CAMP STRYKER, Iraq - The first warning that many U.S. troops receive here in Baghdad isn’t about the rampant IEDs (improvised explosive devices), or the RPGs (rocket propelled grenades), or even the EFPs (explosively formed projectiles). It’s about the PCPs: the pervasive combat paunches.
As I wait for my C-130 flight from Kuwait to western Baghdad, a soldier tells me about a PowerPoint slide that’s becoming popular in Army briefings: “Back in 2003, the average soldier lost 15 pounds during his tour of Iraq,” he recounts. “Now, he gains 10.”
Arriving at Camp Stryker, I get to savor the dilemma firsthand. My low-slung Army tent is pitched just down the road from a Pizza Hut, a Burger King and a Green Beans Coffee — the war-zone cousin of Starbucks that sells mocha frappes for a cheeky $4.25. Around the corner sits a massive chow hall run by former Halliburton subsidiary KBR Inc. where troops load up on four varieties of fried meats and five flavors of Baskin Robbins. The facility is billed as “all-you-can-eat,” and, trust me, soldiers do.
Traveling all the way to a war zone to report on military calorie counts may seem like the height of triviality, especially as Baghdad’s security situation implodes. But Camp Stryker’s butterball cuisine is more than a frivolous aside; it’s an entree into the general engorgement of the war itself.
Where, for instance, do the mountains of beef patties, pecan pies and Coco Puffs come from? The Houston-based KBR farms out most of its $27-billion government contract to Gulf states middlemen, who greet initial food shipments in Kuwait. Low-wage Pakistani and Nepali subcontractors then distribute the goods to U.S. mess halls, where even lower-wage Indians and Sri Lankans prepare them for the troops. All along the route are markups galore, sometimes exceeding 500 percent.
This logistical gravy train creates the unchecked fat on America’s profile here in Baghdad. The bloat applies to basic counterinsurgency strategy, too. Even after Gen. David Petraeus shifted several units out of giant bases and into Joint Security Stations — humbler urban outposts where soldiers, to use the general’s words, live “among those we are trying to protect” — the average U.S. camp remains a behemoth and a glutton. Over 70 percent of American troops here are classified as “support” forces, meaning they may never step outside the wire to engage in local operations or address community grievances over a customary glass of chai. These big-base bureaucrats are known to front-line soldiers as “Fobbits”– a play on the acronym for “forward-operating base” (FOB) that echoes J.R.R. Tolkien’s plump, provincial milquetoasts.
The whole scenario unfolds to the ironic soundtrack of “support the troops.” The FOB experience in Iraq, particularly on larger posts, is defined by countless privatized efforts to console and distract: mini-marts where soldiers can buy PlayStations and Harley-Davidsons; KBR recreation facilities where they can shoot pool or take salsa lessons; fast food joints where they can kick back with a non-alcoholic beer and a personalized pizza. Such perks ostensibly make soldiers feel more at home. But many insist that the surreal arrangement only highlights what they’ve been asked to leave behind. A baseline fact remains: Troops’ psyches can’t be bought with bikes or bacon double cheeseburgers (or re-enlistment bonuses, or college loans, or fill-in-the-latest-bait) — especially after Gen. George Casey’s acknowledgment that “the current demand for our forces exceeds the sustainable supply.”
Passing time in a rec tent back in Kuwait, I chat with a soft-spoken 28-year-old sergeant who is preparing to fly back into the caldron of Baghdad’s Sadr City after three weeks of R&R in Georgia. In a room strewn with crepe paper palm trees and plastic hula skirts left over from the previous night’s “Spring Fling Luau,” the two of us look like attendees at a cornball junior prom. But the sergeant’s mind is a long way from such frivolities: He has recently lost his squad leader, and two other soldiers from his area of operations were killed a few days later.
Burying his head in his hands as we talk, he says: “All the Burger Kings in the world wouldn’t be enough for this. Some of us are on our third or fourth tours, and we just can’t do this anymore — we really can’t.”
Copyright © 2008 Truthdig, L.L.C.
I’d like to thank all the democrats for keeping our troops trapped in Iraq.
Be sure to vote for democrats this fall, and then act shocked when nothing changes.
Ok, friends, please share your observations here as a sort of fact-check. One guardsman from my building served a 15 month tour in Iraq. He left here much thinner than most Americans. He came back (thank God for that) absolutely SKINNY!
So, I don’t buy the premise of this piece, except for the last 2 paragraphs.
Anyone else care to share?
So, while the vile occupiers bloat their bellies in their “Green Zone” and bases, Iraqi corpses bloat under the rubble of their homes.
skeezyks,
A single anecdote does not discount Ms. Stillman’s story. As someone who dines an a number of government facilities, the story seems very believable to me.
a little trickle down economics for the supply and distribution? sure, what’s wrong with that? more free market than development projects for nepal.
and what’s wrong with a little distraction for the troops? maybe it helps postpone the PTSD and extend the viability of a soldier for another tour.
it’s well past the time to be surprised by how grotesque this war is. a handful of corporations (aka major shareholders) have, are and will profit handsomely, and the peoples of iraq, american soldiers and their families, and middle and working class americans will pay for it.
if you don’t like it, stop voting in representatives who perpetuate the cycle, divest yourself of the companies that profit, and support voices of dissent.
and skeezyks, you are completely missing the point.
Would you rather them consume a tin of food dated 1952 Korea and a pack of Lucky Strikes.
I have, and they’ve much to be desired.
You must have not been to busy to write this one.
In the words of Pat Paulsen…and I quote…
Picky…Picky…Picky
banjoman
So many troops are coming home with mental problems because modern day Americans aren’t made for modern warfare. Our understanding of war is out of whack with the reality of what war is like today. We were good at conventional warfare. We could operate successfully when the terms of war were clearly established. The enemy was clearly defined. There were front lines and everyone wore uniforms. And war always took place outside of the US. However, since WW2 warfare has changed. But our image of war has not. We still think that war can be a solution to a political problem. We still think we can fight war in a humane way. We still think war will bring about positive change. This is why so many vets are experiencing PTSD when they return from America’s current wars. They have many contradictions bouncing around in their heads. They are shocked by what they see and experience. And many can’t deal with the death of so many civilians, especially women and children. (A lesson unlearned from the Vietnam War.) Except for their families, they return to a country that basically doesn’t know about, and doesn’t care about, what they have been doing the last year. They come home with a new definition of war in their mind, to a country that still gets its war information and images from TV. Fitting back in isn’t easy when you feel like complaining all the time. The troops know they have been given an impossible task. It’s a war they can not win. It’s a political war. The winners will be the politicians who orchestrated the war, not the troops who fought it.
