Tuesday, October 31, 2006

On military bulletins...

I've received 2 military related bulletins today on MySpace, and the second one just finally pissed me off enough to blow off a little steam. I haven't posted on this topic in quite awhile, so I guess maybe I was due for a little rant. ;-)

My responses (as should be obvious) are below in italic.

I'm going to post a point by point rebuttal to some of these statements as a "food for thought" type polemic.

Think.

Read to the end before you snap back...

-------------------------

Your alarm goes off, you hit the snooze and sleep for another 10 minutes.
He stays up for days on end.

You take a warm shower to help you wake up.
He goes days or weeks without running water.


As do hundreds of thousands of civilians, whose infrastructure we bombed into oblivion, directly and indirectly taking the lives of hundreds of thousands of innocent people.


You complain of a "headache", and call in sick.
He gets shot at as others are hit, and keeps moving forward.

You put on your anti war/don't support the troops shirt, and go meet up with your friends.
He still fights for your right to wear that shirt.

I wouldn't wear a "don't support the troops" shirt, and it's incredibly stupid to think that not supporting the war means that you don't support the troops. Those soldiers are a bunch of men and women who signed up to defend an ideal... freedom and liberty... and they're putting their lives on the line in the belief that that is what they're defending. Whether or not they understand the full weight of what they're doing, their intentions are generally for the best, and to put their lives on the line for that deserves respect. But that doesn't mean that if someone disagrees with the government policy that has sent good men and women to die for no good reason, that they don't support those men and women. It is the same mentality that cannot understand what true patriotism actually is... and who believe that questioning the actions of the current administration is unpatriotic, when the very founding fathers themselves made it clear that to be a patriot was to question that very government, to be ever vigilant... that sometimes the blood of patriots must be shed to show that government who is actually in charge... THE PEOPLE of the United States... the government exists for no other purpose than to serve the people and the constitution of the United States of America, NOT the other way around.

Not to mention that he is NOT fighting for my right to wear that shirt. Our country is not and was not EVER under attack by Saddam Hussein OR Iraq. Our Freedoms are not under attack by any foreign power... they are under attack by our own government, which is plain to see for anyone who actually takes the time to look at the legislation that has been passed over the past few years, and just how many of your constitutional rights have vanished. You have been completely hoodwinked and blinded to who the real enemy is here. These men and women, however honorable their intentions, are fighting a war for a very difference reason, a reason decided and enforced by the current administration, not by the soldiers themselves... and again, even if the soldiers do believe they're fighting for that reason... they're not. Iraq/Saddam are not the enemy... they are not the ones that attacked us... and even the ones who did have at least in part, valid reasons for their attack that the government and many of the people either cannot see, or refuse to see.

You need to understand these things much more thoroughly (if you do at all) before you condemn or praise those involved.



You make sure you're cell phone is in your pocket.
He clutches the cross hanging on his chain next to his dog tags.

Just another reminder that a large part of this war is a matter of religious dogma and not rationality or truth.

That goes in part to the fact that Bush had launched this war believing that God told him to do so... and believing that we essentially have some divine moral high ground that ensures our victory... this is the same kind of mindset that the other side has... they BOTH believe in figments of their imaginations, and they BOTH believe ABSOLUTELY that they are Just and Right and WILL PREVAIL etc... both are convinced 100% that the other side is wrong, that the other side CANNOT be right, because that would mean giving up their own fairy tale belief in religion. It is a No Win situation until rational thinkers can bury this scourge of irrational superstitious nonsense and get the world to wake up to the reality of the modern day.



You talk trash about your "buddies" that aren't with you.
He knows he may not see some of his buddies again.

And it's our fault that his friends are dying? We who oppose them having been sent there to die, and not the actual government who made that decision, against the majority will of the people? What kind of backwards thinking is that? Seriously.


You walk down the beach, staring at all the pretty girls.
He walks the streets, searching for insurgents and terrorists.

Again, how is this our fault?

You complain about how hot it is.
He wears his heavy gear, not daring to take off his helmet to wipe his brow.

Yet another case of "not my fault, I didn't want him there to begin with. There's no good reason for him to be there. blame the government that sent him, not me". Starting to catch on yet?


You go out to lunch, and complain because the restaurant got your order wrong.
He doesn't get to eat today.

I call bullshit on that one. The military is very well stocked, and if you want to cry about him maybe missing a meal, then maybe you should take a look at the many thousands that have died of starvation due to their homes, stores, water supplies, hospitals and so on... all being bombed into rubble. Actually go and learn about the hundreds of thousands who have died, and the conditions which led to their deaths... and then you bitch about a soldier missing a few meals while on patrol, if it even happens.

You need to get your perspective straight.



Your maid makes your bed and washes your clothes.
He wears the same things for weeks, but makes sure his weapons are clean.

A MAID? Since when do I have a maid... and what on earth would it have to do with a soldier in Iraq, even if I did? Nothing. Again, another straw man statement that means nothing. Remember, I didn't send him there and even while he's there, he's not fighting for my freedom... at most he's fighting to keep my gasoline cheap... something that he's basically failed at doing. If he wanted to fight people that are more of a threat to the US, he'd be in Syria or Iran or any number of other places, fighting fundamentalist Islam, and our government would be fighting religious fundamentalism the world over, not simply breeding our own version of the same sickness domestically.

You people are so far off the base with this tripe that it's horribly disheartening.



You go to the mall and get your hair redone.
He doesn't have time to brush his teeth today.

Another straw man, not to mention that I've shaved my own head for the past 10 years plus... and that it's misleading to say he doesn't have time to brush his teeth today... the military are trained that proper oral hygiene is paramount and they are provided with the necessary supplies. And I highly doubt that missing brushing your teeth here and there is going to be that big of a deal. Extenuating circumstances.


You're angry because your class ran 5 minutes over.
He's told he will be held over an extra 2 months.

And this is a good point... but again a responsibility that lies firmly on the shoulders of the government who betrayed the trust of it's own soldiers under false pretenses and used a backdoor clause to force them in for extended tours because they needed the extra bodies to fight their war for them. I didn't want them there to begin with.


You call your girlfriend and set a date for tonight.
He waits for the mail to see if there is a letter from home.

Again, place the blame where it belongs, not with the people who never wanted them far from home and dying in the first place.


You hug and kiss your girlfriend, like you do everyday.
He holds his letter close and smells his love's perfume.

See above... again.

You roll your eyes as a baby cries.
He gets a letter with pictures of his new child, and wonders if they'll ever meet

See above... again.


You criticize your government, and say that war never solves anything.
He sees the innocent tortured and killed by their own people and remembers why he is fighting.

WHAT!? This coming from a government who has flat out stated that we are not beholden to the Geneva conventions or laws of war and who admit to torture and who have actually passed new laws to ensure that we can torture prisoners of war and not be accountable to any international human rights bodies etc...

This statement is THE height of HYPOCRISY.

We have caused the deaths of over 100 TIMES as many as Saddam ever killed... in a SECULAR country that was actually one of the most stable in the region... turning it into a graveyard and the hottest breeding ground in the region, if not the world, for terrorist activity. We have created and exacerbated a problem far FAR beyond anything we claimed to be solving.



You hear the jokes about the war, and make fun of men like him.
He hears the gunfire, bombs and screams of the wounded.

I've never done any such thing. And as for the screams... when you consider that we've killed over 100 TIMES as many of them as they have us, and that 60% of those deaths have been children... I think you'll forgive me a lack of pity here.


