Bush is an idiot

[mf]

Not always true.
My husband is a former Marine, and my grandfather was a Marine colonel (still is, really) and both are not for this war.

good point steeleing!!! your comments bring up an important issue.

people who lump in politics and policies with our military just simply have no clue about the nature of the military.

our military is a service organization whose mission is directed and commanded by politicians who are elected by YOU the citizens.

our military will follow orders from whomever YOU elect. that is their obligation and commitment. if you disagree with the policy, do not expect active military to protest with you, their job description is to honor the democracy by following the orders of your elected officials whether they agree with it or not. it is no way patriotic of them to sabotage missions nor is it in the best interest of the well-being of their fellow soldiers.

most of my pals in the media mainstream actually BELIEVE that when the military proceeds with a mission that is the policy of a republican administration or encourages the success of that mission, that is because the military are all republicans. a very special veteran once told me, soldiers don't go to war for ideals, they go for their buddies. if anti-war folks could think about people first in this way, we'd do better at improving and debating policies of our government.

unfortunately, many anti-war folks i know believe that if they impede that mission or encourage it's failure that they are somehow teaching the republican administration a lesson. they are not, they are confusing the failure of a mission and the endangerment of our troops with politics that should take place on the capitol floor.

this is further proof we need a draft or national service. instead of scapegoating an isolated population that has become our servicepeople. even notice how few folks in the media or capitol hill know or are related to those serving? VERY FEW. primarily because the elite are going to run the government or the media and they are allowing everyone else to serve them. this is a HORRIBLE model for the future of our country. WWII was the greatest generation because the democratizing effect of service ensured that rich and poor, priveleged and not were forced to acknowledge each other's value and circumstance. instead, today we have the ivory tower effect where the elite in government, media and corporations believe they somehow have the knowledge and experience to govern a nation and command its military with little or no empathy, connection or experience.

when we have then people will be able to make the distinction between protesting a policy and participating in a war by actively abusing our military and their families.

fyi:
the recent "family friendly" protest in oregon this week is a good example. they lynched and burned the effigy of a US soldier in uniform. no one in the media or the town or state leadership stood up to say that the violent public abuse of the US Troops were out of keeping with the protest's philosophy and intent, neither the mayor, nor school administrators, nor the media, nor protest organizers took a stand against that particular activity when asked.

what does that tell our troops and their families? that their neighbors oppose the war? or that they oppose our troops? if only this were a rare or unique instance, but it's not. since my father served in vietnam i could tell you a number of similar scenarios. what's shocking is that in 2007, last week, this is still happening.

p.s. i am neither a republican nor a democrat, i think they're more interested in their own power than the people of this country. i think there's an awful lot of extremist hate speech going on in both camps to the left and the right. i'm happy to live in a country with folks i disagree with and i don't think that's where the two-party system is headed. they both seem kind of facist to me. it's supposed to encourage debate, instead it's become of platform bent on obliterating the opposition.

and that's all i have to say about that.

 

[TooFarTampa]

Not always true.
My husband is a former Marine, and my grandfather was a Marine colonel (still is, really) and both are not for this war.

Apologies for the overgeneralization. I was thinking specifically about active Marines "in the trenches" but since my hubby is not one it did not come across properly. Marines are trained to be the first responders and generally are chomping at the bit to go wherever the action is. After three or four tours in Iraq, however, I tend to think that the enthusiasm would be tempered for many.

Having taxied around 250+ Marines on a deployed LST as a shipdriver, I have nothing but the highest respect for the Marines. They have a comraderie and cohesiveness of a type rarely found even in the military. The Marines will go anywhere at anytime and take on any enemy in the most brutal of circumstances. No one can take on the U.S. Marines on the open battlefield and expect to win, and I am proud to have served with them. I was deployed in '79 when the Iranians seized the embassy hostages, and our shipbound Marines were chomping at the bit. Having said that, the situation our Marines find themselves in is one that cannot be solved militarily unless you're willing to wipe out everyone. Our troops are fighting an intractible urban guerilla war that can only be solved by regional powers. Our continued presence strengthens the terrorists, not vice-versa. All you war hawks should realize the Iraqis want nothing to do with Al Qaeda, and never did. The Iranians are using hostage taking as diplomacy the same way as in 1979, and we are toying now with full-scale regional war. Events like this take place amidst the self-imposed chaos that we created. The Iraq war is misguided nation building created atop a pack of lies. Go ask Colin Powell how he feels today. I think back to when the 200+ Marines were killed in their barracks in Beirut[1983]. Reagan was President, and he concluded that to avenge their deaths would be both too difficult and costly for the nation or the Middle East. Imagine, for a moment, if GW were President then. Scary!