You go to war expecting to see and experience what your mind has defined as war. It’s the responsibility of the veterans to overhaul our society’s definition of war. A Department of Peace would be a good start.
Hoa binh
“Would you rather them consume a tin of food dated 1952 Korea and a pack of Lucky Strikes.”
No, I would rather all these vile obese, arrogant Amerikkans pack their fucking bags, and go home.
banjo - I’ve told you before, if it sounds so good killing gooks, I mean ragheads, in Baghdad while scarfing down fast food from Cheney’s victory compost heap, by all means go. Go and do us all a favor.
Usan,
And what would happen just by going home? Hundreds of thousands would be systimatically massacered by these insurgent animals.
And don’t go saying “thats what you Ammerrikkannns did” either.
Doesn’t sound very kind and compassionate to me, and neither does it to you” It’s not that simple…perhaps you need to grow up a little….at least have a good nap.
By the way, do you kiss your mother with a foul mouth like that? Well, DO YOU???????
wcdev…you never heard me use terms like gook, raghead, “towelhead” etc. Boy oh boy, you CD addicts love to call names. How mature? I’ll ask my kids.
lookin’ out for you…..banjoman
This is one big abuse shame cycle. How dare BushCheneyRice, et cabal submit these soldiers to this Hellish fate, not to mention every sentient being they come in contact with! For what good purpose, what honor? Bush has been running from this question for years now. As well as from Real heroes like The Sheehans and The Tilmans and others. If our soldiers are our creation, our progeny, this is akin to child abuse. It is certainly Planet and Humanity abuse!
banjoman speaks like right wingers I know.
Disregarding the Iraqis slaughtered during Gulf Massacre 1, disregarding the estimated 500,000 dead during the sanctions decade, disregarding the 1,000,000 dead in the last 5 years, he believes that the American presence in Iraq is PREVENTING DEATHS!
How deluded do you have to be to believe such a thing?
Especially since the “civil war” didn’t start until 2005, when the US ruling class announced that they were turning to the “Salvadorean Solution” and the death squads were set up by John Negroponte and James Steele, veterans of the death squads of the 1980s in Central America.
We don’t know what would happen if the US pulled out of Iraq, but it couldn’t be worse for the already dead, and it may be better for the millions who have been driven from their homes, or locked into their neighborhoods by concrete barricades, who are harassed by checkpoints and troops breaking into their homes. We certainly can’t assume that things would be worse.
We have not even started to pay the butchers bill for this mess. Many of our soldiers are going to come back as killers either of themselves or their spouses, not to speak of the hundreds of thousands of people they have already killed over there. I find it difficult to hold a single one of the people in the Middle East as my enemy, but our government has other goals than many of us. The rich make money, the soldiers are broken tools who are going to be sleeping under the overpasses of America for the next 40 years. Not to worry about the breakage, our government knows how to obtain others to do the dirty work. If you doubt that, About half the homeless in America are Vietnam Veterans.
Veteran ‘66-68
Alice in Wonderland time: We have to stay there to prevent their deaths.
“So many troops are coming home with mental problems because modern day Americans aren’t made for modern warfare.”
I was sort of thinking that Americans aren’t made to be overlord occupiers of a sovereign country. That’s not what this country is about. This isn’t a war, it’s an occupation.
These corporations are killing Americans there and here more efficiently than any “insurgent”.
banjo - Planning on sending your kids to McSame’s 100-yr war to perpetuate Cheney’s oil profits? Just wondrin’.
Banjoman- How many deaths have been ‘prevented’ by the UTTERLY ILLEGAL use of CLUSTER BOMBS IN SADR CITY….a poverty stricken CIVILIAN section of Baghdad?
The DELIBERATE BOMBING of CIVILIAN TARGETS is A WAR CRIME! This is defined in the UN charter, as well as the NUREMBERG PROTOCOLS! Bombing civilian targets is classified as a CRIME AGAINST HUMANITY by the GENEVA CONVENTIONS!
You are so quick to stand up in defense of the murderous action of US soldiers and their commanders, all the way to the Whitehouse. Did you ever even stop to consider that you are defending the IDENTICAL actions that Nazi Germany committed? Do you also defend the acts of TORTURE that were approved ALL THE WAY TO THE DESK OF GEORGE W.BUSH? Acts of torture that are a COMPLETE VIOLATION of US and international law, as well as the US Constitution? The very same Constitution that as a soldier (as you all too frequently remind us of how proud you were to wear the uniform) you SWORE to defend from all enemies, foreign and DOMESTIC?!
THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION IS A COUP! THEY ARE THE VERY EVIL YOU SWORE TO DEFEND AGAINST!
IF you answer yes to defending these utterly immoral, criminal actions, then may you be called to answer for your actions. And submit to the judgement you will so richly have earned.
Democrats’ latest budgeting compromise should be relabeled:
“Guns and Butter for Butter”
Also, just remember the SHEER MONSTROUS SIZE of the so-called ‘US embassy’ in Baghdad.
That is not an embassy.
It is the command center/governor’s palace for the undeclared Protected State of Iraq.
Think about it.
Iraq is the NEW PEURTO RICO!
And just like PR, the population is subject to random bombardment of it’s territories.
This entire article is just the gentle reminder that the US is committing CULTURAL GENOCIDE! I have even seen an article about the Disney planned and supported Iraq theme park. (the article is on Global Research for those who are interested…)
Hoa Binh, John Freeman & mairs -
“The troops know they have been given an impossible task. It’s a war they can not win. It’s a political war. The winners will be the politicians who orchestrated the war, not the troops who fought it.”
I spent 13 months near the Korean DMZ during ‘69-’70. There is an enormous, mind boggling difference between the current occupation of Iraq by US forces, and the “occupation” of South Korea (or post-WW II Japan or Germany) by American troops.
It absolutely infuriates me to hear Little George, John McCain, and other supposedly national security savvy civilian leaders (and of course General Petraeus) fall back upon such dangerous, half-baked analogies to justify more tinkering with counterinsurgency strategies and force levels, while the US media uncritically slurps the comparisons up with a spoon. Now that McCain has clarified that he’ll maintain the occupation if elected President for ten years, or a hundred more years provided there’s “no, or very few” American casualties, somebody (vets perhaps?) need to speak up about how this scenario is not only historical horseshit, but reckless, wacky, and wishful strategic thinking.
As to “the politicians who orchestrated the war” being “the winners” in Iraq, I say don’t count those chickens until they’ve hatched and come fully home to roost.
