On the first day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
A list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the second day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the third day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the fourth day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Four preemptive strikes.
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the fifth day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Five no-fly zones.
Four preemptive strikes.
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the sixth day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Six thousand dead American soldiers.
Five no-fly zones.
Four preemptive strikes.
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the seventh day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Seven grenades exploding.
Six thousand dead American soldiers.
Five no-fly zones.
Four preemptive strikes.
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the eighth day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Eight bombers bombing.
Seven grenades exploding.
Six thousand dead American soldiers.
Five no-fly zones.
Four preemptive strikes.
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the ninth day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Nine Predator drones.
Eight bombers bombing.
Seven grenades exploding.
Six thousand dead American soldiers.
Five no-fly zones.
Four preemptive strikes.
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the tenth day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Ten thousand fatherless American children.
Nine Predator drones.
Eight bombers bombing.
Seven grenades exploding.
Six thousand dead American soldiers.
Five no-fly zones.
Four preemptive strikes.
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the eleventh day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Eleven regime changes.
Ten thousand fatherless American children.
Nine Predator drones.
Eight bombers bombing.
Seven grenades exploding.
Six thousand dead American soldiers.
Five no-fly zones.
Four preemptive strikes.
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

On the twelfth day of Christmas, the military gave to me...
Twelve thousand new terrorists it created.
Eleven regime changes.
Ten thousand fatherless American children.
Nine Predator drones.
Eight bombers bombing.
Seven grenades exploding.
Six thousand dead American soldiers.
Five no-fly zones.
Four preemptive strikes.
A $3 trillion war bill.
Two prosthetic limbs.
And a list of foreign wars it's fighting to keep me free.

December 25, 2012

Laurence M. Vance [send him mail] writes from central Florida. He is the author of Christianity and War and Other Essays Against the Warfare State, The Revolution that Wasn't, Rethinking the Good War, and The Quatercentenary of the King James Bible. His latest book is The War on Drugs Is a War on Freedom. Visit his website.

Copyright © 2012 by LewRockwell.com. Permission to reprint in whole or in part is gladly granted, provided full credit is given.