Hoo rah and all that, Bob. I agree with you. Your USAA membership is well earned. ;-)

I think under duress I could get hubby to acknowledge that the war was entered into irresponsibly, arrogantly and without enough foresight and planning. However he still believes the problems can be solved. His former battallion commander, now one of the top generals in Iraq, has been quoted as saying that to pull out now would be a disaster. Hubby believes in his former battallion commander wholeartedly (with very good reason), but of course Iraq is not full of men like him. Since hubby served and I did not, I absolutely respect his opinion, especially since he is a very reasonable person overall. But I don't share it.

 

[mf]

in relation to the original post:
Mr Castro's article appears in Thursday's edition of Granma, under the headline: "Condemned to premature death by hunger and thirst more than 3bn people of the world."


The sinister idea of converting food into combustibles was definitively established as the economic line of foreign policy of the United States
Fidel Castro >>>


does nobody else find it only SLIGHTLY ironic that castro or any communist leader for that matter is suddenly concerned about world hunger? hahahahahaha! you have had to visit or know people who lived in communist countries to see the EXTREME irony and hypocrisy in that statement. makes me curious about the people who buy it.

 

[Chickpea]

I am on my soap box today - and am about to make a generalization most people will dislike me for but i truely believe one of the best ways to educate oneself about other cultures and religions is to travel - it does not make you more intelligent but it certainly gives you an exposure that is hard to otherwise acquire.

The vast majority of Bush (and let's not even mention Cheney!!) supporters I have met have generally traveled very little and rarely outside of Europe. In fact it is AMAZING to me that Bush was elected (actually placed as executive in charge by Supreme Court in 2000) and then re-elected in 2004, after having shown just how intellectually lazy and incurious he is about other cultures. For someone who grew up extraordinarily privileged (father head of CIA, then VP for 8 years, then president for 4, etc...) that this Bush had traveled so little (I believe only to Mexico and Canada!) by the time he was elected speaks VOLUMES. And for all of those people who voted a second time for Bush and NOW feel extreme regret (and they exist in droves...) I say "Shame on you because all the signs of gross and criminal incompetence and arrogance were there and wide open for all to see after 4 years!!"

I am sorry if I am offending anyone, especially people I do not know and I am actually being much more circumspect than I am in person but I am sick to very pit of my stomach what has happened under this Bush's watch and can only hope that it will not take generations to undo the harm and hatred he has fueled.

 

[Chickpea]

And luckily for me I have a husband who agrees with me!!!!! For me and me alone (and I admit I am the exception here because this is all so serious to me!) it would be nothing short of torture to have to be in the same house as a Bush supporter!

Having said that I hink it is amazing that couples can co-habitate with completely different beliefs and opinions - they have something I admire that will probably forever elude me - maybe I lose something in the end - who knows......

BTW: hubby and I have healthy debates on plenty of topics but having spent 15+ years living in 4 countries in the middle east and having traveled to many more I cannot condone the brazen attitude of "poor us - we have lost over 3000 soldiers lives (and i do think that every single one of them was an unneccessary sacrifice that their poor families will take years and years to get over) but OK for this mistake of war that has destroyed hundreds of thousands of families, displaced millions and made the whole region even more unstable.

 

[Jdarg]

And luckily for me I have a husband who agrees with me!!!!! For me and me alone (and I admit I am the exception here because this is all so serious to me!) it would be nothing short of torture to have to be in the same house as a Bush supporter!

Having said that I hink it is amazing that couples can co-habitate with completely different beliefs and opinions - they have something I admire that will probably forever elude me - maybe I lose something in the end - who knows......

BTW: hubby and I have healthy debates on plenty of topics but having spent 15+ years living in 4 countries in the middle east and having traveled to many more I cannot condone the brazen attitude of "poor us - we have lost over 3000 soldiers lives (and i do think that every single one of them was an unneccessary sacrifice that their poor families will take years and years to get over) but OK for this mistake of war that has destroyed hundreds of thousands of families, displaced millions and made the whole region even more unstable.

Summing the war up this way makes it seem even more gruesome, scary, and unimaginable than it already is (if that is possible). Thank you Chickpea for addressing the horror of all peoples involved.