What I find most interesting in Sarah Stillman’s article is the level of blatant, tax subsidized profiteering involved just in feeding our forces stationed in Iraq. If the politicians who did the war’s orchestrating are later discovered to have also profited financially, the returning troops will be leading the push to send some big Bushies off to the big house.
Bill from Saginaw
Lovely and inspiring reporting Sarah !
The devil is in the details !
Talk about minions of the capitalist pigs !
Our young here at home are often too fat to even enlist although I understand they have lowered the bar on obesity and felonies so more of the proud and the few can go to Iraq and kill for oil corporations while eating themselves into an early grave.
Forget about IED’s, these murdering morons are going to keep eating until they explode !
And what about brothels and comfort women? Are these contracted through KBR? Or do some soldiers force their chances with the local population or colleagues?
banjoman,
The Iraqi “insurgent animals”, just like the “communist monkeys” in another land we invaded, are merely fighting to drive the invaders off their soil and punish the traitors and mercenary spies who collaborate with the invader.
The occupation is the cause of the violence, so rest assured, If the US would simply leave, there would be peace. The overwhelming majority of Iraqis have expressed this in surveys.
If the US was invaded by a foreign state, who’s side would you be on? And, would you show traitors and spies any sympathy?
Every day at Cameron Bay in Vienam, a dozen or more C-141s arrived, loaded with fresh vegetables, 40 pound boxes of beef, chicken, pork, fresh fruit, coffee, milk and tea, beer and whiskey. Others arrived with loads of window air conditioners and small refrigerators, while cargo ships offloaded other “critical” supplies.
My room at “Herky Hill” on Cameron Bay, was air ocnditioned, I had a refrig, usually stuffed with beer, ice and food. The best chowhall I ever ate in during my 23 year Air Force career was at Hue in 1969.
It was an Army mess run by a young corporal and the food was as good as any five star hotel restaurant. All you wanted for the hour it was open for breakfast, dinner or supper. There were no corrupt KBR contracts then where Cheney’s earned a kickback. The officers had the same food, only that screened off area had tablecloths, sterling siver and waitresses.
For breakfast, a dozen eggs to order if desired, three types of meat, SOS, fresh baked danish, fruit juices, coffee, milk, cereals, pankckes, toast, hash browns or home fries and a variety of fresh or canned fruits. We also had the Stars and Stripes daily newsparer to read to see if we were winning or losing the war.
I had a Marine Sgt Major stay in my room at Cameron, he used the other bed, which like the rest of our room and laundry was taken care of by a Vietnamese housemaid who earned $2 bucks a week from myself and twenty others and any gifts of soap, candy, canned food, etc, we gave her. She was a swell little old lady. Our romms were spotless when we came in after a 12 hour shift of duty or a two day tour of flying supplies in-country.
That Marine sergant could have spent two weeks R and R in Bancock, Taipai, or Tokyo. Al he wanted was clean sheets, daily hot water showers and peace and quiet. Funny, We had a rocket and sapper attack the third night he was there. The only one the Cameron Bay base ever had. Hue, Danang, etc, had em almost every night.
And the C and K rations we had during the Korean conflict and for a few years after were alright ~BANJOMAN~. Whatever your silly and childish point was?
The point I see of this article is, to display the incredible stupidity of war and just an example of how wasteful, corrupt and insane it all is. Also why it’s costing us, we the people, billions every month to have troops in Iraq. For what? ___ For what? ___ We know for what?
Good posts: SINCE 1942: “Only the enlightened warrior understands the BENEFITS of peace.”
GALEN/GREENER THAN THOU: Good work trying to bring sanity to those so blinded by jingoism they cannot see.
Thank you banjoman for breaking the monotony of censensus. We need a caveman here and there to keep us awake. keep up the good work!
Kem Patrick: How nice to hear of your vacation in vietnam. Did you commit any war crimes or just watched them happen? 23 YEARS in the air force. DID YOU DROP ANY BOMBS? Any idea who you murdered? Thank you for your service.
What Congress Really Approved: Benchmark No. 1: Privatizing Iraq’s Oil for US Companies
By Ann Wright
t r u t h o u t | Guest Contributor
(complete article should be read by anyone who thinks there is something honorable or Christian about occupying Iraq)
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/052607Z.shtml
Saturday 26 May 2007
“On Thursday, May 24, the US Congress voted to continue the war in Iraq. The members called it “supporting the troops.” I call it stealing Iraq’s oil - the second largest reserves in the world. The “benchmark,” or goal, the Bush administration has been working on furiously since the US invaded Iraq is privatization of Iraq’s oil. Now they have Congress blackmailing the Iraqi Parliament and the Iraqi people: no privatization of Iraqi oil, no reconstruction funds.”
” This threat could not be clearer. If the Iraqi Parliament refuses to pass the privatization legislation, Congress will withhold US reconstruction funds that were promised to the Iraqis to rebuild what the United States has destroyed there. The privatization law, written by American oil company consultants hired by the Bush administration, would leave control with the Iraq National Oil Company for only 17 of the 80 known oil fields. The remainder (two-thirds) of known oil fields, and all yet undiscovered ones, would be up for grabs by the private oil companies of the world (but guess how many would go to United States firms - given to them by the compliant Iraqi government.)”
“Ann Wright served 29 years in the US Army and US Army Reserves and retired as a colonel. She served 16 years in the US diplomatic corps in Nicaragua, Grenada, Somalia, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Sierra Leone, Afghanistan, Micronesia and Mongolia. She resigned from the US Department of State in March, 2003 in opposition to the war on Iraq.”
And what was that bumper sticker back during the Nam era ?
KILL FOR PEACE
It’s none of your business what I did in the service ~LIZARD~. Vietnam wasn’t exactly a vacation BTW. Some days there were no clean sheets or decent food, some days we had to fight, or hide from rocket attacks or crawl out of a burning shot down C-130.
Many of the combat troops had it really bad for an entire year. I shed my share of blood and we lost thousands of our servicemen there and many more thousands of Vietnamese were wounded or died for no good reason. I was no more responsible for that unjust war or the ones currently being conducted than any other American citizen is.
I never saw any war crimes occur there, but know there were many. Just starting those wars is a war crime. I don’t appreciate havng an asshole like you respond to my posts, but realize it may happen and sometimes does and I don’t allow it to bother me one little bit, I will usually respond to them.
This site is to learn from one another, exchange ideas and opinions and offer experiences to fortify the authors whenever possible. We can also take time to have a little fun here at times. You are neither, informative, fun nor funny. You still on drugs “Doctor” Lizard?
