Sorry seahawk but your cartoon was too big to post, it expanded the thread to much for decent readability. I changed it too a link so people can still view it without distorting future posts.
This message has been edited. Last edited by: bill king,
"Although America has problems, America is not the problem"
Posts: 986 | Location: Humboldt | Registered: 09 November 2005
3. The "What the hell we fighting for..." is a question Americans everywhere are asking the White House, including our soldiers.
4. Who the hell does the journalist think he is putting words in the mouths of the soldiers, that are contrary to the soldier's well being?
5. Someone should bitch-slap that scrawny right- wing puke with a pencil for portraying the troops in that fashion.
"These things which man purports to admire-the noble, the brilliant, the splendid-these are the very things he cannot tolerate when he finds them."-----Mark Clifton
Posts: 5565 | Location: hoffman estates il | Registered: 01 April 2003
i think so brent. i also think the fact that the pentagon extending tours of duties also qualifies somewhat. because people still on a tour cannot leave in the middle of the mission, even if their contract has expired. they must wait for the tour of duty to end. just another way to prohibit someone from completing their contract and going home. sounds alot like slavery or an indentured servant to me.
Not true. By all means though... carry on with the hysterics.
Posts: 2167 | Location: CA | Registered: 14 November 2003
Joey is a Marine who enlisted during the war, while he was a member here. Rather than get in an argument you can't win about troop moral, you may want to ask him what he can tell you about the war from his perspective.
joe,
When are you due to ship back out over there and how long will you have to stay? Just curious, a few of us here kept up with your blog while you were over there and it wAS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE AFTER YOU SIGNED ON THE FIRST DAY, WE DIDN'T SEE A POST UNTIL MONTHS LATER WHEN jESSE SAID YOU WERE DOING FINE.
"These things which man purports to admire-the noble, the brilliant, the splendid-these are the very things he cannot tolerate when he finds them."-----Mark Clifton
Posts: 5565 | Location: hoffman estates il | Registered: 01 April 2003
I'd like to ask you this, JoeSyznal, as you are an Iraq war vet:
If the idea was to create conditions in the ME where gov'ts which supported Islamic-terrorism (which has translated to Sunni, in recent years) would be replaced, why was Iraq attacked? Hussein's support of Palestinians was of the Arab-nationalist brand, rather than the fanatical-Sunni.
And, now, we support a majority (democratic) government there, which necessarily translates to Shia-control, but we don't want this gov't to work with Iran? That would be like saying Latvia can't work with Lithuania.
What are chances of the U.S, achieving its desired outcome (Iraq free of Iranian influence and willing to contract with the U.S. on oil production)? None (not even slim).
I think it pretty well sums up the effectiveness of these "resolutions" in Congress, whether or not they pass.
"These things which man purports to admire-the noble, the brilliant, the splendid-these are the very things he cannot tolerate when he finds them."-----Mark Clifton
Posts: 5565 | Location: hoffman estates il | Registered: 01 April 2003
Mologne House is afloat on a river of painkillers and antipsychotic drugs. One night, a strapping young infantryman loses it with a woman who is high on her son's painkillers. "Quit taking all the soldier medicine!" he screams.
Pill bottles clutter the nightstands: pills for depression or insomnia, to stop nightmares and pain, to calm the nerves.
Here at Hotel Aftermath, a crash of dishes in the cafeteria can induce seizures in the combat-addled. If a taxi arrives and the driver looks Middle Eastern, soldiers refuse to get in. Even among the gazebos and tranquility of the Walter Reed campus in upper Northwest Washington, manhole covers are sidestepped for fear of bombs and rooftops are scanned for snipers.
Bomb blasts are the most common cause of injury in Iraq, and nearly 60 percent of the blast victims also suffer from traumatic brain injury, according to Walter Reed's studies, which explains why some at Mologne House wander the hallways trying to remember their room numbers.