 

[30A Skunkape]

Assuming we accept Chickpea's premise that one needs to be well-traveled to deal with such strife, where must one travel to pick up the appreciation of cultural nuance like strapping explosives to kids, cars and roadsides to kill those who you do not like? Just curious.

 

[Chickpea]

Assuming we accept Chickpea's premise that one needs to be well-traveled to deal with such strife, where must one travel to pick up the appreciation of cultural nuance like strapping explosives to kids, cars and roadsides to kill those who you do not like? Just curious.

30A,
IMHO there is very little understanding me or anyone else here for that matter could have for those people who become suicide bombers. All I can say is that there must be the deepest level of desperation, anger and despair to feel that this is the last method they need to resort to. The killings of civilians in NEVER justified but in war things change.

I have met dozens of truely educated, exceedingly well traveled arabs, who were fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to leave their war torn regions, who had the financial means to put themselves through college and who, if they so chose, need never return home. Even with these privileges they are often consumed by an anger and furiousness that is hard to comprehend given the advantages afforded them. So imagine what it must be like for the thousands who have no political voice, harbor little if no prospects for their future, live in areas where there is rampant unemployment, stripped of their dignity and pride and basically have no hope whatsoever - they feel and become marginalized and turn to fundamentalism. I make no excuses for them but I can tell you this: if americans were forced to live in the same conditions as let's say palestinians who have spent deacdes in refugees camps, do you really think that peaceful revolt is all you would see.

My father has always said that what the middle east desperately needs is a Nelson Mandela or a Ghandi - someone who intrinsically and passionately believed that you could bring about drastic change in an oppressive regime through peaceful revolution. I couldn't agree more.

I know enough about personal politics to know that it is highly unlikely. if not downright impossible. to change anyone's personal ideas about our current president (and it has nothing whatsoever to do with being a republican or a democrat - in fact it is amazing to me that so few republicans are angry with him given how he has pretty much violated the very precepts of his party such as fiscal responsibility, conservative spending and small government!). My anger and disgust with Bush is that he is seemingly more preoccupied in his idealogical beliefs, in his own executive cocoon, and he is fueled by wanting to protect his power and that of his administration above all else and this leads him into a scary willingness and callouness to keep sending troops into Iraq to get blown up.

Respectfully sent.....

 

[Biff]

Es tambi?n posible que el castro mayor es algún qu? discombobulated con los E.E.U.U.; al igual que otros l?deres en otros pa?ses

Es Posible que los amigos Chavez y Castro si queiren mas dinero;-)

And, for ChickPea's post; Very nicely put...

 

[Teresa]

I am on my soap box today - and am about to make a generalization most people will dislike me for but i truely believe one of the best ways to educate oneself about other cultures and religions is to travel - it does not make you more intelligent but it certainly gives you an exposure that is hard to otherwise acquire.

The vast majority of Bush (and let's not even mention Cheney!!) supporters I have met have generally traveled very little and rarely outside of Europe. In fact it is AMAZING to me that Bush was elected (actually placed as executive in charge by Supreme Court in 2000) and then re-elected in 2004, after having shown just how intellectually lazy and incurious he is about other cultures. For someone who grew up extraordinarily privileged (father head of CIA, then VP for 8 years, then president for 4, etc...) that this Bush had traveled so little (I believe only to Mexico and Canada!) by the time he was elected speaks VOLUMES. And for all of those people who voted a second time for Bush and NOW feel extreme regret (and they exist in droves...) I say "Shame on you because all the signs of gross and criminal incompetence and arrogance were there and wide open for all to see after 4 years!!"

Chickpea - everything you have stated is relevant, insightful and thoughtful. I have always believed that at the very bottom of it all is a president who is woefully unqualified (incompetent) to lead this country, much less provide global leadership. As a result, this administration has failed miserably in every way, especially in its role as a world leader. but, presidential arrogance reigns. as this administration continues to subject us to really bad war slogans:nono1: i think America is going to decide they are tired of being a mass of numb dumbies, and will wake up and vote for competent leadership (almost anyone else on the planet is more competent). I hope citizens have had their fill of good old boy reign.

Our leaders must truly understand foreign policy, world culture beyond US soil, and effectively work with nations to provide world leadership. We are a global community. Bush and cronies do not get this. America will suffer because of his lack of competence, as well as so many others in Iraq and beyond.

we know over 3000 US have died in Iraq. what about Iraqi civilians? one survey shows that americans believe about the same number have died in Iraq. in reality, no one knows, but I've seen numbers ranging from 60,000 to 600,000. it is staggering.