You see only what the media wants you to see.
He sees the broken bodies lying around him.

I couldn't agree with this more.


You are asked to go to the store by your parents. You don't.
He does exactly what he is told.

And while, as I've said before, I respect the reason he believes he's fighting... I feel that one of the main problems today is this mindless, blind obedience to the government... to authority figures. People need to start THINKING... to understand the history and the FACTS that have led us to this point... and to use their own minds to make informed, rational decisions... and have the spines to act on those.


You stay at home and watch TV.
He takes whatever time he is given to call, write home, sleep, and eat.

I don't watch TV. I don't have cable. But that's beside the point. Again, any discomfort he feels is the fault of the government for sending him there... and perhaps I'd feel more compassion for him if he really were defending my freedom and liberty... but to do that, he'd have to not be blindly obedient and would honestly have to be here, in the US, fighting to overthrow our own government, abolish all these laws lately that have overridden the constitution and take us back to the kind of free country that the founding fathers intended... to actually fight for my rights. What is going on today couldn't be farther from the "truth" the government does it's damnedest to try to convince you of.


You crawl into your soft bed, with down pillows, and get comfortable.
He crawls under a tank for shade and a 5 minute nap, only to be woken by gunfire.

*sigh*... these meaningless comparisons get REALLY OLD when you're not enough of a sheep to swallow them hook line and sinker without thinking.


You sit there and judge him, saying the world is probably a worse place because of men like him.
If only there were more men like him!

Again, I commend the soldiers who sign up to the military believing that they'll be making the world a better place. That they'll be defending Freedom and Liberty... those are noble ideals... but the truth is far from the belief... it is not always so... but sadly, with the US... it is almost always the case that good men and women die because of lies... because of money... for any reasons but freedom and liberty. I guess such is often the case when a government can spend the lives of it's youth as easily as it spends our tax dollars...

As Stalin said "the death of one man is a tragedy... the death of a million is but a statistic."

Food for thought.

And as a footnote... if you really want to do a service to your country as a patriot... try going and reading about the founding of our country... read the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence. Read the Federalist Papers... the works of Jefferson and Washington... understand the turmoil and the bloodshed that surrounded the founding of this country...

I want to leave you with a few quotes to contrast... and see if you can't get an idea who had a better idea of what true freedom and liberty actually was...

"Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost." --Thomas Jefferson

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it." --Thomas Jefferson

"We are not afraid to follow truth wherever it may lead, nor to tolerate any error so long as reason is left free to combat it." --Thomas Jefferson

"The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg." --Thomas Jefferson

"Delay is preferable to error." --Thomas Jefferson

"God forbid we should ever be twenty years without such a rebellion. The people cannot be all, and always, well informed. The part which is wrong will be discontented, in proportion to the importance of the facts they misconceive. If they remain quiet under such misconceptions, it is lethargy, the forerunner of death to the public liberty. ... What country before ever existed a century and half without a rebellion? And what country can preserve its liberties if their rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms. The remedy is to set them right as to facts, pardon and pacify them. What signify a few lives lost in a century or two? The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." --Thomas Jefferson

"I am really mortified to be told that, in the United States of America, a fact like this can become a subject of inquiry, and of criminal inquiry too, as an offence against religion; that a question about the sale of a book can be carried before the civil magistrate. Is this then our freedom of religion? and are we to have a censor whose imprimatur shall say what books may be sold, and what we may buy? And who is thus to dogmatize religious opinions for our citizens? Whose foot is to be the measure to which ours are all to be cut or stretched? Is a priest to be our inquisitor, or shall a layman, simple as ourselves, set up his reason as the rule for what we are to read, and what we must believe? It is an insult to our citizens to question whether they are rational beings or not, and blasphemy against religion to suppose it cannot stand the test of truth and reason." --Thomas Jefferson


"You don't get everything you want. A dictatorship would be a lot easier... So long as I'm the dictator." --George W. Bush

"I think people attack me because they are fearful that I will then say that you're not equally as patriotic if you're not a religious person. ... I've never said that. I've never acted like that. I think that's just the way it is." --George W. Bush

"There ought to be limits to freedom." --George W. Bush

etc.

As always... read, learn, educate yourselves.

Thank you for taking the time to read this far.

32 comments:

Françoise said...

great post. can I link it to my blog? I think a lot of people need to read this.

JStressman said...

Thank you, and of course you can. :)

Nice to see you again Frankie... I've been pretty absent on here for awhile.

Anonymous said...

well, if you were permanently on here that wouldn't necessarily be a good sign either, now would it?
;)

Françoise said...

sorry, that was me

JStressman said...

haha True. ;)

I think I just needed to take awhile and take my laundry down off the line so to speak.

Focus on work here, getting things a little more stabilized.

I recently got a new position at work, as the "Internet/Intranet Technician" (webmaster) and even got a raise along with it.

Just launched the new version of the website that I've been working on... still a little rough around the edges... but...

http://www.lrboi.com/

They were pushing for a launch, so I launched it as I had it... static html pages and not a lot of content. It will grow. :)

Stouff said...

How True. All of it. If only it were possible to beat this into the heads of all the people who believe everything they get told by Brit Hume and Bill O'Reilly, then your country and this planet would surely be a better place to inhabit. It's about time that all of this contradictory pap that conservatives roll out every time someone disagrees with them is exposed as the carefully contrived propaganda that it is. It amazes me that all these interwoven lies, talking points and half truths aren't half as transparent to the American people as they seem to be to me?

Plain Foolish said...

This really made me angry - the original list. And I'm the daughter of someone who's been there twice. I posted my own answers to this piece of tripe. Gah!

Anonymous said...

Let me simply put some things in perspective for you if I may. We don't take the lives of innocent people, we take the lives of people who even for a split second seem to be hostile. I did fight for people to wear their anti-war T-Shirt, We fight for you to do whatever it want, no matter what it may be. Just a bit of advice, I wouldn't even consider speaking of anybodys friends and brothers dying in combat, as you wouldn't know what it feels like to lose somebody so close and important to you. Our brothers fighting next to use are closer then a mother or a father is, they defend our life with theirs, as we do in return. And nobody claimed any fault or tossed any blame in your direction saying it's your fault you walk a beach and I do a patrol. It's the fact of the matter that because we were told freedom and safety of our people and country were in danger, we gave up our beach and swimsuit for a flak vest and an M4 rifle. You should also trying to have a little sympathy for the men and women over there, i'm not sure if you know what a contingency is, but it is a big 'what if'. So 'what if' the 9/11 attack was only one of many to come from Iraq or Iran or wherever they came from? We are in Iraq so you don't have to be.. you should try and remember that. And you call bullshit? I went 3 days without a meal chief, collateral damage is what I call it. Give up your supply truck for your life, sometimes its worth it see what i'm saying here. Yes the army does believe that hygiene is priority, but when you wake up to mortar rounds and small arms fire and RPG, you're not going to call a cease fire to brush your teeth now are you? You need to stop blaming your government, stop blaming anything because you don't know where to aim that blame. And wherever you got the idea of we can now torture people and kill people without worry, please check and see what happens when you do so. It's called ROE pal, look it up. People like you criticize for drama purposes and entertainment to your own lives, I don't need the drama or entertainment.. I saw enough for me and you in 30 months in Iraq, so watch your comments. This war and it's soldiers are nothing to be discussed about between people for no reason. This war has ended dreams, not just lives. Dreams have been lost, become 'what ifs' due to the deaths of these men and women who signed up like myself to do the better good. So if you're asking, no I do not appreciate any of the comments you've made, and would love to see you wear my boots for one day.