As I read this I couldn’t help but remember the following essay published here yesterday: Is There an Army Cover Up of Rape and Murder of Women Soldiers? In that light it bears asking, how much of “home” have the war profiteers brought with them to Iraq?
Oh poor you. You must have suffered so much between killings.
As irreverent and contentious as this thread has become it would be nice to mention that many Iraqis do not have enough to eat.
Fat Americans in a starving world pretty much sums up the situation.
Sarah Stillman has rendered a great service by bringing this to the attention of the general public. The military recruiters must pick up on this and turn it in to a recruitment tool. “All you can eat all the time”. The recruitment shortage will disappear in an instant.
Just think.
US servicemen are gorging themselves on personal pizzas. And Starbucks latte. And Burger King.
All while there are food riots in Haiti, and the specter of food rationing raises it’s head in North America.
This should be some interesting times. As in the Chinese curse….
KEM- Thanks for sharing your perspective on your service. No rah-rah chest thumping like Banjo. Makes me wonder if Banjo’s hitch was along the lines of a certain scion of the Bush family and his ‘Champagne Squadron’ service…
So tell us ~Lizard~ when one of your Canadian Mounties kills a citizen with a tazer, do you try to stop it, or do you just watch and have a orgasism? ___ You sick minded soul. Thanks for trying to screw up a deceent thread here once again with your incredible rants.
Excellent point Kalia, this entire conquest of Iraq has been nothng more than money for Halliburton, KBr, Cheney and some other bastards who are ruining our nation. If McCain is elected it will continue.
If starting those wars is a war crime, then participating in them must be also. Is an apology not , therefore, warranted? Should you not be punished?
“Many of our soldiers are going to come back as killers”
Especially now that the army is recruiting criminals, and the mentally ill. If any of them need that final push over the edge, a couple of years of shooting ragheads with absolute impunity is sure to do it.
Another interesting problem on the horizon is gang members coming back from the war with a first-hand knowledge of just how helpless straight society is against IEDs. Expect police stations - and police - to be bombed so regularly that it stops making the news.
By some of the opinions stated here, anyone who ever served in militay service should be arrested and placed in prison. We shouldn’t have a military. I suppose that makes good sense to some. Wonder how that might turn out?
What we need, is a president who isn’t crazy and a government that is not fascist, our government currenty is and that’s our fault. Not even half of us bother to vote.
The Vietnam War was immoral. Those who led it should be in prison. The same is true of Iraq. If those who participate would learn from Muhammed Ali and Lt.Watada and do what is right, and their constitutional duty, they would not serve. It is unrealistic to suggest prison for the entire US army, but would it be wrong?
ALL of our military who have served in Iraq or Afganastan are going to come back contaminted with DU and will suffer from radiation poisoning, or PTSD in some degree of contaminatiom.
The DU radiation readings in downtown Baghdad are 2,000 times above the safe limit. So if they return as killers, as you state ~PAUL M~, many will be crazy or seriously depressed also.
http://www.gulfwarvets.com/du_blowinginthewind.htm
Oh, I see ~LIZARD~. it is unrealistic to suggest prison for the ENTIRE US army, but Kem Patrick should be punished.___ Please do come and get me.
You’re friggin nuts you know. __ Well NO, of course you don’t know. Go snuff up some glue, or whatever it is you snuff and write some more stupidity here and display your ignorance and lack of any common sense.
My God, why in hell did I ever reply to this asshole? It’s screwing the thread up. I won’t reply to him again. It’s not even humerous.
The 200million donated by the US to try to address the current world food problems is a pittance.We need to withdraw from Iraq immediately-bring home the thousands of troops from Japan and Europe and close all but a handful of the hundreds of overseas bases.Then we’d be in a much better position to invest in the many urgent needs at home and still have funds for humanitarion needs worldwide.
A true peace candidate is desperately needed.
Amen ~KLEVER~ Amen!!
look at the bigger picture…the military in total has lost at least 720,000lbs since 2003
(180lbs x 4000)
Be very thankful none of them were your children ~Canuckchuck~. You forgot the fifty for this month so far and didn’t mention over a million Iraqis, including innocent women and children. Maybe your other canuck the ~Lizard~ can help you out there.
You are a “riot”.
Of course I’d imagine if any of your children were killed in Iraq, they’d most likely weigh lots more than 180 pounds, if they were as full of crap as you are.
Lizard in his insulting and rude way has posed a question I would be interested to hear peoples thoughts on.
If war is wrong then does participating in a war put one in the wrong?
If everybody refused to fight then there could be no war.
Would the threat of punishment later be a deterrent to stop people fighting in a war? Would it stop people joining the military or maybe increase the number of conscientious objectors who refused to fight in certain wars?
If it did work to dissuade people from fighting in wars would this be a good law for a peaceloving country?
An interesting philosophical question I thought even if Lizard was an ass about it.
mikk
Remember the Milo Minderbinder character in “Catch 22″? Sounds like KBR is the institutional equivalent. We’re definitely making progress when we take the war-profiteering out of the hands of individuals.
What Milo demonstrated in Catch 22 was that US corporations slowly took over (with military backing) the economies of the newly US occupied parts of Europe.
In Catch 22, Lt. Milo Finderbinder grew to have much more power and influence than all the generals and their men. All deferred to the Lt. because he incorporated the Italian economy.
For example, the old fashioned, and ancient Italian method of prostitution (which was semi-organized into family owned brothels) was efficiently reorganized and corporatized into Milo Enterprises.
After the reorganization, each customer had to wait in line after taking a number.
Today, US corporations and the US military work hand-in-hand during the post-20th c. wars of conquest and occupation. The US corporate franchises sprouting in Iraq’s forward bases diminish the time spent in line.
While “visiting” Iraq, US GIs can usually find a place to eat abundantly, shit, shower, cool off, entertain themselves, and drink loads of cool drinks, the average Iraqi cannot do so in his or her own country.
In fact, the Baghdad Iraqis many times find themselves imprisoned in their own neighborhoods as these neighborhoods are many times surrounded by 12 foot high walls.
They got a good deal from the US invasion and occupation. Didn’t they?
Kem Patrick and Lizard
Lizard: stop being rude. It blocks others from reading about the combat and occupation experiences of other contributors.
Anyway, you don’t really want to be a cold-blooded lizard, do you?
If you really want to condemn anyone, condemn all of the rich nations (and their peoples) because they all need the US military to substain the unequal exchange system that allows the wealthy to prey upon and suck the wealth from the impoverished, wretched of the earth.
Kem:
Keep us posted. I learn alot from you.
