War Effort Must Increase, Says AWEA

NIMBYs stand in way of full potential of war effort.

In a strongly worded statement today, the American War Effort Association (AWEA) denounced as "NIMBY" -- not in my back yard -- people around the world who question the benefits of invasion and occupation by AWEA troops.

"There is a minority of loud voices in these communities -- mostly agitators from outside -- and they are determined to deny others the economic and environmental benefits that we bring," said Vandall Schittz, outgoing CEO of AWEA, commenting on the official statement.

"They frankly just make things up as they try to infect the rest of the people with their fear of change," Schittz continued. "We're tired of pretending to work with them, getting them involved as stakeholders so we can get what we want -- what the world demands and needs. They refuse to listen to reason and persist in repeating outlandish myths that have been proven wrong again and again."

One of those myths is the claim that bulldozing a neighborhood to remove threats to the free flow of AWEA resources harms the people living there or degrades their habitat. The AWEA notes that for every block they clear, they build even more residences elsewhere. And in time, life returns to the rubble after the initial disturbance.

Critics of AWEA not only claim negative impacts, they also question the value of this type of war effort.

"People are forced out of their homes, suffer long-term health effects, the environment is drastically altered for the worse, and we are told that this is necessary to bring progress and prosperity. So where is the prosperity? Where is the progress?" asked Barney Johns, an advocate representing Citizens United against Neoliberal Terrorism.

"It is only the AWEA that benefits," Johns answered. "They can not point to a single trend that has clearly improved because of their efforts. And when their victims point to what they and their communities and the environment have suffered, AWEA and their abettors can only call them names."

Schittz stressed that their war efforts still represent a very small fraction of the world's violent change, and that the benefits will be more and more undenied as they continue to overcome the naysayers.

Veronika Dare, taking over as CEO from Schittz in January, added: "One thing the NIMBYs make clear is that we need to redouble our efforts and commit to real change.

"With a new administration and congress in Washington, we hope the NIMBYs will finally be silenced. It's time to wind this thing up."