JStressman said...

Actually I do know the feeling. My sister was killed right in front of me when I was younger.

But aside from that...

One of your most important points is where you falsely link 9/11 to Iraq. Iraq had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11 and America illegally attacked them and is illegally occupying them right now. And every soldier that I've actually spoken to in person understands just how much it's complete bullshit that we're there, and the only reason they go back is to defend their brothers and sisters in arms who are still there fighting. Not for the government and not for a war based on lies.

Frankly I'd be tempted call bullshit on you even being a soldier given that every single soldier I've talked to that's come back from there has felt the same way and knows the same things.

"So 'what if' the 9/11 attack was only one of many to come from Iraq or Iran or wherever they came from? We are in Iraq so you don't have to be.. you should try and remember that."

That right there sums up how little you get about this whole deal. Iraq didn't attack the US. Iraq was not a threat to the US. The US had plans to attack Iraq years before 9/11 ever happened but needed an excuse. 9/11 provided that excuse, even though they had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11. But the Bush administration was able to link them together in people's minds and even today many people STILL believe that Iraq was responsible for 9/11, so effective was the propaganda and spin.

As for Iran, we are threatening them with a pre-emptive nuclear strike even though 70% of the population supports normalized relations with the US. We're willing to attack a country that has not attacked us nor is a direct threat to us, and cost the lives of many of the populace, of whom a vast majority support the ideas of freedom, democracy and relations with the US... simply because a few people in the theocratic government are idiots and talking smack?

Frankly if you fought in Iraq and still don't know that, you're pretty much an idiot. So while I thank you for your service to our country, sadly I don't find you intelligent or educated enough to be discussing matters of this magnitude.

Anonymous said...

why would you say those kind f things? seriously you dont know the last thing about the war? you need to stop blaming the government because you dont like some of the things that they are doing. i really think you should think things through before you actually post and reply to things like this. or like this topic. its not a very good topic to talk trash about. im not trying to sound rude but blaming others is NO excuse... and the biggest thing is that people think and say that freedom is free...Well i got news for those people. IT'S NOT!
do you want to know how many people lost their lives' due to the war to claim our freedom.?? so please just think before you repost & reply to a bulletin.

JStressman said...

Anonymous: Did you even read the bulletin or the previous posts?

The soldiers aren't defending our freedom in Iraq. We weren't attacked by Iraq. Iraq wasn't even a threat to us.

Of course Freedom is not free... look what the founders of this country did to win the freedoms you ignorantly harken to. The very freedoms used as buzz words today totally removed from the reality of what those words truly stand for.

But waging a war for oil against a foreign sovereign nation, illegally, pre-emptively and without even the congressional declaration of war to allow it to be a war in the first place... they go and kill over a MILLION Iraqis for WHAT? For our FREEDOM? What exactly were the Iraqis doing to threaten MY freedom!?

Get a clue please. Try paying attention and then try saying something with an ounce of intellectual value.

As it stands you're doing nothing more than mindlessly parroting the neocon party line that's been fed to you.

Anonymous said...

I am a soldier and you will never understand why we fight. We do not kill inocent people we protect them , we took a ruthliss dictator out of power that murderd thousands of his own people. We fight to protect those who cant defend themselves from their own government, we give them the ability to elect their own learder and not have one force upon them. We give the women in their country the right to show there faces in public for the first time, were there to fight the enemy there and not here, dont be mistaken we are fighting the same enmy there that blew up two of our own buildings, so dont talk such trash when you dont have the balls to fight for your country like some of us do.

JStressman said...

You sadly completely fail to get the point.

Saddam never attacked the United States nor was he a threat to the United States, facts backed up by your own CIA etc.

You're not defending my freedom as my freedom was never threatened by Saddam, but IS threatened here by George W. Bush and his administration.

You actually made things worse for women in Iraq, who under Saddam actually enjoyed a very secular and modern lifestyle where they could be teachers and go to school etc, something they cannot do under the increasingly theocratic regimes that have since taken over in the turmoil you created. You have killed over a MILLION Iraqis and destabilized the entire region and promoted a vast expansion of "terrorist" recruitment and support for their ideology by fulfilling basically every prediction they made about the US.

And probably worst of all is your idiotic claim that the insurgents in Iraq are the same people that attacked the World Trade Center. This has been refuted time and again. The only al Queda that might be in Iraq now are only there since AFTER your illegal invasion of Iraq which destabilized the region and allowed them to enter. There was NO CONNECTION between Iraq and 9/11 and this has been proven time and again.

You're basically clueless about the reality of what happened and what's happening... parroting what your government wants you to think, in sharp contrast with reality.

And for the record, I tried to enlist when I was 19 and was denied on account of having a medical record of scarred lungs from childhood asthma. So you're welcome to go die for a lie in an illegal war you idiot, I'll stay here and work on fighting the real enemy to American freedom, the very government your STUPID ass is so obediently serving.

Fucking idiot.

JStressman said...

That's funny. Not only do you point out anything specifically that I am wrong about (because you can't), but I also notice that all you stupid cowards that want to shit talk me continue to keep posting anonymously.

That says something in and of itself.

That aside, I've repeatedly stated that I do generally respect the soldiers themselves, which only goes to show that not only are you wrong, but you're stupid and wrong because you either didn't even bother to carefully read what I wrote before whining, or you were just too brainless to comprehend the very clear message I wrote.

What you IDIOTS again and again seem to miss is that you STUPIDLY repeat the mantra that "WE WERE ATTACKED".

YES, WE WERE. BUT NOT BY IRAQ YOU FUCKING MORONS.

How many times do I have to say it before you clueless bastards finally have an epiphany and realize the painfully obvious facts here?

If we were actually in eastern Afghanistan still, actually fighting al Queda, or in western Pakistan, following them where they actually went, and not IN IRAQ WHERE THEY NEVER WERE, IN A COUNTRY THAT HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH 9/11 WHATSOEVER, then I might actually be supporting the war effort.

Do you comprehend what I just wrote?

You sad people write based on your emotions, removed from the actual facts involved.

I hate to insult you collectively, but you continue to attack me because you're upset about your sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, lovers and dear friends fighting over there and risking their lives. But what you don't seem to understand is that the greatest thing you could do for them is BRING THEM HOME ALIVE. That's what we're trying to do.

Showing that the government is waging an illegal war doesn't necessarily reflect poorly on the troops, as I clearly stated towards the top of my post:

"I wouldn't wear a "don't support the troops" shirt, and it's incredibly stupid to think that not supporting the war means that you don't support the troops. Those soldiers are a bunch of men and women who signed up to defend an ideal... freedom and liberty... and they're putting their lives on the line in the belief that that is what they're defending. Whether or not they understand the full weight of what they're doing, their intentions are generally for the best, and to put their lives on the line for that deserves respect. But that doesn't mean that if someone disagrees with the government policy that has sent good men and women to die for no good reason, that they don't support those men and women."