I was a military brat who had to live at Clark AFB because my dad was napalming the Ho Chi Mihn Trail.
Even he eventually wanted out. Because the Trail was so heavily defended with anti-aircraft guns, my Dad observed many US bombers (B 52s) in his squadron drop their load on unauthorized and unprotected civilian targets so as to not face these guns.
As a result, my Dad asked for a transfer to navigate those huge cargo planes (C 130s). He asked and got this transfer even though everyone knew that C 130s were almost deathtraps. (Many times, they would slowly lumber into a military runway loaded to the gills with high explosives; as such, they were excellent targets from snipers.)
Lizard. The Southeast Asian wars changed my Dad from a black-and-white person into a somewhat human father. However, he still maintained his cracky Rightwing views.
Just out of curiosity, how much is all of this delicious reminders-of-home junk food costing us on a daily basis???
mikk (and rather rudely, lizard), does bring up some questions.
I have wondered about this ever since the phrase “support the troops” became the mantra of the pro-war types, and the anti war people answered “we support the troops but not the war”
On one hand, saying a war of aggresson is immoral, but those fighting it are not, because either they were ignorant of the issues involved, or were obligated to follow orders (actually not true in the case of illegal orders) robs the soldiers of moral agency for their actions - literally makes them less than human. Being morally accountable for ones actions is how we distinguish humans from dogs, cats or people-eating grizzly bears.
One could barrow from the “christian” attitude of “love the sinner (soldier), hate the sin (war)”, but as anyone who has been the target of such an attitude knows, it is patronizing and condescending in the extreme - and we run into the moral agency problem again.
but one thing for certain; directly accusing a lower ranking serviceperson or former serviceperson of being a murderer, is hardly a way to positively influence people, as lizards rude accusations, and Kem’s justifiably angry response showed.
Lizard: Maybe you spent too much time in the sun. Maybe not. Compared to the amount of knowledge and information available to the general public in the 21st Century, most of us in the 60’s still believed the lies from the US Government. I told Tom Hayden about a year and a half ago, that he was one of the “smart one” and I was one of the “gullible ones.” I “drank the Kool-Aid” like millions of others did, and UNFORTUNATELY, still do! No excuses this time around. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me Twice, shame on me.” You hear that, “Coward-in-Chief and five deferrment Dick?
My old man served in the Army in WW2, and thanks to A-Bomb Harry, sent him off to Korea. I was the only child my parents had, and they were on pins and needles for a year. I was one of the lucky ones returning home in one piece but with a bitter attitude. From then on, I question everything I read or heard and nothing for granted, especially from our ‘Uncle Sam.’ To this day and until I croak, if anybody told me the sky is blue, I’ll compare it to a color chart from Kelly-Moore Paints to see if the colors match.You get the point I’m trying to make, I hope.
WE, the United States, were the bad guys in Vietnam. They had their internal problems, and as they defeated the French Foreign Legion in 1954 at Dien Bin Phu, Ho Chi Minh attempted to unite his country. By the way, after the Japanese Imperialsts surrendered, Uncle Ho asked for our help but the Dulles boys and others “just said no.” It’s common knowledge now, that the ‘Gulf of Tonkin’ incident was bogus, and if if LBJ didn’t invade Vietnam, he may have been remembered in posterity as the second greatest president in the 20th Century, after FDR.
About a year after I returned home, I told my Dad and Uncles and other WW2 veterans that I hoped The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics stays strong and maintains the capability of annilihlating our country, because if they ever fell apart, the US would try to take over the world. You can imagine the looks of astonishment by these war veterans who helped defeat the “superman” and the ’samurai.” My father, uncles, and most of these heros have passed on to the next plane of existence, but my position regarding “bullys” remains the same. This is why I support Vladimir Putin and Medvedev, and not the wacko from Crawford. My opinion means nothing except to me.
keyinside,
“I’d like to thank all the democrats for keeping our troops trapped in Iraq. Be sure to vote for democrats this fall, and then act shocked when nothing changes.”
Amen to that, keyinside! A very good post. Right to the point!
I’d like to see a peaceful insurrection of the troops in Iraq, and let’s not forget Afghanistan, united, standing together, refusing to follow orders for combat operations, and singing in harmonius music, the lyrics, ‘bring us home now! No more war! No more torture! No more violations of international law!” There are many talented people in uniform. They’ll get the song together. We want our people back NOW, before another unnecessary death or dismemberment manifests. Plus the silent mental problems.
Tomorrow starts the work stoppage to protest with action, this crime the Republicrats has unleashed in Iraq.
PLEASE join the movement by not working. Peace and Harmony.
As if on cue, this, from counterpunch:
http://www.counterpunch.com/oconnor04302008.html
If almost ALL__ I repeat,__ almost ALL ___ combat troops refused to serve or fight in Iraq or Afganastan, it would certainly send a message. Almost ~ALL~ is the key. It is not going to happen and here’s why.
First of all, they would have to be organized and have a leader, or a group of leaders and communicate with the rest. As soon as one or more started that type of communication, they’d be arrested for inciting treason. They could be executed, but probably just sentenced to 20 years hard labor, where they’d probably never live five years.
The few troops who do refuse annualy, are always arrested and court-martialed and either jailed or given dis-honorable discharges or both, and forever lose all of their rights as an American citizen and of course have great difficulty ever finding a decent job.
If we had a “Seven Day’s In May” type of military revolt, that could end the war in Iraq. Again, it would require at least a dozen or more top general officers, or the combined efforts of all of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the military branches to initiate such a scheme. That is about as likely as seeing Kucinich become the Demo candidate for the presidency, or seeing Pelosi start the impeachemt proceedings, or the price of gas drop to fifty cents a gallon.
It is just not going to happen. Look what happened to Admiral Fallon. Finally we absolutely do need a strong military as long as we have world leaders in almost every nation on Earth, who are suspicious, paranoid, power hungry or are insane. That is what has been going on since recorded history.
America is not going to disolve their military and it would be nutso to do so. Reality is often not pleasant or nice. Our problem is not our military at all. It’s we are now a fascist form of government, whether we wish to believe it or not.
Therefore our press and the media are controlled by the Neo-cons, who control everything, including who gets elected to high office. There are not enough ~Keith Olbermans~ or people who read Common Dreams. And Common Dreams is slowly but surely being taken over by the ~Lizard, ~Misanthorpe~ and ~Bojangels~ types and many have left here in utter disgust.
Thank you for the nice support here ~Balakirev~
Peaceman: excellent post. It makes me feel better. Thankyou
When you have principles you do what your principles say you should do. Ali didn’t wait for all soldiers to say no, he said no all by himself. So did Watada. It isn’t about what you accomplish by doing what is right, it is about dpoing what is right because it is right. Ali and Watada obviously understood something others don’t.
