Louis Armstrong was trying to explain jazz one day, and he finally gave up and said, "There are some folks that, if they don't know, you can't tell 'em."
Kevin G.,
Sorry, if I was rude. I did take offense to what you had to say because I've heard it before. I would guess that you did not come up with that scenario you posed on your own. It's been broadcast on radio talk shows, tv, and in print. I assumed you picked it up from one of those sources and liking what you heard chose to repeat it here. It's an argument that always seems to be presented by some smug media goon for exactly the reasons I described. This baffles me. I don't think we should propagate such nonsense. I don't understand the plague of ignorance that seems to be sweeping across this country. How can so many people not see how ridiculous the behavior of our current administration is?
To me it's really not a matter of being on the left or being on the right, it's just common sense. I'm not looking for ways to make Bush look like an idiot. I accept the fact he's president and I'd like to see him do a good job. I don't want to see him fall flat on his face just because he's a republican. Jesus, I just want someone to start using their head. This whole Iraq situation is an embarrassment. Here's a dead givaway...Powell went from being a "dove" to being a "hawk" in no time flat. Why? I'll tell you why he switched so fast...he was told to in no uncertain terms. Powell is a soldier first and soldiers do as they are told. They follow orders, it's their job. That's what makes a good soldier but he did express his distaste for this situation, as did some other soldiers in case you didn't read what someone else posted on this site a while back.
You think you know better than these guys? War is their business. You think those media jerks know better than these guys? They talk loud and say nothing. Bill O'Reilly could stick his head in a wood chipper tommorrow and it'd be no loss to the world.
Why is personal to me? It's personal to me because this war has a face for me. My cousin is a Marine and a good friend is a U.S. Army weapons expert. I could lose them both over this nonsense. My cousin joined the Marines right after 9/11. That my friend is a patriot. He saw his country had been attacked and he wanted to help. He's young, he's intelligent, he has a world of options in front of him, and he choses the U.S.M.C., against the advice of everyone he knew. His father was in tears over it. He did it on his own, without asking anyone, because he knew what he would hear. He told everyone after the fact.
My friend in the Army has told me if he ever had kids, he'd never let them join. He's seen enough and said too many times "This is not what I signed up for." Of course he'll never have kids unless he adopts. Exposure to chemicals the Army had them spraying on drug fields left him and several others in his unit sterile and pissing blood. Oh, yeah plus he will need to find a new woman because when he returned from Afghanistan his wife served him divorce papers. She told him when he got back she didn't know him any more. He was in the Gulf and Kosovo as well. His stories are horrific, not glorious battles, heroic victories, just pathetic and sad tales of the most disgusting side of human nature. He said Afghanistan was the worst. Part of his preparation was to learn a phrase that meant he was asking for mercy and forgivness from a translator. They were not sure if this would help but they had read the Russian accounts of what had happened there and knew that if you were caught alive...they would attempt to keep you alive as long as possible as they tore the limbs from your body. They figured if you ask them in their own language perhaps they would grant you mercy and a quick death. They advised them to put a bullet in their head if they thought they were going to be caught because what would happen to them would be so horrible.
I think it's just delightful that so many people are gung ho to send our young men into situations like this. That's just beautiful. I don't want to see anyone die like that. I think it's just wonderful that we need to score some sort of victory to make it appear that our current administration has done something about terrorism. This is why we need proof, real hardcore evidence that we should be there. That it's not just politics. People are going to die, real people, people I know maybe. Innocent people, doctors, children, women, construction workers, regular people that are unfortunate enough to live in Iraq under the rule of a madman. Somehow some people draw the conclusion that if Saddam can kill his own people whenever he choses that it's ok if we kill them too. How did we get to this point? Why are we being told that a good American is a bloodthirsty, revenge seeking American. How does someone become anti-American if they don't want to kill people? Sorry, I offended you Kevin but it's offensive territory we're in. I think I've proved one thing though...tough talk is not just for those on the right. I'm waiting for a response from you on the points I've raised. Pat Brown you can jump in too if you'd like. You buy into this nonsense as well don't you?
I really don't intend to be cruel with my comments it's just I do have something personal to lose in this war. I think all of the people that post to this board seem like bright, caring individuals. We don't have a lot of nonsense and bullshit here but I think if you support this war, well, then you may have been blinded by the rhetoric, the media, the propaganda.
To Andrea and Kevin from Arizona...thanks and I'm glad you enjoyed it. To be honest I was on such a rant I just hoped to make some sense.
I hold no grudges against anyones beliefs and Dale I'm glad you understand we're not all Clinton ass kissers and apologists.
Reg