I've said this a number of times, and you people never seem to pay attention. I'm not sure if you read the message at all, or if you just skim over it... but unfortunately for you the reality is that the war IN IRAQ is an illegal "war" that we should never have been in. Iraq never attacked us, was not a threat to us, had nothing whatsoever to do with 9/11, was not harboring or aiding al Queda, was a sovereign nation that we preemptively attacked without a congressional declaration of war and without UN approval... actually in spite of the UN and in spite of the American people themselves as a majority not supporting the war. Our actions in that illegal war have done nothing but ruin our own economy, lead to further global destabilization, a vast expansion of resentment towards the US, loss of many of our allies and an huge expansion in terrorist sentiment and recruiting due to our horribly ignorant and naive fulfillment of their predictions about us as a nation or more specifically our government... although people like you fall into the former category.

So if you want to spout off at me because I hurt your feelings, then do me a favor and actually make a fucking point. Or better yet, try PAYING ATTENTION AND READING THE FUCKING ARTICLE BEFORE YOU OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND PROVE HOW DUMB YOU ARE.

I welcome actual informed, intelligent, rational debate here... but stupid whiny bitches will unfortunately be treated as such most of the time.

Anonymous said...

I was just wondering, if you know so much about what you are saying, why don't you go public instead of sitting behind your desk completely feeling happy and enthused that you've upset many people. If you can do it on the internet where "millions" of people see it, do it in public where "millions" of people can see it. Then it would show people that "YOU" aren't afraid of the government, yourself. Knowing the "FACT" that "YOU" have a FRREDOM of speach. Why don't you do something about it, instead of being anonymous to others and discriminating others because of their choices to do some good for this country or for themselves, on that matter. If you go back into the text books of American History, please tell me what some of the wars did to this country. If if wasn't for this idioctic country as for Abraham Lincoln to fight for others to be "FREE" such as African Americans. Hmm, I guess we really are fighting for your asses to be free. Yes I DO NOT agree with Bush doing what he's done, but the point to my comment is that fact that you can sit on the other end and write ignorant, unsettling, bullshit, and "your the right one" and everyone else is wrong shit. To be frank, I think that you should take into consideration the feelings of others that have lost loved ones across seas, before you jump down their throats because they think what you're saying to them offends them. No one wants to fight, it's just the simple conclusion that you are quick to judge before you know things and anything for that matter. I'm soon to be in the military and yes, I'm going in for myself and my family and for this free country, not for Bush, and not for this government. I'm doing it so I can have a good life and know that my family will be taken care of when I die. If you say that we weren't attacked by Iraq? And you know so much, why can't you tell us who really attacked us? Just curious. Only because of the "FACT", that you continuely say that "we weren't attacked by Iraq" and that we should be afraid of our own country. I'd really like your intake on this comment. Because after you write me, I think I'll take whatever you write and pass it around to others and possibly take it to my Newspapers and show them what you say. Not being in a rude way. But just to see how much you can affect others lives with the supposed "FACTS" that "YOU" know. Thank you for reading this because at least I know you really care for the people that take out minutes of their time just to leave you comments that you consider idiotic, immature, stupid, etc. It really shows what type of person you are. Don't be upset by my comment because it's not to upset you, it's just merely stating my opinion and my known facts. And another, I'm not afraid to state my name, it's Stacie. I will not give my last name. But at least I proved to you I'm not afraid. Which I shouldn't have to prove to you, but to make others feel good to know that someone stepped up. I'm sure you're going to write, I'm this and I'm that, but stop talking in gibberish and talk right to people, especially others that really don't understand what you're saying. Only because they're out there. Some can't read and write so why don't you tone yourself down and make yourself sound better before you step up to judge people. Keep this in the back of you mind too, "when you die, God is going to judge you, only because of the simple fact, that when you judge, you'll be judged as well." Thank you again for you time. Oh and yes, I did take the time to read all of your blogs, and comments. Just so you know I'm not an immature, idoitic, stupid etc. Like I said, I'm not writing to piss you off. I have a right to speak freely too. So please consider writing me back kindly, and not disresspectfully.

Anonymous said...

Oh my God are you kidding me? Who said anything was our "FAULT" It would just be nice of us to honor those who make your drivel possible. I am a patriot, will not apologize!!!

JStressman said...

Stacie:

I'll try to address each of the points in your comment as we go:

I was just wondering, if you know so much about what you are saying, why don't you go public instead of sitting behind your desk completely feeling happy and enthused that you've upset many people.

Basically all of this information is already public. It's not a matter of me breaking some big secret, it's a matter of people opening their eyes and paying attention to the information that is already out there. Using a little common sense... critical thinking skills etc.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1089158,00.html


If you can do it on the internet where "millions" of people see it, do it in public where "millions" of people can see it. Then it would show people that "YOU" aren't afraid of the government, yourself.

I'm not sure quite what you mean there. Can you clarify?


Knowing the "FACT" that "YOU" have a FRREDOM of speach. Why don't you do something about it, instead of being anonymous to others and discriminating others because of their choices to do some good for this country or for themselves, on that matter.

I'm not anonymous by any means. Anyone could read through my blog and google me and easily find out a wealth of information about me, where I live, my relationships, my jobs etc. Just because you might not know it from reading one of my posts doesn't mean it's not there... it just means you haven't really bothered to look.

You imply that I'm hiding like a coward and maliciously slandering the troops. That's terribly misguided on both counts.

As for the latter part of your comment, I've said this a number of times, but I'll say it again... I'm not bashing on the troops! Get it through your head already! Disagreeing with the government is NOT the same as bashing the troops! Disagreeing with the government when it breaks the laws and acts in a way damaging to our country, and wanting to bring our troops home ALIVE and WELL, that is supporting the troops! Not sending them off to die for a bunch of lies in an illegal war on the other side of the world that has NOTHING to do with 9/11 or with our country and which has done nothing but bring Islamist terrorists to a country that previous didn't have them and spread resentment of the US worldwide and lead to a vast expansion of terrorist recruitment and activity! Supporting the troops means forcing the government to admit its role in causing this catastrophe and bringing our good men and women of the military home ALIVE!

What on Earth is so difficult to understand about that? Tell me please because I'm just shocked that people seem to have such a difficult time comprehending something so utterly simple.

Here is a quote by our 26th President that concerns this type of sentiment:

"The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else." -President Theodore Roosevelt

What we're doing here is illustrating the wrongdoing of the current administration, not demonizing the troops. We are supporting the troops by trying to right the wrong done by our president and his cronies which put those troops in harms way under false pretenses. Expose the lies of the government and save those good men and women from having to shed their blood and give their lives for what is in truth an unjust cause.


If you go back into the text books of American History, please tell me what some of the wars did to this country.

Bankrupted us? Needlessly cost the lives of thousands of American troops? Aside from the revolutionary and civil wars, which were valid wars concerning our own country, and part of World War II, the rest of our conflicts have generally been illegal or not actual wars, or were generally waged for the monetary profit and power gain of select groups of individuals and not in the best interest of our country as a whole. World War I, Viet Nam, Korea, Iraq etc. These were waged to put money in the pockets of the military-industrial complex and were generally not meant to be won, but prolonged in order to maintain revenue for the complex at the cost of human life. There has not been an actual Declaration of War by the United States since World War II. Do a little historical research yourself. (This is a huge topic in and of itself, which we can go further into if you wish. I almost feel guilty just glossing it over like this.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Declaration_of_war_by_the_United_States


If if wasn't for this idioctic country as for Abraham Lincoln to fight for others to be "FREE" such as African Americans.