Lizard, Just stay on board with us.
KEM,
I disagree. When they band together, natural born leaders will emerge. You know darn well the ruling class, whether civillian or military, has always feared unity among the troops and workers. If enough of them stand pat, they’ll win. And us civillians must give them our support. “One court-martial, one day of the general you know what. One execution and we storm the Bastille. Enough playing pattycakes. This administration has contempt for everybody, save their wealthy cronies. Why should the troops obey them? If we didn’t respect the German answer of “following orders” (they would have been shot!) in Nuremberg, our military people shouldn’t be subject to the same disipline. How many of you saw the movie, ‘Sir, No Sir’? I recommend it.
And I’m not talking about dissolving the military. We protect our own country, not invade and threaten others (weaker, of course) around this globe. By the way, if people quit posting here because you think it is being taken over by the folks you mentioned, then we are going down, fast. On second thought, A worse scenario is our government taken over by fascists. Peace and Harmony.
Disagree if you like and support Lizard if you like ~Peaceman~. You should be aware though that one day he posted (75) seperate comments on a single thread, denying global warmng is a fact.
That mutiny comment was MY opinion, based upon 23 years of military experience and if you have spent any time in the military you should know that if a group of two or more got together and started talking about mutiny that they could be arrested and prosecuted just for discussing it. Read the Uniform Code of Military Justice before you get to sure of yourself.
If you don’t thik that this site is not being over-run with neo-cons, you have not been paying attention. I have listed 67 old-time, steady progressive type bloggers, who have not posted a comment here in over 90 days.
Peaceman, I would not mind seeing a Seven Days In May and that be in effect until the next election. But Unless “almost” ALL of the troops revolt in Iraq, as I INITIALLY stated, and then I gave a plausible reason it would not, it will not happen. So what you are disagreeing with as to my opinions on that issue is difficult for me to fathom.
KEM,
On the Lizard thing, I should have finished the sentence. I was thinking ahead and haste makes waste. For Lizard, my thoughts were to stay on board with us in a co-ordinated effort rather than individual attacks. Sometimes, I make mistakes when I speak or write, thinking others understand what I haven’t said. A weakness I have to correct.
I remember the 75 comments about the global warming article and I backed you on that one.
You spent 23, I spent 8 years in the military, (Staff Sergeant, Infantry) and in combat as an infantry squad leader in Vietnam. I volunteered, KEM. I didn’t have to go there, but as a young whippersnapper with all the juice down below and very little above, I too played “macho man,” and still have periodic nightmares 41 years later like (I think) all people who have been in combat have. We don’t discuss it because, at least for me, the thoughts are too painful. That is why I became a pacifist and a vegetarian (and I don’t knock meat or fish eaters.).
I don’t want any more violence on this planet and have been ridiculed for my anti-military approach in conflict resolution in solving problems rather than engaging in fisticuffs or worse. For that matter, I find it more honorable to be called a wimp now, than to be classified as a bully. Now that would hurt me. But you remember when we were kids, the saying: “Sticks and stones could break my bones, but names will never hurt me.”
I am well aware of the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the penalties for mutiny. I am also aware of the United States Constitution and the First Ten Amendments to it that has been violated by this criminal regime in Washington, D.C. “Wha’s good for the goose is good for the gander.” Don’t you think? I stand by my reasoning.
I don’t count the bloggers, and as you know, I’ve complimented many of them for their comments, many on numerous occassions. I have no idea why they haven’t posted anything. Disgust? Fear? The same merry-go-round of articles and comments worded differently with no change in government policy? Maybe they decided it was futile, reading, writing, and “arguing” with other bloggers. I won’t second-guess anybody. The task is monumental in trying to maintain my own sanity. But then again, I see many “new” bloggers on CD with progressive comments. That lifts my spirit.
KEM, I don’t know what else to say. Neither political party in D.C. cares what you or I think. Isn’t it obvious by now?
Yawn…as usual Kim Petrick demonstrates his ignorance and hypocrisy with everyone of his poorly spelled posts. Now he sees himself as one of the last remaining protectors of Progressives on Common Dreams? “And Common Dreams is slowly but surely being taken over by the ~Lizard, ~Misanthorpe~ and ~Bojangels~ types”
I can’t speak for anyone else, but as for me, I had the good sense to mail my draft card back to Selective Service in January of 1968 and spent the next several years fighting against the war in Vietnam. Probably Kem was too busy hunkered down in a foxhole (or whorehouse) somewhere in Vietnam to have known about the real Resitance to War that was being waged on the streets and in the courtrooms of America. A lot of people faced down the FBI, the Selective Service System, and the U S Government, and were able to go on living their lives with dignity and self-respect, as I did. Now, forty years later, a fool like K.P. presumes to be the great defender of Freedom and speech on Common Dreams? The irony is just too funny! Just because I (and many others) do not agree with his half-brained ideas, we are called “neo-cons” and “trolls” by someone who not only lacked the courage to resist the military industrial complex when the oportunity was presented, but actually joined in the killing of millions in Vietnam as well as ecological atrocities (remember Agent Orange, Kemmy Boy?). And now you think you’re going to preach to us about Global Warming and Depleted Uranium? What a pathetic joke!
You assume ~MISANTHORPE~, as is your normal behavior. I don’t come here to preach, I come here primarily to learn. I join in conversations and offer links on subject matter such as “global warming”, “DU”, “atomic energy versus totally clean and safe energy” and “enviromential” issues. I quote scientists, as I’m not a scientist and not well educated. Sometimes I get involved in political or religion debates, __shouldn’t.
I believe those enviromential subjects are very important issues. I offer opinions just like everyone else does and try to have as much fun as possible too. But whenever I do those things and you and some others with your “troll-like” attitudes show up, you attempt to show that I’m an idiot or a moron and you screw up threads by doing so for no good purpose.
You seem to believe that because you didn’t serve in the military, you’re a better citizen and person than those who did and you make statements that I or other prior servicemen are scumbags and anything they may say is worthless trash.
You also constantly deny global warming and DU are hazards and are things that can harm our enviroment and our children. I argure with you and you then sound off just as you did here with personal attacks.
It is up to the other readers here to determne which of us is better suited to believe and I leave that up to them. If any do not like what I post, they can scroll on by, and that applies to you also.
As to Agent Orange, killing innocent civilians in Vietnam? Personally I never fired a shot from my rifle or handgun. I did fight a sapper one night hand to hand, but I didn’t kill him. He was just another young man fighting a war away from his home and family. He was later marched off by South Korean Marines and I never saw him again, they likely killed him.