Last week, Walter Reed launched a criminal investigation of Wagner after The Washington Post sought a response to his activities while he ran the Army's Medical Family Assistance Center, a position he left several weeks ago. Maj. Gen. George W. Weightman, the commander at Walter Reed, said the probe by the Criminal Investigation Command (CID) "reflects the seriousness with which we take these allegations."
When are you due to ship back out over there and how long will you have to stay? Just curious, a few of us here kept up with your blog while you were over there and it wAS FRUSTRATING BECAUSE AFTER YOU SIGNED ON THE FIRST DAY, WE DIDN'T SEE A POST UNTIL MONTHS LATER WHEN jESSE SAID YOU WERE DOING FINE.
Hey Bill!! I go back to Iraq in September. Training has picked up significantly, we have received our new "boots" and are working to get them working efficiently with the platoon.
Yes there were not many updates while I was in country. Half that was due to logistics and the other half sheer laziness.
quote:
If the idea was to create conditions in the ME where gov'ts which supported Islamic-terrorism (which has translated to Sunni, in recent years) would be replaced, why was Iraq attacked?
Take a look at the text of 2002's Iraq War Resolution passed in congress for all reasons/justifications for going to war.
quote:
And, now, we support a majority (democratic) government there, which necessarily translates to Shia-control, but we don't want this gov't to work with Iran?
We don't want Iran to make any attempts at sabotage or subversion by means of unofficial communication and weapons supply.
It is no secret Ahmedianjad along with his mullahtocracy does not have the best interests of Iraq's entire population in mind.
quote:
What are chances of the U.S, achieving its desired outcome (Iraq free of Iranian influence and willing to contract with the U.S. on oil production)? None (not even slim).
I agree. If we pull out and refuse to try.. no chance in hell.
Posts: 2167 | Location: CA | Registered: 14 November 2003
Joe Syznal posted: "It is no secret Ahmedianjad along with his mullahtocracy does not have the best interests of Iraq's entire population in mind."
Well, of course, Joe: being as the radical Sunni, which have infiltrated Iraq since Saddam's ouster, do not even consider Shia to be Muslim, I'd say Iran has a preference on which side it backs.
So, the U.S. has the best interests of Iraq's entire population in mind? How about the interest of screwing the whole lot, regardless of creed? The new oil law, which the U.S. is pushing, and of which the first draft happened to be written in English, creates a national "oil & gas panel" which has as permanent members executives of 2 U.S. oil companies, along with one from BP. This board will have final say on doling out the oil concession (terms of which are, conveniently, pending).
If the U.S. had as the highest priority the rebuilding of Iraq, it would lobby to keep the entire oil industry nationalized, allowing for only short-term technical contracting to neighboring states which are well versed in the latest technology (which Iraq is not, due to the sanctions).
The U.S. wants to bleed as much oil money out of Iraq as it can get away with.
The U.S. wants to bleed as much oil money out of Iraq as it can get away with.
Horse hockey. We are dumping so much money in that dry well that it will be generations before we break even. What money they generate in oil sales goes into running the government and they aren't producing enough oil to pay their bills, train troops or provide for their defence. We make up the difference. There is no profit to be made in our relationship with Iraq.
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
Posts: 8264 | Location: Fl | Registered: 05 July 2001
Sawdust posted: "Horse hockey. We are dumping so much money in that dry well that it will be generations before we break even."
Har! Sawdust, what you fail to realize is that we are dumping PUBLIC money into the black hole of Iraq and what will be siphoned-off of the Iraqi economy is PRIVATE CORPORATE PROFIT.
Or, does the balance sheet of Exxon-Mobil be accounted as part of the U.S. federal budget?
Pretty shallow view Brent. Companies deserve what profit they earn. The real issue at this point is whether Iraq is able to defend itself from Iran. If Iran moves into Iraq like Iraq moved into Kuwaite, it would control too large a percentage of the worlds oil. They would also be able to set energy pricing and nearly have a monoply in Middle Eastern oil.
It's a lot more complicated that your dislike of Exxon.
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.