Lincoln wasn't personally interested in ending slavery, and this only came about as a result of political decisions he was forced to make. It is a matter of ignorance that many people believe that the Civil War was fought solely over slavery. It was a matter of of states rights as per the Constitution and Declaration of Independence and of the increasingly industrialized North relying on the goods of the South without proper representation, or the increasing population in the North giving them greater representation than the South etc. While slavery was a key issue, it was not the only issue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln_on_slavery
http://blueandgraytrail.com/features/northerncauses.html


Hmm, I guess we really are fighting for your asses to be free.

Who is fighting for whom to be free? Can you clarify this? As far as I know, you're not fighting for anyone. And you couldn't be referring to the military in general fighting for my rights because you are a citizen just like I am, and thus "they" would be fighting for "us", not "you" fighting for "me" as you imply. So again, please clarify.


Yes I DO NOT agree with Bush doing what he's done, but the point to my comment is that fact that you can sit on the other end and write ignorant, unsettling, bullshit, and "your the right one" and everyone else is wrong shit.

You claim that I'm writing ignorant bullshit, but can you actually point out where I'm ignorant and provide some evidence to back up your claim? I sense the pot calling the kettle black here.


To be frank, I think that you should take into consideration the feelings of others that have lost loved ones across seas, before you jump down their throats because they think what you're saying to them offends them.

If you actually stopped and thought about this, you'd realize that the people that don't call for bringing the troops home are the ones that are not caring for the troops. The troops should have never gone into Iraq and are now there dying or being gravely injured both physically and psychologically over a lie that has done nothing except increase terrorism worldwide SEVEN FOLD and destabilize an entire region and create from it a breeding ground for terrorism where essentially NONE PREVIOUSLY EXISTED.

http://sedition.com/a/327


No one wants to fight, it's just the simple conclusion that you are quick to judge before you know things and anything for that matter.

You say that I'm judging people without knowing anything. Can you clarify for me what it is that I don't know, and perhaps what you know that makes you claim that I don't know anything?

That aside, the point you're missing is that they're not there fighting to defend myself or my country regardless of whether or not they might personally think that. That's just effective propaganda at work. We were not attacked by Iraq, nor was Iraq a threat to us. PERIOD. They're over there fighting an illegal war at the behest of a corrupt government that is acting against the will of the American people and violating international laws and treaties, not to mention our own laws and Constitution, in the process. (I'll touch on this again shortly.)


I'm soon to be in the military and yes, I'm going in for myself and my family and for this free country, not for Bush, and not for this government.

I can respect you joining the military for what you believe is the defense of your country and of the freedoms you believe it stands for. I really do respect that. The points I make are about understanding what you might actually be fighting for. When you are fighting in the military, you are acting at the behest of your government, not yourself. You are acting in their interests, not your own. It pays to understand their intentions and understand the global community and the consequences of the actions of our government both historically and currently etc. That is the type of information I tend to cover here.


I'm doing it so I can have a good life and know that my family will be taken care of when I die.

What makes you assume your family will be taken care of when you die? Not even the veterans themselves are being taken care of currently, much less their families. And why would you want to die for a lie, killing innocent people in a country on the other side of the Earth who never attacked you and who may be doing nothing more than trying to defend their own country against what they, correctly, see as a foreign invasion force occupying their land? Would you act any differently in their place if China invaded the United States tomorrow and occupied your town, instituting curfews, installing their own Communist government in place of ours etc?

http://www.military.com/veterans-report/veterans-lack-health-insurance


If you say that we weren't attacked by Iraq? And you know so much, why can't you tell us who really attacked us? Just curious. Only because of the "FACT", that you continuely say that "we weren't attacked by Iraq" and that we should be afraid of our own country. I'd really like your intake on this comment. Because after you write me, I think I'll take whatever you write and pass it around to others and possibly take it to my Newspapers and show them what you say. Not being in a rude way. But just to see how much you can affect others lives with the supposed "FACTS" that "YOU" know.

A group of mostly Saudi Arabian militant Islamists attacked us, based from around the Afghanistani/Pakistani border, and who were trained in the 1980's by the American CIA to operate as a proxy military force against the Communist Russian forces who were invading Afghanistan. They were not in any way linked to Saddam Hussein or Iraq. Our own CIA as well as the 9/11 Commission have stated this fact since 9/11 (and even Bush was forced to admit this).

http://thinkprogress.org/2006/08/21/bush-on-911/
http://www.truthdig.com/eartotheground/item/20060821_bush_iraq_9_11/
http://www.crooksandliars.com/2006/08/21/bush-says-iraq-had-%E2%80%98nothing%E2%80%99-to-do-with-911/
http://www.democracynow.org/2006/8/22/president_bush_admits_iraq_had_no
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/140133_bushiraq18.html

And as I said before, none of this is exactly breaking news... it's been known for years and has been in the news. I make a point to illustrate the lies of our own government and the damage that Bush has done to our country in a variety of ways... economically; through loss of jobs, increased federal spending, tax breaks for the rich, stifling scientific research which causes the US to fall behind the rest of the world, and foremost the almost trillion dollar illegal 'war' which is being paid for in large part by money BORROWED FROM CHINA, which they are now threatening to use to crush our own economy etc, through a dramatic loss of civil rights, through the passage of repeated acts of legislation expanding executive power and domestic military activity, illegal domestic spying... and on and on.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/main.jhtml?xml=/money/2007/08/07/bcnchina107a.xml
http://phreadom.blogspot.com/2006/01/what-are-you-doing-here-citizens-your.html


Thank you for reading this because at least I know you really care for the people that take out minutes of their time just to leave you comments that you consider idiotic, immature, stupid, etc. It really shows what type of person you are. Don't be upset by my comment because it's not to upset you, it's just merely stating my opinion and my known facts. And another, I'm not afraid to state my name, it's Stacie. I will not give my last name. But at least I proved to you I'm not afraid. Which I shouldn't have to prove to you, but to make others feel good to know that someone stepped up.

You don't upset me with your words, but more the ignorance and mistaken beliefs illustrated by them. I'm concerned for us as a country, for us as a people... and in effect for you as a fellow citizen. When your ignorance and mistaken beliefs threaten this country and as a result threaten my freedoms and liberties... that concerns me and yes, even upsets me.

When you make false claims, call me ignorant, claim to state known facts without actually doing so, or claim that my posts are nothing more than ignorant bullshit meant to upset people... that is what leads me to call you ignorant. When others do worse than that, I respond in kind. I call them like I see them. It's that simple. You claim to have read all of my articles and their accompanying comments, saying "Oh and yes, I did take the time to read all of your blogs, and comments.", but that seems rather highly unlikely as there are several hundred articles and probably a few thousand comments which would have already explained all of this to you, thus preventing you from asking most of the questions or making most of the statements you made in your comment here.


I'm sure you're going to write, I'm this and I'm that, but stop talking in gibberish and talk right to people, especially others that really don't understand what you're saying. Only because they're out there. Some can't read and write so why don't you tone yourself down and make yourself sound better before you step up to judge people.

I believe everything here is written rather simply and should be able to be understood even by someone in elementary school, much less a teen like yourself. If you believe something I've written here is gibberish that you can't understand, point it out to me and I'll gladly clarify. If you have a question about the authenticity of a particular statement, point it out and I'll provide further resources, quotes, articles, information etc.


Keep this in the back of you mind too, "when you die, God is going to judge you, only because of the simple fact, that when you judge, you'll be judged as well."

