Well, thats what the lawyers are for.
Those 58,000 families got compensated.
These families..families of your friends and BROTHERS,
get a great big ole FUCK YOU from the the government that put them in that position.
With NO means for compensation.
Not exactly true. They get $200,000 or more in compensation from their SGLI. Not enough, really, but it is something.[/size]
And you think Im wrong?
Go ask any vet that sat in Walter Reed for Six Months waiting for hands..or feet, or glass eyes.
I know four. They are enraged Now. But the werent before they were sent, becuase they bought the argument. And they reacted (heroicly) as their training forced them to. They didnt question, they didnt complain. But now..when they look for the justification..cant find a legitimate one. (or they realize that the reasons were valid, but were lied to about what they actually were) As legitimate as it may be (securing oil) the guys i know..didnt sign up to protect oil. They signed up to fight terrorism. Problem was, there wasnt any, until they arrived (in Iraq). Had they been told (as is actually the case) they are there to build bases to secure the supply of western oil for the next generation..they would have faced that information logically, and again heroically.
First of all, you don't sign up to fight terrorism...when you take that oath of enlistment into the United States Military, you vow to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and to obey the orders of your superiors and the President of the United States. If the President sees fit to send you to Mars to look for aliens cause he believes in Martians...well, you do it. If the President thinks that protecting oil in another country will benefit us, then hell, he's just protecting our interests. Personally, I don't believe that is why we are there. I don't buy the left-wing propaganda that keeps telling us the only thing Bush cares about is oil. That's BS if you ask me. By the way, my cousin lost an eye while serving with the Marines in Iraq about 6 months ago...he still supports the war, as do I.[/size]
Im surprised how the anti war movement has been spun as unAmerican, unpatriotic and treasonous..when every single one of those protesters are thingking of YOUR friends when they mourn, or when they protest. After all, its not us civilians being thrown to the war machine. Not yet anyways...hell these protests are working at avoiding the likely possiblity that MANY of us are going to get to fight in the near future...
(Just as OUR government has adopted the premise that deposing leaders of aggressive countries is legitimate, stronger Military powers in the world are coming to the conclusion that they may have to do just that to STOP....US)
Being against war has never made anyone un-American, unpatriotic, or treasonous. But the way they go about it sometimes does make people fall into those categories. I have no problem with anyone who protests war...so long as they pay tribute and respect to those soldiers that are only over there following the orders of their Commander-in-Chief. The ones who break the law in the name of the "anti-war" movement, the ones who piss on our soldiers, the ones who do not go about it intelligently...those people are the scum of the earth in my opinion.[/size]
That time is coming Ghost, and you know it, and if you really are knowlegeable about the military (and Im positive you are) and you ever worked anywhere near our supply lines you know for a fact that we are spread too thin to fight back, and we cant smart Bomb our way out of every clash once we are attacked in earnest...unless we start nuking..god forbid.
Yes, we are stretched pretty thin right now. But don't think for a second that this country can't mobilize enough military forces to take care of any problem that might arise. All you need to do is go look at World War II to see the true might of the United States when it is forced to do something. You know...LIKE SAVE THE WHOLE FUCKING WORLD.[/size]
So remember that when you, like many other guys who served are trained to do..frame an objection to military action as an attack on YOU or a liberal embrace of terrorism. It's not..that protest is in defense of YOU, your families, and loved ones. Being sent to die for a false pretense.
As long as they don't attack the actual military personnel, I don't have a problem with it.[/size]
Our government, when they train you guys, by design need you to act without questioning. Becuase it is againt the human will to kill other humans...and this, this is an absolute necesarry training when the stakes are REAL. IRAQ wasnt real. (well, it is real, and even to my mind..somewhat valid) but it wasnt for the reasons we were told. If it was REALLY about terrorism, we would have marched thru pakistan with 300,00 troops, and found BinLaden. (its actaully about securing oil in the face of an islamic revolution-before china and Russia could secure iron clad agreements with the oil states...We KNOW that the Saudis are lying about their reserve qtys, and need other fields to rely on) same with Afghanistan..it was actually about securing the pipeline to an oil field and pipeline route that they presumed to be about 1300% bigger than they discovered it actually was. HAd that field contained what was predicted, Our main focus would STILL be afghanistan. And it also serves our purposes to PREVENT PanArab unity...you think $3.00/gall gas is expensive..how about 10....20? Not out of the question if or when they ever got unified in arms and purpose. So as much as I hat eto say it...it may be an evil necessity. Our economy (ALL western economies ) would absolutely crash under these circumstances...