Posts: 8264 | Location: Fl | Registered: 05 July 2001
Soldier overcomes cancer battle to serve in Iraq 18 February 2007
WO1 Mick Fraser, Regimental Sergeant Major of the Joint Helicopter Force Iraq. Photo by Cpl. Ian Forsyth, RLC.BASRAH — After finding out he had cancer four years ago, WO1 (RSM) Mick Fraser was unable to join his colleagues at 3 Regiment Army Air Corps when they deployed to Iraq. Now fully recovered, he is realising his lifelong ambition to undertake an operational tour.
Mick Fraser is an unassuming and reserved man. Talking to him you get no sense of the trauma and pain he has endured as he battled against non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma, a cancer of the lymphatic system. link
* * * * * * * * Without traditional regular moral principles that may be consulted confidently, justice cannot long endure anywhere.
Posts: 6275 | Location: Maine | Registered: 31 December 2005
Mainstream media only reports how many died today and make a conscience effort to not inform Americans of the progress in Iraq such as . .
quote:
Iraqi Army Support and Services Institute Thursday, 25 January 2007 In 2006, the Iraqi Army Support and Services Institute graduated 4,291 soldiers in various supply and logistics specialties. . . .
Security Operations Thursday, 25 January 2007 The Iraqi Security Forces conducted 7,000 counterinsurgency, border control and infrastructure security operations without Coalition assistance during 2006.
.....
Military Police School Thursday, 25 January 2007 The Military Police School, which trains both Military Policemen and Corrections Specialists, graduated 2,541 officers in 2006.
* * * * * * * * Without traditional regular moral principles that may be consulted confidently, justice cannot long endure anywhere.
Posts: 6275 | Location: Maine | Registered: 31 December 2005
In 2006, the Iraqi Army Support and Services Institute graduated 4,291 soldiers in various supply and logistics specialties.
I understand the instructors at that school were the same guys in charge of those pallets with 30 tons of cash, totalling 9 billion dollars, that somehow got misplaced.
Here's a pic of one of them in his new job...
"These things which man purports to admire-the noble, the brilliant, the splendid-these are the very things he cannot tolerate when he finds them."-----Mark Clifton
Posts: 5565 | Location: hoffman estates il | Registered: 01 April 2003
Sawdust posted: "Pretty shallow view Brent. Companies deserve what profit they earn."
Sawdust: what the "F" does that have to do with what we were talking about, which is the fact of the U.S. depleting the public treasury in order to facilitate sweet deals for private industry?
You had made the ridiculous point that the U.S. government spending money on the occupation was somehow to be offset by ExxonMobil reaping a huge profit through the oil PSA. That's what we were talking about.
As for your (unrelated) ridiculous point: "Companies deserve what they earn". Yeah, and so? If we really wanted Iraq rebuilt, as a priority, we'd make sure the money stayed in Iraq, rather than be repatriated.
As for your point about Iran: you really think the Iranians are going to militarily invade Iraq? Where'd you get THAT??? The Iraqi gov't is practically a sister to Iran already. No invasion is needed.
"These things which man purports to admire-the noble, the brilliant, the splendid-these are the very things he cannot tolerate when he finds them."-----Mark Clifton
Posts: 5565 | Location: hoffman estates il | Registered: 01 April 2003
"These things which man purports to admire-the noble, the brilliant, the splendid-these are the very things he cannot tolerate when he finds them."-----Mark Clifton
Posts: 5565 | Location: hoffman estates il | Registered: 01 April 2003
just as well, it's a good example of how right-wing jerks think it's ok to portray our troops in such a distorted manner that trying to bring them home is somehow bad for their moral.
I'll bet there are thousands of reservists and National Guard who love to give this guy a rifle butt to the nose.
"These things which man purports to admire-the noble, the brilliant, the splendid-these are the very things he cannot tolerate when he finds them."-----Mark Clifton
Posts: 5565 | Location: hoffman estates il | Registered: 01 April 2003
The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries. Winston Churchill
Posts: 623 | Location: lefortovo | Registered: 09 February 2006
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