I'm an Atheist. I act morally and/or ethically because I believe it is the right thing to do, not because I'm afraid of some imaginary man in the clouds punishing me forever and ever. Just because you're upset that I might illustrate your lack of understanding or your ignorance of the subject matter does not make me guilty of some perceived crime of "judgment" that I should feel terrible about and repent lest your imaginary sky god cast me into a lake of fire for eternity. *chuckle* I'm simply stating the facts. If you're upset by them, perhaps you should do a little research before you make ignorant and false claims about me and the articles I write.


Thank you again for you time. Oh and yes, I did take the time to read all of your blogs, and comments. Just so you know I'm not an immature, idoitic, stupid etc. Like I said, I'm not writing to piss you off. I have a right to speak freely too. So please consider writing me back kindly, and not disresspectfully.

I appreciate the time you took to write your comment and I have attempted to address many of your questions and points. Please feel free to respond with further discussion and requests for clarification so that I can better address your concerns. I do apologize in part for the tone of a few of my responses, but I don't take kindly to people telling me to be nice while they at the same time lie to me and claim that my article is a bunch of ignorant bullshit while they provide no evidence to back such an assertion. It is only because of the fact that you seem at least in some small part genuinely curious about the issue that I choose to try to address it with you.

Perhaps in our subsequent exchanges we can be a bit more civil and mature?

Anonymous said...

This thread is full of win. Largo rules. That's all I have to say.

Anonymous said...

guys we can argue about this all year. but the point of the post is to not take what you have for granted. although YOU may not take it for granted...people do. and thats why it was posted in the first place. to remind you that there are soldiers, marines, sailors, and airmen out there giving up their lives and freedoms for YOU. its not exactly about this particular war assholes. its about the men and women out there who have the intestinal fortitude to stand up to the risk of giving their lives to protect what they love. as i stated before its not about the war in iraq. its about who is going to stand up and do something, in case a foreign country tries to invade or attack us. id say everyone on this post is falsely stating everything because their missing the true meaning of it. its not about the war. its not about the government. its about the soldier ready to defend you at the drop of a pin. so shut up about the war, and respect the people who are over there for what their doing regardless of the reason, respect the ones who are about to go, and the ones who will go in future wars no matter the reason.

JStressman said...

Sorry Anonymous... but I actually did address that point, repeatedly.

It is entirely relevant to discuss the illegality and erroneous information going around about this war, and people equating not supporting the "war" to not supporting the troops etc.

It is entirely relevant to make it painfully clear to people that to support the troops means to NOT support this "war".

I've said repeatedly that I have the utmost respect for the men and women who bravely sign up to defend the most noble of ideals and to put their lives on the line etc.

But this is not some children's book we're dealing with here. This is the real world, where governments and people have endlessly varying motivations and justifications for their actions, which are never as black and white as you obviously would like them to be.

If you want a children's blog that doesn't deal with reality, I suggest you look elsewhere. Here we do our best to address the reality of situations, from all their different facets, to gain a greater understanding of the nuances of foreign and domestic government and policy, the socio-economic issues effecting military enlistment, the sociological and psychological issues surrounding the war and the ways in which that effects support of the war and how that can contrast with support of the troops, how the government can twist the reality of the situation to make patriotic dissent into a crime and have people thinking utterly opposite of what they should be if they stopped for a moment to consider the facts... and on and on.

Coming in here and bitching that we're all wrong and we should just support the troops only goes to show that you didn't read or couldn't comprehend the several times I very plainly explained how we support the troops and how you should as well. So pipe down and pay attention, it would obviously do you some good.

JStressman said...

First and foremost, answer me this... did you honestly even read what I wrote?

Did you read any of the subsequent commentary?

I'd like to know before I respond. :)

JStressman said...

Ok, it looks like you've read a little, but obviously COMPLETELY missed the point and it seems a good chunk of the commentary. *sigh*

Allow me to to attempt to correct your misunderstanding.

I already addressed the point about the soldiers fighting for my right to this or that. They're not. We were not under attack by Iraq. We were not threatened by Iraq. My freedoms are more threatened BY FAR by my own government than by anyone in Iraq. These are FACTS. What about that do you not understand? It doesn't matter if the soldier THINKS he is defending my rights because his government tells him so... the reality is that my rights are not threatened by the people in Iraq. The threat to Americans and the explosion of "terrorist" activity in Iraq happened AFTER we invaded. They had NOTHING AT ALL to do with 9/11.

You want to talk about Afghanistan? Then you're at least a little closer to a justifiable military action, although in reality we should have also went into Pakistan etc.

The point is that Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9/11. Iraq was NOT a threat to the US or my freedoms and thus how are my freedoms being defended by killing people who were not a threat to me or my freedoms to begin with and never attacked me and had no intention of attacking me?

Tell me that.

And for the record, I do have an idea what those guys go through. I have talked to several soldiers who've made it back from Iraq and all of them agreed with my views. The only reason they went back was to protect their brothers, their fellow soldiers. They hated the "war", but a soldier dies to protect his brothers.

Also, for the record, my father is an Army veteran from Viet Nam and he agrees with me. My grandfather fought in WW2 and was in D-Day at Normandy, and he agrees with me. All of the soldiers who've been in Iraq that I've talked to IN PERSON have agreed with me.

So I'm curious how you could have actually carefully read what I wrote in this article and in the comments and still have such a ridiculously hateful and insulting stance.

How about this... give me your husband's e-mail address and I'll have a discussion with him personally about this and see what he thinks after that.

You can e-mail it to me, or he can contact me directly at jstressman@gmail.com

Thanks. :)

Anonymous said...

After reading the actual blog itself, i agreed somewhat to some of your points. After reading the comments, however, i'm a little disappointed in some people. Whatever the troops are doing over there, whatever is going on with this war, whether you support our president or not, PLEASE support our troops. My husband is a Marine, about to go on his first tour and I am TERRIFIED for his life. but i know that he joined to fight for freedom, and maybe it's not my freedom he's fighting for. maybe he's fighting for THEIR freedom. who knows. i don't know why the government does half of the things they do, and maybe i should disagree, but i love my country. i'm still able to do the things i want to. so they passed some laws which make this this and that difficult to do. so what. complete freedom isn't what it's cracked up to be. sometimes people need rules, eh?

i dunno. i live a pretty great life on a military base and the price for that is my husband.

JStressman said...

usmc_wife:

I appreciate you taking the time to read all the comments etc.

I greatly appreciate the work our troops do in defending this country and I wish every one of them could return home alive and whole, both mentally and physically. I wish that none of them had to endure the horrors of war.

While I am strongly against the actions of our government, and even against some of the troops who tarnish the name of the rest with their actions, I do as a whole respect the people who sign their name on the dotted line in the belief that they are fighting to defend the very rights and freedoms I hold dear.

The issue is a very complex one and again, I thank you for taking the time to read through the article and the commentary and try to understand where I'm coming from.

I wish you and your husband the best of luck and hope that he makes it back home to you alive and whole.

Semper Fi.

Anonymous said...

excuse me, i happen to have alot of respect for people in the military.
your out here on your nice computers complaining about some bulliten someone posted about not to be selfish compared to other people, and they were wrong because those are not average people, and most people in the army choose that path, well some, but you shouldnt be talking bad about them because they are giving up their life just so you can go outside without getting blown up, this is millions of lives dying just so you can be safe so dont be talking trash about them ok. they have the hardest lives ive ever heard of, worst then anything.
the only ones that make it home alive, and then dont get sent back for 2 more years say are never the same because of what they have seen
once your in it, its so hard to get out
be army strong. and respect the people that are the reason your breathing right now
imagine to be them right now in the cold or hot fighting and trying not to die over and over for years, the fear every night before they sleep open-eyes, and eating raw meat, and all you see is blood, and dead people, with no TV or computer anywhere, in a forign country were you get home sick and dont feel well because your not home with your family. and you might never return.
just imagine, doing what they do.

