www.youcallthis.com.
Elizabeth Rusch is the author of 20 award-winning books, and more than 100 magazine and newspaper articles. She is also the creator of the “50 State Democracy Report Card” and the video series Flash Course on Democracy. You Call This Democracy?, an Amazon Bestseller, was featured in the New York Times Book Review and received a starred review from Kirkus, which called it “a riveting must-read.” Rusch and her work have also been featured in The Discovery Channel, Oregon Public Broadcasting’s Think Out Loud, The Wall Street Journal, Teacher magazine, Parenting Magazine and Working Mother, among many others. Rusch has a master’s in public policy from the University of California, Berkeley, and has served as a Jacob K. Javits Fellow in the U.S. Senate. Visit her at www.elizabethrusch.com, www.youcallthis.com and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUOGZlteO6dRY7aQV1uqpddW1C1maGLxP.
You Call This Democracy? How to Fix Our Government and Deliver Power to the People Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ISBN-10: 0358176921 ISBN-13: 978-0358176923 Available from Amazon.com and wherever books and audiobooks are sold
Trish Stevens Anna Jones Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax
Urban Blight and Struggle for Power Fuel Tale of Political Tug-of-War
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Democratic President Bob Jordan and Republican House Speaker Mitchell Lawrence have known each other for years and share the philosophy that collaboration between the parties is the best way to govern. Their view, however, isn’t as popular as they’d hoped.
After 50 years of failed governmental attempts to improve failed inner-cities, Jordan and Lawrence choose a private development as the mechanism to institute change.
The project, dubbed A Hand Up, has an ambitious vision: transform the inner-cities that are beset with urban blight into safe, vital municipalities with great schools, thriving businesses and other options for recreation. In other words, give people a reason to want to be there.
Recreating a “new” city from the ashes of urban squalor, however, requires the cooperation of and support from government and the loss of power and control is more than current leaders are willing to abide.
Money and power are vested in the status quo. Politicians from both parties, big companies, unions, and the media thrive in this environment. Changes in approach threaten their power and they must do all they can to stop them. Out of this need for the status quo a plot to assassinate begins to grow.
While first and foremost a novel written to entertain, A Hand Up from Martin Laurent resonates with real-world problems that plague big-city projects and the political divide that prevents progress. Laurent’s narrative compellingly underscores the critical need for government entities to collaborate on even the most fundamental challenges. Perhaps a novel that supports neither (or both) sides of the political divide offers the best chance for building bridges.
Author Martin Laurent worked for General Motors for 32 years. With an educational background in mechanical engineering and business. Practical experience in facilities engineering, industrial relations and corporate strategic planning, and manufacturing management, Laurent’s expertise in change management lends authenticity to A Hand Up, in which he skillfully describes a common sense process for inner-city improvement.
Since his retirement, he consulted for a time before deciding to simply concentrate on life in Santa Fe, where he lives with his wife of over 50 years, Keren. The couple has travelled extensively.
Laurent has also served on the board of the Santa Fe Recovery Center since 2008. When he began, the center was a 23-bed residential treatment facility that provided a 30-day recovery program. Today, the center has expanded its capacity by five times and offers a wider array of services. The center has been recognized by the State of New Mexico for its excellence. Additional expansions are planned.
Laurent is also the author of The Third Bounce and Pray for Rain, a series that centers on these same two politicians and their wives.
For more information, please visit www.martylaurent.com.
A Hand Up Publisher: Lithe Excel Release Date: August 3, 2020 ISBN-13: 978-1-944293-51-2 Available from Amazon.com and www.martylaurent.com
Trish Stevens Maria Jenson Ascot Media Group, Inc. Post Office Box 2394 Friendswood, TX 77549 [email protected] www.ascotmedia.com 281.333.3507 Phone 800.854.2207 Fax
