From the Independent:
White House is ambushed by criticism from America’s military community
By Andrew Gumbel in Los Angeles
20 September 2003
George Bush probably owes his presidency to the absentee military voters who nudged his tally in Florida decisively past Al Gore’s. But now, with Iraq in chaos and the reasons for going to war there mired in controversy, an increasingly disgruntled military poses perhaps the gravest immediate threat to his political future, just one year before the presidential elections.
From Vietnam veterans to fresh young recruits, from seasoned officers to anxious mothers worried about their sons’ safety on the streets of Baghdad and Fallujah, the military community is growing ever more vocal in its opposition to the White House.
“I once believed that I served for a cause: ‘To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States’. Now I no longer believe that,” Tim Predmore, a member of the 101st Airborne Division serving near Mosul, wrote in a blistering opinion piece this week for his home newspaper, the Peoria Journal Star in Illinois. “I can no longer justify my service for what I believe to be half-truths and bold lies.”
The dissenters - many of whom have risked deep disapproval from the military establishment to voice their opinions - have set up websites with names such as Bring Them Home Now. They have cried foul at administration plans to cut veterans’ benefits and scale back combat pay for troops still in Iraq. They were furious at President Bush for reacting to military deaths in Iraq with the phrase “bring 'em on”…
Oh, of course. Bring the boys home and just leave Iraq a complete mess.
Parents of soldiers should not complain when their son and or daughter *sign up* for military service. They were not drafted, they chose to join.
There is no controversey. Bush's announcement that there were no links between Saddam and 9-11 was, I thought, common knowledge. Saddam and Al-Queda, however, is well documented. This is simply Bush pandering to liberals. For some fucking reason Bush can not stand up for what he believes in without fear of the left. That or Bush has morons for advisors. Maybe a little of both.
Yeah those soldiers’ moms sure are stupid for wanting their kids to get hurt. The soldiers themselves sure are stupid for thinking they shouldn’t be there & criticizing the government for it. Risking your life & not knowing why is much cooler than not doing it, especially if it’s someone else doing it.
I have the utmost respect for the men and women of the military. I have relatives that have served, one in World War II. He is a true hero and I’m truly greatful for his sacrifice (he served in the Philipines).
However, when a person joins the amry they are asked to put their country ahead of everything and are ordered to do things they don't like to do. It's done this way for a reason. The article used the word "many" to describe the amount of people who were questioning their government. Perhaps these individuals should have thought twice about joining. Had these people been drafted into the military I could understand their frustration, but they weren't.
MQ I guess you never served in the millitary. You will never get it the feeling you get to were the colors of your country to risk your life for someone you don’t know. Why even bring this stuff up you can’t even understand.
I don’t know why you do this, do you hate america and americans that much?
First of all to think that the soldiers don’t know why they are risking their lives is ridiculous. Second a lot of the soldiers that are their did not join to fight they joined because of the oppurtunities that the military provides, and now that they have to do what they swore to do they disagree and blame somebody else for there decision. whether the soldier or the family agrees with it or not war and death is a part of the human way, and if you choose to join the military without weighing all of the risks it is your own fault.
One more thing MQ. Why back a man and his family when the will shoot a surredering human being and vidio tape it So there Father can see. Why back a man and his sons who will beat there sports teams and inprison them for losing. Why back a man who will pluck the eyeballs out of children whythere parrents watch. Why back a man why will put you naked in a room with acid dripping from the celling, always having to move not knowing where it will drip from next.
Why bring up things you know little about and are unwilling or cannot change
Why dude Why?
Why do you only post this crap never anything usefull?
Why spread the hate instead of love and understanding.
I just want to know these things to better understand you and where you comefrom.
“I once believed that I served for a cause: ‘To uphold and defend the Constitution of the United States’. Now I no longer believe that,” Tim Predmore, a member of the 101st Airborne Division serving near Mosul, wrote in a blistering opinion piece this week for his home newspaper, the Peoria Journal Star in Illinois. “I can no longer justify my service for what I believe to be half-truths and bold lies.”
You must have missed that part. That’s why everyone’s so pissed off. There’s a reporter working for ABC news or something who did a segment on soldiers who said that if Bush & Rumsfeld were there, he’d ask for their resignation. Of course, the TV station said right away that he was just a gay Canadian journalist, as if that would discredit him or something, even though he’s openly gay & openly Canadian. He doesn’t pretend that he’s not, like Bush still pretends that there are WMD & democracy still to be had in Iraq.
MQ. What would you have the people here do? Write about how right you are and how Bush / Blair are a two bloodthirsty idiots who manipulated popular opinion to wage an unpopular / unnecessary war for oil, for bolstering chosen multinational corporations by giving them multimillion dollar contracts, for ? Do you want them to bow down and agree with yourself and the other naysayers?
What use would that be now?
Aside from that, how would you fix the current situation?
Really, if you were Bush / Blair now, what would you do?
If you pulled out of Iraqi without stabilizing the country, think of the consequences. Given that it would be a terrorist recruitment poster (destroy the lands without rebuilding it) and given the government budgets are what they are (not enough for police, fire, INS, etc); then wouldn’t you be afraid that 9/11 would happen again and again?
How much does it take before people realize that being against the War does not mean being anti-American, it does not mean being anti-soldiers. Obviously there are times when war is necessary, although we could be at a point in civilization where it shouldn’t be necessary, but we aren’t. The problem is the reasons that our administration gave for the war. The problem is the lack of planning that the administration put forth. The problem, is that even soldiers who are willing to put their country before their lives, are realizing that they are dying for no reason, no cause, no benefit to anyone anymore. How can you question their right to ask their leader why the f*ck they are there? They aren’t abandoning their squads, they are merely asking for an explanation.
“How can you question their right to ask their leader why the f*ck they are there? They aren’t abandoning their squads, they are merely asking for an explanation.”
It is not their place to ask for an explanation. That’s why they are called ORDERS.
And now, back to our regularly scheduled troll-fest…
Get 'cher red hot troll snacks here…that’s right, get 'em now, get 'em fresh…
Because, enderje, if you have to take the time to explain every detail to your subordinates your dead, period. My job is not to figure out if Bush is right or wrong but to go and do what I am trained to do, without question. If you have never served than you will not understand this concept. Right, Wrong, makes no difference.
God the Millitary was so cool no questions asked just action.
If you need to question then you have no right to protect us.
Sorry I was taken out so early in my carear but atlest I was protecting when it happend.
If your a leg your a poog.Airborne