In some respects, Vietnam was no different that what is occurring in the Mid-East now and “we the people” have allowed it. We are all guilty to a degree, and it is the shame of all of us. So I come here to learn, learn how possibly to correct it, and yes I’m guilty of joining in on conversations here and offering my opinions, some of which are based upon experience, some on personal knowledge.
And I’m not always correct and never pretned to be superior to other decent people here. You however ~Misanthorpe~ are not a decent person in my eyes. ____ But that’s MY opinion.
We now must always keep in mind, that this site is also a spelling bee contest. ~Misanthorpe~ is the judge and jury.
~Hi Peaceman~, Thank you for the clarification buddy. You infantry grunts and the Marines had it really tough in vietnam, glad you made it. It wasn’t really like “Good Morning Vietnam” for the majority. Very glad you survived. Wonder if ~Misanthorpe~ was one who may have spat at you when you finally got back home.
Misanthrope and KEM- knock it off guys, Okay?. You’re wasting energy on each other. More important things to be concerned about. I love Robin Williams-it was a good flick. That’s all in the past and what counts is HERE, NOW.
KEM, this is right up your alley, but for others concerned about nuclear power plants, please listen if you have audio streaming on your computer to the great Dr. Helen Caldicott interviewing a scientist. Go to:
http://www.kpfa.org/archives/index.php?arch=26076
You’ll be surprised.
The only thing I constantly deny about global warming and DU is your ham-handed, thick-skulled approach to these issues. There is no room for subtlety or nuance in your approach. You may claim that you come here to learn, but mostly to teach. If you really want to learn, learn to spell M-I-S-A-N-T-H-R-O-P-E.
Peaceman is right! This is a waste of energy and there are more important things to be concerned about. From now on, I’m just going to ignore Kem Patrick’s comments, no matter how unsubstantiated they may be. In fact, the more outrageous they are, the more they should be ignored. Thanks Peaceman!
I’m going to sleep! Big day tomorrow.
Banjoman, I have seen your many comments, and I gather that you have children. Do you? How old are they?
Picture your first born becoming 18 and being drafted and sent to Iraq or Iran. And coming back in a coffin, or perhaps worse, with fewer limbs, brain damage, or psychological problems that caused them to drink, abuse drugs, not be able to sleep, not be able to have a loving relationship, not be able to hold a job.
That is one of the reasons I want this war to STOP. I have two young men in my family, 17 and 21. They are gentle, thoughtful, young men. I will work tirelessly to stop the needless wars and to keep these good young men safe.
If our country were fighting for a noble cause, I would sadly see them go to war. But to fight for Bush, Cheney, and Rice’s oil companies and Haliburton, no.
Banjoman, get a copy of the DVD “Body of War.” Watch it. If it does not affect you, fine. If it broadens your view point, let us know.
Thank you ~Misanthorpe~, I do appreciate it that you will ignre my posts from now on. Glad to see you agree with Peaceman, of course he fought in Vietnam too, so sort of strange you’d agree with him.
Any who may have read all of this crap and may wonder.
Ever since I’ve posted links about or global warming, atomic energy or other enviromental issues, if Mister Misanthorpe showed up on the thread, he immediately attacked me saying that I’m an idiot or stupid.
In essence, Misanthorpe is stating the scientists or doctors I had quoted were idiots or were wrong, those scientists are “ham handed” and their findngs are “outrageous” in Misanthorp’s opinion and he also states that if you ever served in the military you’re scum.
And hi again Peaceman. I’m my own man peaceman and will post whatever I please here, as is the right of any others. I’m not your child you know.
a
Kem
I think there is always going to be a potential for some level of conflict as there are so many issues here and most all of them affect people on a personal level. I am rather surprised there is not more contention here. I don’t mean to marginalize these comments as everyone sees something different, that is what free speech is all about. I would rather have this at least it is a perception that has an honest origin.
KEM,
I don’t care what you or anybody else posts here. I never said you were my child. Where in the world did that remark stem from?
I don’t care about Misanthrope, Lizard, Banjoman, or the cat’s canary for that matter. I may be wrong on things I post, you may be wrong on things you post, and everybody else could be wrong on things they post, all of us “mortals” at one time or another.
I just got home a few minutes ago to respond to a request you asked of me and I read this nonsense. What’s gotten into you? Please don’t words in my mouth, KEM. I screw enough things up on my own without additional help from the peanut gallery.
Anyway, the day was perfect, and per your request, “mission accomplished.” Unlike your coward-in-chief, when I say it, it is. She smiled. Glad I had a few pints before turning on to read my poison pen letters.
Peace and Harmony
Actually Cam Ranh Bay was a huge base, and your chances of encountering any enemy fire was pretty small, why do you think LBJ picked this base to visit. Nice duty even had off base housing, but up in the boonies it was sure different, so all of this macho soaked BS about any way is just that. Why do you think it is easy to fool the youngsters into going into combat? Try that with middle age folks and you get some different results. Nope, we are just the storm troopers for the current empire, and it’s delusional leaders. Now they trot out three “choices” for us to pick which one puts the boot on our necks this cycle. Until the sheeple in the US wake up this will be repeated until there is no way financially to continue, that time is approaching at a rapid clip. This time the ending might be very different for the US and about time too, payback is a bitch. Seen it before and figure this time will be a real beaut. Enjoy the new lifestyle coming soon to your area. Got Ramen?
fedayee.,
Good Comments.
Sorry Peaceman, I really do like and respect you, but perhaps you missed what you wrote, telling me to knock it off.
Misanthorpe is a shill and troll for the neo-cons and I’ll argue with him and show others what he is if possible. I’m not angry with you, just wanted to let you know that I’m me. Sure don’t want any hard feelings with you and won’t have on my part.
Thank you for giving the message. We’d sure like to meet her and you.
Yes indeed FEDAYEEN , Cam Rahn was huge, several miles long. You been there? After the war, the Vietnamese allowed the Russians to have it.
It was only hit once during the war with rockets and sappers. The sappers were led by the man who ran the BX barber shop, turned out he was a colonel in the North Vietnamese army. They intended to land from the bay at Herky hill, but went two miles too far north and hit the 22nd battallion Army hospital instead. They killed a lot of solders and blew up some of the wards, but they were all taken out and the eight rockets that came in only damaged one C-123 on the main base.
The next day a distant western mountain top was obliterated by shells from the New Jersey. It sounded like freight trains going over.
KEM, She smiled when I mentioned you.
