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It is Pats birthday on November 6, and elections are the day after. It gets me thinking about a conversation I had with Pat before we joined the military. He spoke about the risks with signing the papers. How once we committed, we were at the mercy of the American leadership and the American people. How we could be thrown in a direction not of our volition. How fighting as a soldier would leave us without a voice until we got out.
Much has happened since we handed over our voice:
Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that cant be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that.
Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.
Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few bad apples in the military.
Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. Its interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat.
Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes.
Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground.
Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started.
Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated.
Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated.
Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated.
Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated.
Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe.
Somehow torture is tolerated.
Somehow lying is tolerated.
Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense.
Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world.
Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.
Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.
Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world.
Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance.
Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country.
Somehow this is tolerated.
Somehow nobody is accountable for this.
In a democracy, the policy of the leaders is the policy of the people. So dont be shocked when our grandkids bury much of this generation as traitors to the nation, to the world and to humanity. Most likely, they will come to know that somehow was nurtured by fear, insecurity and indifference, leaving the country vulnerable to unchecked, unchallenged parasites.
Luckily this country is still a democracy. People still have a voice. People still can take action. It can start after Pats birthday.
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/200601019_after_pats_birthday/
Man overboard! NATO, I could not disagree more with your recent posts. The article posted above reads like the kind of twisted crap one finds published in Le Monde. I am not going to dispute the outrageous tripe written by Kevin Tillman, who wears sympathy for his brother like a political campaign button. It is, however, interesting to observe that in an article where he shits all over the "illegal invasion" of Iraq, Kevin Tillman reminds us that he is Pat Tillman's brother, but somehow fails to recall for his readers that Pat Tillman was killed in Afghanistan. It sucks ass when someone uses sympathy for another, not to educate with fact, but rather to bloviate a political agenda. He uses his dead brother (how do we know what Pat's views on Iraq would be?) as a crutch because he does not have the strength to let his own arguments rise or fall as they may. I would say that Kevin Tillman has dishonored the memory of his brother, if not for the fact nothing, not even political excrement, could ever dishonor Pat's sacrifice.
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Somehow we were sent to invade a nation because it was a direct threat to the American people, or to the world, or harbored terrorists, or was involved in the September 11 attacks, or received weapons-grade uranium from Niger, or had mobile weapons labs, or WMD, or had a need to be liberated, or we needed to establish a democracy, or stop an insurgency, or stop a civil war we created that cant be called a civil war even though it is. Something like that. I guess this is supposed to be about the 'reasons' for Iraq invasion, that were never solely about WMD and never about Nigerian yellow cake.
Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is. This means what?
Somehow our elected leaders were subverting international law and humanity by setting up secret prisons around the world, secretly kidnapping people, secretly holding them indefinitely, secretly not charging them with anything, secretly torturing them. Somehow that overt policy of torture became the fault of a few bad apples in the military. Again, if enough things are 'thrown' some might stick. In any case, these are all they types of things that should have have been 'secret' but obviously weren't as we all, including Kevin, know about them.
Somehow back at home, support for the soldiers meant having a five-year-old kindergartener scribble a picture with crayons and send it overseas, or slapping stickers on cars, or lobbying Congress for an extra pad in a helmet. Its interesting that a soldier on his third or fourth tour should care about a drawing from a five-year-old; or a faded sticker on a car as his friends die around him; or an extra pad in a helmet, as if it will protect him when an IED throws his vehicle 50 feet into the air as his body comes apart and his skin melts to the seat. Ok, so we shouldn't have kids write to soldiers? That will help?
Somehow the more soldiers that die, the more legitimate the illegal invasion becomes. I can't believe someone posted this was well written. Did you mean without spelling errors?
Somehow American leadership, whose only credit is lying to its people and illegally invading a nation, has been allowed to steal the courage, virtue and honor of its soldiers on the ground. This is sounding more and more like John Kerry in the 1970's.
Somehow those afraid to fight an illegal invasion decades ago are allowed to send soldiers to die for an illegal invasion they started. Even moreso
Somehow faking character, virtue and strength is tolerated. Who is he talking about? Our soldiers? Why mercyme, could this all be about Bush?
Somehow profiting from tragedy and horror is tolerated. Oh my, why do I hear 'Halliburton?'
Somehow the death of tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of people is tolerated. Now who is supposed to be? We know well over 2k US military killed. Any ninny would assume about 10X or more Iraqis, either civilians or insurgents. Hundreds? Would that be Afghanistan? Nope, would have to assume more there too. So where?
Somehow subversion of the Bill of Rights and The Constitution is tolerated. Uh, yeah, right.
Somehow suspension of Habeas Corpus is supposed to keep this country safe. With Congress and US Supreme Court in basic agreement.
Somehow torture is tolerated. Ok, once again this is getting just off.
Somehow lying is tolerated. ditto
Somehow reason is being discarded for faith, dogma, and nonsense. ditto
Somehow American leadership managed to create a more dangerous world. Right, this is getting old.
Somehow a narrative is more important than reality.
Somehow America has become a country that projects everything that it is not and condemns everything that it is.
Somehow the most reasonable, trusted and respected country in the world has become one of the most irrational, belligerent, feared, and distrusted countries in the world. That started well before 9/11, much less Iraq.
Somehow being politically informed, diligent, and skeptical has been replaced by apathy through active ignorance. Maybe in his world.
Somehow the same incompetent, narcissistic, virtueless, vacuous, malicious criminals are still in charge of this country. No, in actuality they are trying to win Nov. 7 and TAKE control of what they can.
Somehow this is tolerated. As oppossed to assissination or what?
Somehow nobody is accountable for this. On this perhaps we can agree, go vote.
I guess this is supposed to be about the 'reasons' for Iraq invasion, that were never solely about WMD and never about Nigerian yellow cake.
Again, if enough things are 'thrown' some might stick. In any case, these are all they types of things that should have have been 'secret' but obviously weren't as we all, including Kevin, know about them.
Ok, so we shouldn't have kids write to soldiers? That will help?
I can't believe someone posted this was well written. Did you mean without spelling errors?
This is sounding more and more like John Kerry in the 1970's.
Even moreso
Why mercyme, could this all be about Bush?
Oh my, why do I hear 'Halliburton?'
So where?
Uh, yeah, right.
With Congress and US Supreme Court in basic agreement.
Ok, once again this is getting just off.
Right, this is getting old.
That started well before 9/11, much less Iraq.
Maybe in his world.
No, in actuality they are trying to win Nov. 7 and TAKE control of what they can.
As oppossed to assissination or what?
On this perhaps we can agree, go vote./QUOTE]
It's a start.
Oh... and if you don't want the garbage that comes off of the blogs, you might want to check out this site... real Iraq and Afghanistan vets talking about the real things they're facing.
http://www.iava.org/index.php