Anonymous said...

Ok first off 1. this war did not start because Bush thought god told him to do it and 2. There are days that our soldiers do not get to take showers or eat and I know this for a fact being that my husband is in the army and overseas right now so you don't know what your talking about with that one oh and also while we are on this part of your "rant" it is not our soldiers or our governments fault that all those people are going without food or homes and so on are being blown up so you need to look into it more before you lay the blame on them. As far as getting my perspective straight it is a very big deal if our soldiers go without showers or food how would you like it if you could not have a shower for a week and did not have very much to eat if anything at all and could not get any sleep because you knew you had to be up again in a few hours to go out on another mission that you might not make it back from. and 3. You really must be a sad piece of man to have nothing better to do with your time then to take something that is passed around to make people understand what our soldiers go through and to make people appreciate them more for there sacrifice and trash talk it and the soldiers that it is talking about, because that's all your little rant is doing and you need to learn some respect for our soldiers and there familys. In till you can say you know what it feels like you to miss the birth of your child or to have to leave family behind never knowing if you will get to see them again or you know the pain that is felt with each phone call home never knowing if it could be the last time you hear there voice the you really should watch what you say. I could keep going but im going to just say this you need to look into what is going on in the world a lil bit more before you open up your mouth and put your foot into it anymore.

Anonymous said...

I really don't like the tone of your replies to this bulletin. The comparisons are valid, and whatever you think about our government, the troops give you the right to do such. You say the only way they would be fighting for your rights is if they were over here overthrowing our government... That is an asshole comment if there ever was one. Our troops are not over here committing untold atrocities. God help us if we try to do some right in the world, because there are people like you who have to bitch about anything and everything that doesn't go along with your perspective of "right". What is it about our government that is causing you so much pain and suffering? Obviously not much since you have the time to sit on your ass and disrespect the people that defend your right to do so.

JStressman said...

Ok... these comments are getting tiresome again. I've already directly addressed the points raised... but I'll touch on them again.

1) My freedom of speech was not under any threat whatsoever from Saddam Hussein. My freedom of speech and many other basic, fundamental freedoms ARE being directly threatened by my own government and several have even already been lost (habeus corpus, protection against unreasonable search and seizure, privacy, self defense, property etc).

I realize that you believe that our soldiers are protecting my rights, but in reality they are not doing so in the way you think they are. They're over there doing what our government tells them to do... and it really doesn't matter what they THINK they're doing. That doesn't change the facts of why our government sent them there, or what the threat to ME or YOU really was.

We had at least some justification for going into Afghanistan, but in the bigger picture we had essentially no right whatsoever to wage a war of aggression on a nation that was, by our own government's admission after the fact, no threat to us whatsoever.

Iraq may have been a threat to ISRAEL, but it was no threat to us at all. We went in there to capture oil and protect Israel and help them out. To help get a new foothold in the region to exert our influence and use it as a new base for moving further into the region and gain more control over oil resources etc.

The only way that's about protecting my freedom of speech is by waging illegal wars of aggression to steal resources from other countries to enable us to continue to live our first world lifestyle here at the expense of other people who might not be able to stand up to the military might of the US acting as a rogue nation, much the same as NAZI Germany striking out across Europe to create the Third Reich and forge a new world order in their own image. That too was a purely nationalistic drive done for what was seen not only as the best for Germany, but for the world as well.

I'm sick of the pathetic assertion that I'm somehow beholden to those troops in Iraq for my right to sit here and blog. That's utter bullshit. If those troops weren't there and had never gone there, GUESS WHAT, I'd still be typing this. Odds are I'd probably have even less to worry about because there wouldn't be such an expansion of resentment toward the US for it's meddling in foreign affairs and killing MILLIONS of innocent foreigners in it's conquest of the globe in an effort to reshape the world in our own image and use all resources for the benefit of US citizens alone as the greedy consumers they've become.

So I'm sorry if it hurts your feelings, but that's reality. I'm sick of candy coating it.

2) For the whiny bitch posting above your post, she can kiss my ass. She makes the ignorant assumption that I don't have a fruitful life working on other things, enjoying my friends, family and girlfriend etc... just because I can take the time to write a blog post once every few months. IDIOT.

It's not MY fault her husband is there in harsh conditions. It's the fault of the corrupt government that sent them there to wage an illegal war (if he's in Iraq).

I've said and further clarified all these points in my response and especially in the subsequent comments. I get sick of lazy, ignorant people posting here based solely on their ignorance and emotions rather than making informed and rational responses.

If you want to support the troops, then tell your government to get them the hell out of a country that they illegally attacked. They're dying for LIES in a country where they are not wanted, and their presence there has destabilized the region and fomented such a deep resentment toward our nation, that along with all the torture and crimes they've committed, our nation will suffer repercussions for decades and our troops in the future will suffer terribly at the hands of our enemies in response to our open disregard for the laws of war, for the Geneva conventions, many other US and international laws and even the military's own rule books etc.

We have become a nation that has engaged in the VERY SAME tactics and war crimes that we have CONVICTED AND EXECUTED men for in the past. Nazi Germany, Imperial Japan, Viet Nam, North Korea, Communist Russia, etc. We took the very training we used to use to protect soldiers from the "totalitarian nations with no respect for the Geneva conventions or basic human rights" etc, and turned it around so that we were using the very kinds of torture we used to train our troops to resist from our most ruthless enemies.

We have become the bad guys. That is REALITY.

http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/torturingdemocracy/program/

Go watch that and get a fucking clue people. That's the shit the US is pulling TODAY and has been for the past several years. And that is just the tip of the iceberg to all the rights we're losing HERE AT HOME.

I understand that you ignorant people think you're defending our good troops, or defending your husbands or boyfriends or whatever... but you don't have a fucking clue. Not a fucking clue.

Anonymous said...

Im in the US Marines and ive been on tours in iraq 3 times,i am supposed to be there for a 6month period,and 2 weeks before i was supposed to go home,i get told i have to stay for another 2 months.We do get food,we do get hygene time,but how about one of those times when we are stuck in a stand off gunfight and dont dare get up cause if we do we could get shot in the head by a insergent sniper,or how about a decision that we make that no one of you people that make fun of us has to make,how about that 2 seconds we have to choose,you see a 5 year old child running towards you,you dont know if someone put a bomb on her so take out your squadron,you have about 10 seconds if not less to decide to shoot that child or not,cause u know if she/he has a bomb and you dont,your dead and so is your squad,but at the same time you have kids at home,and it clashes with your morality,how about seeing your friends get shot and die right in front of you,but you have no fuckin time to cry or be upset cause if you dont keep fighting you will die too,or how about the 80% of soldiers in iraq getting letters from home saying that their wife,husband,fiance w/e cant be with them cause they cant handle the pain,my staff sargant was married for 15 years,he got a letter after being in iraq for 3 months from his wife saying she cant be with him causes she cant handle the pain.do you ever think about these "small details" the shit that everyone looks past,there are in fact people out there protesting us,they go to our funerals,and protest,OUR FUNERALS,their lucky i have never seen it,caus ei would not hesitate to kill one of them,its not the governments fault were over there,did we plan 9/11,did we plans to kill thousands of our own americans,they brought the war to us,if we didnt respond they would keep doing it,wars has been aorund sinc ethe begginning of time,if we werent in iraq,right now,or afganastan you could possible be dead,think about it in terms as,if your son,or mother,or wife was on one of those 9/11 planes,would you support the war? if they died from terrorists,your outlook on thi is shit,we risk our fuckin lives so that our children and you and your children can live freely,if you dont agree with the war,hey,two each his own,but dont critisize us for doing what we must,war has been around sinc ethe beggining of time,as long as there is people who can fight,there will be wars.