I still don't buy that argument...sorry. If it were all about oil, we could take over the entire Middle East without much problem and just add 10 new stars to our flag.[/size]
So Europe, realise that too, when you point the finger at America and scream.>EVILLLL. We're actually bearing the financial and public relations burden for YOUR political and economic stabilty as well, believe it or not.
Absofuckinlutely.[/size]
I think had the president said simply..ok, we are facing a touch choice. do we let oil fall into the hands of Islamic extremism, or do we protect our interests..the outrage you see, woulnt have NEAR the legs it does now. HAd we been told the truth that the Saudis CANNOT sustain the rates of production they are claiming, and that peak oil has come and gone, we would be far more inclined to see the self interest preservation in tackling those oil fields.. Instead, theres anger about the Lying, and the playing off politico social motivation/persuasion models..becuase the Governemtn, much like the military feels that the public are ignorant ingrates who simply cannot grasp the gravity of such a serious situation..but they CAN understand the threat of "terrorists on our streets with suitcase Nukes and Anthrax. And they are illegitimately framing the protests under that "ingrate" premise..its much easier to paint protestors as treasonous terror sympathisers, than legitimate objectors. Its an easier sell, to corall them into an easy category to demonize. I mean Bushs quote about Cindy Sheehan is plenty telling..."im not talking to that godammned BITCH again" (screamed at aides during her protest in Crawford)
Not all true, but not too far from the truth either...I'll let that one be.[/size]
I wish they would have given us more credit, informed us of the tough decisions of the near future and let us CHOOSE to send the boys..not be tricked into it.
They didn't "trick" us into anything. When it comes to the U.S. Military, the President can do pretty much whatever he damn well pleases. He doesn't even need Congress' nod. It isn't our choice...the President does what he feels is within the best interests of this country. Personally, I think he's doing a pretty good job.[/size]
Thats where the outrage is coming from.
You should be flattered that people are mourning those 2000 soldiers who have all been taught that we are a bunch of liberal communist, soldier hating ingrates. It shows to me that America CITIZENS still have a soul, despite claims to the contrary, and despite the evident lack of said soul in our leadership. HAving Pat Robertson, and Billy Graham telling our leaders that God says Isreal is special, and that the Arabs are satan worshipers doesnt make either true. NOR does it make consequent action reflect ANYTHING that God had in mind for the Human Race...except maybe Armageddon..and thats becoming a disticnt possibility..Just read the writings of these freaks...
Well, this one could get really long...but I'm not as long-winded as you are. Suffice to say, hate to break the news to you: The United States will always support Isreal above all others...and a lot of it has to do with the fact that the Jews are God's chosen people (says so in the Bible). It's just the way it is...forget about ever changing that one.[/size]
Hell, im surprised the Military isnt already in COUP mode, that the Neocons were able to hijack your patriotism and Christianity to smush the issues of Oil, patriotism, Terrorism, and freedom and GOD into a mud-pie thats so Dirty no one can actaully tell the real ingredients.
Why would the military be in Coup mode? The military actually LOVES our President, contrary to what the liberal news media tries to get a few select soldiers to say on the news every night.[/size]
And that talk earlier in the post about just doing something...well..I can say with certaintly, that no gathering of democratic peacelovers will ever stop or slow down the war machine. A whole generation of hippies couldnt do it, and a million Mom march of loving, caring war hating women couldnt do it..letters to Junior congressmen wont do it, and 'picking candidates with similar views" wont do it.
That may very well be true...but if you don't do something, YOU are just as bad as those people that you despise that oppose you.[/size]
All we can do thats worth a SHIT is wait for your guys in wheelchairs at the airports with tears, a handshake, and a guilty thanks for your service and sacrifice. Guilty becuase we now realize that we cant stop it for you.
Something you must know...those men are proud of their losses for this country. The vast majority of them believe as I do, that what they did was right, that what we are doing over there is right, and that nobody is going to put a liberal-propaganda spin on it. I am a member of the American Legion, a Life Member of the Air Force Association, a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and a member of several other military groups and you know what? I talk to veterans all the time...besides the fact that nearly every male in my family is a war veteran...and they nearly all believe as I do. You get a very unbalanced view when you get your news from the national media, the newspaper, and even the internet. Whoever gets their message out the most tends to be what people believe...and unfortunately, those messages are wrong a great deal of the time.[/size]
My God, is this reply finally over?!
