They Support the War, They Just Don't Want to Fight It.- Page 3

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 5:59pm

Great Britain, Australia, Poland, Estonia, and several other nations made up the multi-national force that invaded Iraq.

Many of these troops have since left Iraq.

Does anyone think that we should put in United Nation "peace-keeping" troops and withdraw all U.S. troops?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:07pm

mominator: Not all socialist programs, but less than a good American liberal would like.

[romantico]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:12pm

I like how HD slithers in, makes his childlike remarks, then slithers away into his hole.

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:15pm

Great Britain, Australia, Poland, Estonia, and several other nations made up the multi-national force that invaded Iraq.

Many of these troops have since left Iraq.

Does anyone think that we should put in United Nation "peace-keeping" troops and withdraw all U.S. troops?

What was ""childish"" about the above statement?

[artscallion]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:16pm

One story…

My nephew joined the Air Force a year into the war. He'd had a difficult time in school and my sister (his mother) is kind of a non-parent hippy loser and didn't really prepare him with real options to succeed as an adult. He thought the discipline and educational opportunities of the Air Force would help get him on track. (one of their own advertising points)

He understood that war was always a possibility in the vague way that someone that age understands those things, but was told by the recruiters that since this was a land war there was very little chance that the Air Force would get involved. I tried to talk him out of it to no avail.

Of course, within six months he was in Iraq. Once there his time was extended twice, leaves were put off or cancelled, shifts were doubled, surrounded by death, walking around with a humungous rapidfire gun on his hip. Ya know, all the horror stories we hear about soldiers being stretched to the breaking point.

One night, on a guard duty double shift, after a full year of nonstop duty in Iraq, a captain who didn't like him snuck up on him from behind and caught him unawares. He was dishonorably discharged. No benefits, no education, he never even got to see an Air Force plane.

Now he has PTSD, as do most of them, and is heading down a path of self destruction, used and then spit out by the military system. I don't make any excuses for his decisions, commitments and choices and he certainly must bear responsibility for them. I just think that's a really ****ty lesson for an eighteen-year-old kid to have to learn from our government, all in the name of stubbornness, greed and lies.

Do I support the troops? What do you think?
Do I support the mission? My nephew didn’t even support it. Not even in the beginning. He says most of the soldiers hate Bush, Cheney and their lies.

On a positive note, I asked my nephew if he and the other soldiers really thought that the people who opposed the mission weren’t supporting the troops. He said that no one he knew felt that way. They all understood that supporting the troops and opposing the mission were two seperate things, that the intertwining of those ideas was a lie created by the administration.

[romantico]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:18pm

Hd, your presence is childish! Compared to SporkGoddess, your a toddler throwing your poop at the other children!

[DG]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:19pm

"snuck up on him from behind and caught him unawares."

art - obviously you feel strongly about this, so ignore if you like - I'm curious what he was caught doing?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:20pm

Odd, most military people I know love Bush and support the war. Sorry to hear about the PTSD.

Oh, re: the "mostly poor minorities in the military" thing: http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/cda06-09.cfm

Edit: If you don't want to read the whole thing:

"The estimate for mean household income of recruits increased every year from 2003 through 2005. The poorest areas continue to be underrep­resented, while middle-class areas are overrepre­sented. Although the richest income brackets are underrepresented, the difference between the recruit and population proportions for these brack­ets is less than 0.25 percent. Overall, the distribu­tion for recruit household incomes is very similar to that of the youth population."

And:

"The enlisted ranks are not disproportionately composed of minorities. Whites serve in numbers roughly proportional to their representation in the population. While blacks continue to be overrepre­sented, their representation has decreased during the wartime years and is much closer to being pro­portional in 2005 than it was in 2003. Additionally, recruiters are not targeting black-concentrated areas in an effort to exploit the black population."

Updated On: 7/19/07 at 06:20 PM

[romantico]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:24pm

Military people support Bush? I don't think so. Where are you hearing this? Bush has cut veterans bennefits. He has extended their stay in Iraq.Soldiers are being killed because of Bush. You facts are way off on this one!I know of two people personally who just got back from iraq and they say even though they have to be careful where they say it Bush is hated amongst the military especially those in command.He can't even give them proper armor to protect themselves. Oh, but the contracts Bush is handing out to corporations, well thats a different story!

[mominator]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:25pm

" Odd, most military people I know love Bush and support the war."
Like to talk to my son?

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:29pm

I said most military people I know. Not "all military people" or even "the majority of military people."

But, if you want to play that game: http://www.usatoday.com/news/politicselections/nation/president/2004-10-03-bush-troops_x.htm

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:30pm

Go Goddess! I love your posts and your comments.

[romantico]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:37pm

SporkGoddess, would you like me to take care of HD? It seems like everytime we try to discuss issues like mature adults, HD has to come in here with his poms poms and give a pep rally! HD, FU*K OFF! Lets the grown ups talk! HD is like the guy in public on the cel phone! He thinks the world wants to hear EVERYTHING he has to say! HD, if you mattered we'd care. You still have not answere the SiCKO question because you are a chickenhawk coward! you are afraid. you don't want to be proven wrong. You either lied or loved it!We all know.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:40pm

Haha... like I said, I'm not touching this with a two foot pole.

[romantico]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:42pm

Which is why your probably the smartest poster on board right now! LOL!

[mominator]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:45pm

I am talking a one on one discussion with a member of the US military. He is 100% pro troops and 100% against this war. We invaded a sovereign nation. He feels now that we broke it, sadly we bought it, and now must stay to fix it.
He doesn't want a draft because an all volunteer armed service is the way to go.
Many young men and women go to college on the ROTC program, it is tough because along with a full course load they are also in military training. My son along with the rest of his fellow cadets (now 2nd Lieutenants) entered this program at a time of war. Pretty gutsy. Yes college was free because of this. My husband and I told him if this was because of the cost we'd find a way to pay for school. He said "no" he wanted to do this.
His class was all white and upper middle class.
Sadly when you read the names of those not coming home and see pictures many times it is a young person 18-24 years old a Pvt 1st class or the like.
You can be a cheerleader for this war if you want, no one can change your mind. Heaven knows that living in a free society we can have different opinions.

[SporkGoddess]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:53pm

Good for your son; I wish him well.

Anyway, I've had plenty of one-on-one discussions with members of the US military. You see a lot of military people on conservative-based message boards. I'm particularly friendly with a Marine who's in Iraq as we speak, and is completely for the war.

Sorry, but I didn't come here with the intention of having my mind changed. Just as I'm sure you don't intend on changing yours due to what I say. So, yeah, I will continue to support the war, and I thank you for respecting my right to do so.

[artscallion]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:54pm

::"snuck up on him from behind and caught him unawares."

art - obviously you feel strongly about this, so ignore if you like - I'm curious what he was caught doing?::

That's okay. He wasn't doing something. It was the idea that he was on guard and the captain shouldn't have been able to sneak up without my nephew noticing. Which is true. But...

[romantico]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 6:54pm

Yeah! YOU GO GODDESS! (I will not be upstaged by HD!)

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 7/19/07 at 7:00pm

"Which is why your [sic] probably the smartest poster on board right now!"

Now that's truly LOL