Everything’s okay between us. We’re still tight. All I ever try to do is prevent conflict within the group. We’ve got to save our country from this madness. KEM, I’m not smart but I’m not dumb. I know who’s who on CD. But hey, you have your way of flushing them out. No problem with that. I didn’t mean to sound authoritarian. My apology. I was hoping to hear your comments on the link I sent you above on the nuclear power plants.
Cam Rahn Bay had the whiteist sand I ever saw. A Veterans For Peace member told me Europeans and other Asians have made it a resort area now.
Peace and Harmony
Hi Peaceman, no sweat.
We used to go sit in the bleachers at Cameron near the terminal, drink cannned beer and wait for the airline hostesses to open the doors of the stretched DC-8s. The Red Horse construction guys built the bleachers for the troops. Those hostesses really loved the cheering, yells and whistles we gave them. Cheap intertanment.
Did you ever see the two mile long, stacked 18 feet high, 3/4 inch plywood that was finished with walnut or beech on both sides. High dollar wood. It was on the road between Herky Hill and the 22nd battalion hospital?
Someone was making money with our war. Many thousands of room air conditioners ended up in the new hotels in Bangcock and Taipai, where we were quartered when we flew missions into and out of Thailand and were also R and R hotels.
We flew several daily shuttle flights between Taipai and Bangcock, with stopovers at every base in Vietnam. Hue and Danang were always scary. The Marines didn’t like it if we landed a C-130 at Hue at night and stayed for an hour or more. They knew a few rockets would be sent in and they often were.
What a friggin waste it all was.
KEM! EUREKA! You hit the jackpot! Congratulations! Finally! In your last sentence, KEM. In your last sentence! It finally dawned on you. Terrific!
I’ve been saying those same words over and over again since I got out of the service. I told you, the insults don’t faze me after four decades of ridicule.
About three years ago at a town hall meeting with my Congressman, a mostly progressive politician, the room was filled with about 300 concerned and irate citizens. A lot of retired military like yourself live around here and we have “locked horns” peacefully over the years on militarism and our “fearless” leader, the coward-in-chief.
As usual, I went on and on when my turn at the mike came, and after puting half the audience to sleep, Or in a trance?, I elaborated on Nazi Germany and the 5 or 6 million “master race” people (not Jews- regarding them, I said one was one too many-murder is murder by any other name it’s still the same) but the German ’superman’ and “super baby makers” for 1,000 years of peace and prosperity, the Reichsfuher’s way,of course. My Congressman said, “what’s your point?” I could have said, “What a friggin waste it all was,” and the meaning would have been the same, but I looked at him (and remember this was 3 years ago) and I said, Congressman, five or six million Germans dead, FOR WHAT? For Hitler? And we have a pipsqueak walking around like he was Julius Ceasar. And Cheney? Five deferrments? He couldn’t put two years in the Army in peacetime for the country he supposed loves?” Again, he asked me, “What’s your point?” By this time I worked myself into a frenzy, KEM, and my reply was, “Sam, When the hell are the American people gonna wake up and take to the streets and shut this country down like they shut San Francisco down for two weeks in 1934! Peacefully, Sam! Peacefully! I’m a combat veteran, you know it, and I’m sick of violence! Thank you for your patience,” and I started shaking so much I handed the mike over to the next speaker and walked out.
Yesterday, one of my visions became a reality. Curmudgeon99 and I added a wee bit to the SF event on the strike with the photo. When all is said and done, I’m just one man, one vote, one opinion, that’s all. Just another entity in the cosmos.
If you read my first post here, April 29th, 6.10pm and read the last paragraph, you can see I didn’t just wake up. I’ve been in agreement with you on the subject of war since I severd my second South-East Asia tour in 68 thru 70.
There were revolts with air Force pilots during the Vietnam war. B-52 pilots munintied once in mass and refused to fly until tactics were revised. They were not punished and tactics were revised. But I bet the ringleaders or th emost vocal were identified and were punished in some way.
The identical thing happend with the F-105 Wild Weasel pilots. Over half of the F-105 aircraft ever produced were shot down in Vietnam, even the Japanese zeros or the German ME-109s didn’t suffer that percetage of combat loses during WW2.
Wonder if the combat troops who are continually rotated to Iraq are ever going to have a sit down strike? Their morale is shot to shit. Of course those thousands of troops are not near a close knit in mass as squadrons of a few hundred pilots are where verbal communication is much easier.
I’ve heard units in Iraq and Afghanistan are refusing to go on patrols, but it is being hushed up.
Wonder if fragging junior officers is still in vogue?
I don’t like that idea because it’s still violence. “Just say NO” sounds better than fragging anybody.
Oh no, I wasn’t suggesting it at all. I just understand it occurred in Vietnam and wondered if it was still practiced? Of course we don’t much real news from the troops.
It’s possible. If so, it would be hidden from the media unless somebody dropped a dime.
17 veterans are commiting suicide everyday. All vets, not just the ones in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Speaking a little about PTSD, I was thinking of the post-war movie with Dana Andrews and Frederick March, called, ‘The Best Years of Our Lives’. The world has got to stop fighting. No more excuses for not resolving “make believe” problems. The young have got to wise up and start paying attention.
Namaste still not here, four days now. Nspire gone too. Unusual.
The suicides are very troubling. That didn’t happen with Vietnam. Not anywhere that many and there was far more combat there. No DU in Vietnam though. There was the Agen tOrange problem, but none of the Gulf War Syndrome or PTSD. Which actually is a generic medical term for radiation poisoning.
Oh, Thank you very much for relaying that message for us.
I read an article about how to remove “articles” from the internet. I’LL post a link to it later and see what you think.
I hope Namaste and Nspire haven’t been scared off, or many of the others you mentioned a few days ago.
The Pentagon and Big Pharma have drugs to give our men and women in the military to “numb pain or emotional feeling” after commiting rape or murderous actions of sorts, and would help the individual to “forget” these events. Speaking of Agent Orange, do you remember Admiral Zumwaltz’s son, a navel officer who served in Vietnam, died of cancer from it. How about Agent Blue, used to destroy food crops. Not many folks heard of that one.
I have not heard of Agent Blue.
On the April 7 thread about 9-11, over 100 comments have been deleted. Maybe 150+? The last three days of blogs are gone. Many were Namasts.
I gotta run, and get the articleabout erasing stuff on the internet., but in the meantime, click onto,
http://www.zmag.org/znet/viewArticle/8435 and you’ll see about killing the rice crop.
KEM, Check out this link on the censorship thing.
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/04.30.08/work-0818.html