8 [JUST BEFORE]

The cue to escape now given, the ancient lecture hall quickly emptied like somebody had pulled the fire alarm. Only a few of the vested undergrads and a couple of the Grad students stayed. Glowing smart-phone screens illuminated the ninety-six percent of the self-absorbed, stone-like faced students making a break for it, texting the person on the other end how pissed they are this lecture was required attendance.

‘Wasted my time, you bastard’ was already the trending social-network post, #DrThomasSucks and #BetterOffMyAss.

I’m hoping it’s “no questions?” and make a quick exit. There’s a great Detroit-style coney hotdog stand around the corner, may as well get one more dose of artery-clogging comfort food to commemorate this, my last lecture in Academia.

Damn! That pain-in-the-arse, cutsie-little professor-adoring freshman in a flimsy T-shirt, mini-mini-skirt and thick Ugg boots took to the question-mic up front. No surprise; rumor is that she’s banged two previous profs, got 4.0 in both those classes. Famously vying for a professors’ attention, fatally cute and provocatively dressed… my major irritation all semester. Every time she showed up at my office, I’d invoked the ‘do everything you can not be alone with her in the room’ rule, and find a sudden need to quickly leave the office and discuss ‘whatever-her-issue-is’ publically walking down the hall, much to her irritation.

I refuse to be her next “Hey! Good grade for good sex?” prof.

She fumbled with her words, trying to say something impressive. “Dr. Thomas, are you implying that all the Middle Eastern conflicts in the last 20 years were for economic reasons by a small group of the wealthy? What about WMD’s, moral obligation, ‘axis-of-evil’ and threats to our national security? What about 9-11?”

Shooting fish in a bucket. “In 1961, Eisenhower warned us about the linking of the military arm of government with the emerging ‘business’ of a commercial-capitalistic-industrial complex. It has serious conflict-of-interest implications, and our last three wars brings all that dead-center. The reasons for going to war have always been complex, and the economic gains from conquest are historically proven. Some nations are less veiled about their current ambitions when going to war, like China. Every armed conflict of the last century had significant economic benefits for somebody. In the new millennium, war takes on new, non-historic and for-profit aspects.”

Hottie rustled a bit, more like adjusting her bra, if she wore one. “That just seems… well, ungrateful to the sacrifice of our troops, doesn’t it?” Sobs? Tears? This student was getting emotional. “There’s a lot of wounded warriors…”

Ahhh! Bet she comes from a conservative, military-base town… explains her loose sexuality… maybe lost her virginity to a boyfriend who lost something in Iraq. “No disrespect to the sacrifice of our fighting forces and vets. Yes, there’s a great deal of suffering from recent conflicts. However, the military executes the orders given by the Executive branch. It gets complicated when the people in the government-industrial complex stand to profit from any type of warfare, with those soldiers under their command. Wars are not morally neutral, and my paper looks at how conflict-of-interest can easily exist. President Obama said there were needs of national security, and the needs of politics and economic gain, and we should never confuse them. In recent history, they’ve gotten confused. By most accounts, Iraq was a US-sponsored oil-grab that went wrong, with consequences, for many decades and millions who served.”

She audibly huffed and quickly left. This was probably the final turn-off, and she’ll have to go find some other early-50’s prof she’ll get to play up her skirt for that 4.0 GPA.

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by crisbaj

‘The Last Last Lecture’ is copyright ©2018-2020 by crisbaj. All rights reserved. No reproductions, reprinting or reposting without express permission of the author.

Contact:  http://www.crisbaj.com

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