Rant

[bladespark]

Not my rant. Somebody else's rant. About something I haven't ranted about and, as she points out rather directly, have no right to rant about, so I won't. From an angry soldier.

Comments

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

It always amazes me that some people can say they "Support the Troops" with a straight face. It really does

[harliquinnraver.livejournal.com]

i pretty much completely agree.

[rimspace.livejournal.com]

It's just a shame that message will never actually reach the majority of US citizens. And even if it did, it's even more of a shame that it wouldn't make the blindest bit of difference. It's the same over here: support for the occupation of Iraq (because that's what it is) in the UK is declining all the time, and people just want our bloody troops the hell out of there, but it won't happen: there's too much political and commercial greed tied up in it.

And it's all hidden behind lies about "liberating" them, and "bringing democracy". The same lies that have been used time and again by the same group from long before the Chimp came to power, and for God knows what reason people still believe it.

Actually, I can tell you the reason they still believe it - because of the second to last paragraph in that message: "I'm going to tell him that his father was a hero and the best man I ever met and that he loved his country enough to die for it, because that's all true and nothing will be solved by telling my son that his father was sent to die by people who didn't care about him at all. "

As long as that lie and and ones like it are repeated to the children of soldiers who have had their lives thrown away by the arrogant and greedy this sort of thing will continue. Until people realise that their leaders are not good, not altruistic, not doing what is best for them and the world and actually start to question them, hold them to account and make them responsible, as long as people believe this crap about patriotism, that people are being sent to die not for a lie, not for greed, but because they're doing something 'right', this will continue.

[sparkindarkness.livejournal.com]

"there's too much political and commercial greed tied up in it."

Add in a heavy dollop of arrogance, especially over the pond. There's this stupid idea that if we withdraw we will have LOST. Which is worthy of hyperventilating, sky-is-falling panic, apparently.

I just want to shake them. We HAVE lost. We lost a hell of a long time ago. We never had a chance of winning - yuou need to actually have an attainable goal to win


People get angry when I contradict them when I say "no, he didn't die for his country." Because dying in Iraq ISN'T. This isn't an insult on the troops - it's an insult on the leaders who had the disgusting temerity to take this man's honest, self-sacrificing willingness to die for his country and ABUSE it in this way.

[emirasan.livejournal.com]

I heartily agree. My mate is over there right now and I get the news straight from him. So no, I haven't been shot at over there but he sure has so I believe I have every right to post about how I feel about this war and to pass on his feelings as well. I can say with certainty that after I send him this link that he will be cheering that woman on. Though right now he only has a stepson, he tells him the truth about why he is over there and so do I. If he were to die over there I would tell him the truth. I would tell him that yes, his dad was a hero and a great man, but he did not die for his country or duty, honor and courage but for greed, arrogance and the personal agenda of one man.

[silveradept]

I take some issue with the "If you haven't been there, you can't say anything about it" attitude. If there aren't people who have no experience with it making commentary from the outside, there's tremendous potential to get away with a lot that the UCMJ, as well as national and international laws and conventions, would strongly frown upon. If the military is acting in the names of the citizens of the Untied States of America, they are projecting the image of the country wherever they go. I'd say that gives every citizen the right to know and to make commentary about how they are being represented elsewhere in the world. I also know that means that there will be a lot of ignorant bile spewed out. Caveat Emptor, I guess.

[bladespark.livejournal.com]

I think the problem is that a lot of people refuse to admit, even to themselves, how little they know.

I have opinions about the war, and I don't mind sharing them when appropriate, but they're just that, opinions. I don't actually know anything, and I try to keep that in mind when discussing it.

But I do hear a LOT of people here in the states, who haven't been in the middle east at all, and don't even know any soldiers or anybody else who has, and who still pontificate as though they know something about it.

That's where the line needs to be drawn, I think. Saying "well I don't know for sure, but I feel this way" and saying "It is this way, no doubt about it." are two very different things. The one is perfectly fine, but the other, well... I don't blame this woman one bit for getting angry over it.

[silveradept]

Not knowing is a problem, yes. Going off half-cocked on something that isn't true doesn't help, either, but somewhere along the way, even if all you're getting are media reports, some part of truth and knowledge has to get through about how things are there. Even if it's the knowledge that all the media reports are lying to you 95-99% of the time. I admit that unless there is a draft, it's unlikely that I will be shot at in Iraq, but that doesn't mean I'm totally unqualified to make comment on what it looks like from here. Although that qualifier probably proves the point you were making.