JStressman said...

You seem to have not bothered to read what I wrote, which, given your spelling troubles, shouldn't surprise me... so I'll say it again and try to put it simply.

Iraq had nothing, I repeat NOTHING, to do with 9/11. Our own government admits this.

Your being there has nothing to do with attacking the people who attacked us on 9/11.

You also ignore that I do indeed know what the soldiers are going through, as much as anyone can without living through that themselves. That is the reason why you shouldn't be there. You're not defending my freedoms against 9/11 etc... you're unfortunately helping to cause the next terrorist attacks by helping invade and occupy a country that had nothing to do with 9/11 and which was not a threat to us etc.

(And I fully realize that you believe you're serving your country and defending my freedoms, but frankly you're serving a government that no longer cares about the rights or freedoms of its citizens and would gladly sacrifice them to give itself absolute authority, take away all of our privacy, strip all our constitutional rights... much of which has already been done.)

You're creating the resentment and instability in the region that helps promote future terrorist recruitment.

The solution is to stop putting you and your brothers and sisters in those horrible situations and bring you home. I didn't put you there and I don't want you there. YOU SHOULDN'T BE THERE IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Get your facts straight and try to understand the issue here.

The idea that somehow Iraq is responsible for 9/11 and that is your justification for being there, to defend my freedom is painfully ignorant of the facts and wholly wrong. The closest you could possibly get to a valid reason for being there is that the US illegally invaded and occupied Iraq under blatant lies in order to try to secure oil for the US and Israel etc, while trying to gain a foothold in the region as a possible launching point for future attacks on Iran, Syria etc.

This is similar to the region snafu in Georgia that was involved in countering the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and Caspian Sea oil/gas pipeline projects etc...

None of this has squat to do with 9/11 and that's nothing more than a long since proven false propaganda line used on people too stupid or uninformed to know any better.

I try to give due credit and respect for the men and women who sign up to defend this country and I believe I have done so numerous times not only in my article itself, but in the subsequent comments. The fact that you people either don't bother to read at all, or are too stupid to pay attention to what I clearly keep repeating, is not really my problem. It's yours.

Do your fucking homework and get a clue please. I'm trying to help all us of and hopefully at some point you'll see that.

Anonymous said...

for one, you civilians dont know half of whats going on in iraq or afghanistan, you just blindly believe whats on the news or posted on the internet. you say all these things like its 100% true. you know where a lot of these deaths we supposedly caused came from? insrurgents using IEDS in the middle of cities. or when they ambush us on a crowded street. yea we make mistakes an may accidentally shoot a civilian, but i want to see you have perfect judgement when your nerves are that high strung. theres a picture i saw of an iraqi child hiding behind a soldier after a car bomb went off down the street, so tell me, does that send you the message that iraqis dont want us there? their lives were worse when saddam was in charge. maybe our government did go over there for oil or whatever you like to claim, but us going there has been good for the country. jsut think about shit before you post it. everything you see on the internet or hear on the news isnt real. about 90% is bull shit made up by some anti american ass hole.

JStressman said...

I've posted statistics from the military itself and from reputable media outlets which were confirmed with multiple sources etc.

http://phreadom.blogspot.com/2005/07/body-counts.html

And I could continue to post updated statistics from these same sources, including our own military. They aren't going to paint a prettier picture.

These aren't "anti-American" assholes, as you so quaintly put it in a petty attempt to dismiss that which you dislike.

The fact is that we illegally invaded a country that was neither a threat to us, nor in any way whatsoever involved with 9/11.

Saddam may have been a horrible person, but there was vastly less violence there under his reign. And whether or not he was a bad person didn't in any way justify our invasion of his sovereign nation. If you think it did, there are worse people in countries with far worse humanitarian crises, like North Korea, China, numerous places in Africa, etc. And yet we're not invading them.

I don't for a minute envy the position soldiers are in from day to day in Iraq, the choices they have to make, the PTSD and brain damage they get from that constant ultra high level of tension and alertness (I have looked at the medical studies etc).

My point is that they (and/or you) shouldn't be there in the first place. Neither you nor them should ever have had to be put in such a situation to begin with. That's not anti-American, that's actually caring about the rule of law, human rights, soldiers' and civilians' lives alike.

You don't think that invading a foreign country who neither attacked us, nor even had the ability to attack us, nor was in any way involved in 9/11, nor had any nuclear weapons program, nor any weapons of mass destruction, who had in fact complied with the IAEA and UN weapons inspectors, whose only WMDs had in fact been sold to him decades earlier BY US, and had long since been destroyed or rendered inert, who had vast amount of patently false evidence fabricated against him by our government in hundreds of flat out lies to try to justify an illegal invasion etc etc etc... You don't think that doing that in violation of International Law, against the majority will of not only the international community, but of the American People themselves, and in against the UN etc... you don't think that did more harm to the US? That it didn't do more to undermine our safety by enraging the occupants of the region we were illegally invading and slaughtering hundreds of thousands of innocent people in?

You don't think that waging this illegal war to the cost of billions of dollars a month, which we've had to borrow from countries like China, who have openly used that leverage to threaten us into silence against their own human rights abuses... you don't think that threatens our freedom and safety? That it doesn't harm the causes of Liberty?

(Over $656,100,000,000.00 on this "war" so far. A "war" that in fact is not even a "war", having not been declared as such by Congress, something else you might want to look into.)

You don't think that directly fueling a vast increase in resentment toward the US which directly fueled an increase in terrorist recruitment didn't and doesn't continue to be a greater threat to the US directly? You don't think that introducing terrorism and sectarian violence to Iraq where there were essentially NO "Al Queda" before, and nowhere near such a level of sectarian violence (something the US has been shown to have been intentionally inciting themselves)... you don't think that hasn't made us less safe by destabilizing a region and promoting the rise of more outspoken anti-American sentiment and a newfound sense of pan-Islamic nationalism of a sort?

I could go on, but you don't seem to care much for facts outside of your personal perception of the issue.

You see a myopic view of the issue colored by your own strong personal bias to the contrary of the actual evidence and the larger issues behind it. You think a child hiding behind a soldier somehow negates the intense and outspoken hatred of the American occupation. The strength of the insurgency etc. You think one child negates the countless people who have directly stated the opposite... the thousands, even millions in the region who as a proud people first and foremost want the Americans off of their land.

You ignore that to Muslims it is blasphemy against their God to allow the Christian infidels to occupy their land... it is in violation of the word of the holy Quran etc. You ignore their strong cultural sense of pride, their desire to run their own country and have us gone.

You try to dismiss all that based on the act of one child.

You are mistaken. You lack understanding of the larger issues. Your failure to accept the facts does not change them. You being in Iraq is wrong. On countless levels. It was wrong, it is wrong, and it will continue to be wrong.