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jun_erh
05-18-2004, 01:34 PM
boots on the ground (http://bootsonground.blogspot.com/)

Tuesday, May 18, 2004Tragedy in the GC and Second Thoughts of War
The highest ranking member of the GC in Iraq was killed a suicide bomber. It was a big shock for me and really upset me. The group that claims to be responsible called him a traitor. Who really is the traitor here? The real amazing thing is, this happen in the green zone. Supposedly one of the most secure areas in the world. This had to be the work of an inside job. The animals that committed this act had to have good intelligence to risk sending a suicide bomber through all those check points in order to kill this one guy. With all our military might, with our extremely effective bombers, artillery, tanks, infantrymen, it seems we are still losing this war. Not in a military sense, but in a political sense. Me and other grunts I talk to think we should leave. We are upset that we worry so much about other nations when the USA needs to worry about herself. Why spend a trillion dollars in Iraq, when we can use that money to make better schools and hospitals and send more kids to college. We believe that money would be better used for us. To hell with the Iraqis and the rest of the world. However, as a super power, we are ****ed if we do and ****ed if we don't. Me and a few other grunts are talking about probably voting for Kerry. I think it would be better though if we just stopped trying to help everyone else, and if other countries don't like that, then that's their problem. I think when soviernty is turned over, it maybe be possible they may ask us to leave Iraq. I think we should cut our loses then and leave. Let them sort things out. Since 9-11, we have become rather efficient at protecting ourselves from terrorist attack, I no longer think we need to go to war to protect ourselves from terrorism. We already got a good system set up in protecting from terrorist attacks. People may not like my opinion, but it is my opinion, and I am giving my thoughts as an American soldier and the thoughts of other American soldiers. I will go back to Iraq, and serve my time honorably, I am proud to be an American soldier. But, if we are asked to leave by the new government, then we must leave. There is no question in my mind that if we are told to leave, all Iraqis will precieve us as trying to take control, and there will no longer be a silent majority, there will be a very loud and very aggressive majority. Even if things are still bleak, we must leave, because we may win the battle, we may kill them all in a fight and not take alot of casualties on our own side, but we will have to kill every last one of them and there will be no one left to "liberate." That is why I think we should leave, not because I am against the war, but because I know if we don't leave when we are asked to, we will be forced to defend ourselves from all Iraqis, and that means killing us politically, because we will have to kill millions of them before they stop fighting.

Powell is starting to be alot more honest now that his time is coming to an end. It's like a sense of nothing to lose, so he seems to pretty much say on the news that going to war was probably a bad decision. I really admire his honesty. That was the really good feature about Powell, he seemed like a very honest man. I wish he would have ran for President.

T'ai Ji Monkey
05-18-2004, 01:48 PM
I wish he(Powell) would have ran for President.


A sentiment echoed by many people I speak to.

Thanks, for posting that.

Vash
05-18-2004, 01:57 PM
Indeed, Powell in '04.

I just wish he hadn't bent to the bush machine for the short time he did.

GLW
05-18-2004, 04:02 PM
Powell = damaged goods...

Yes, he is coming forth and saying things NOW...

But when it counted, when he was privately against things and could have resigned rather than be a token military person that was kept out of the loop, he chose to be the good soldier.

If Woodward's book is accurate, why is he still in his position instead of resigning in disgust. According to Woodward, the Saudi minister knew of the invasion plans 2 days before a cabinet member (Powell). That is insane.

T'ai Ji Monkey
05-18-2004, 04:11 PM
GLW.

If you ask me I reckon there should have rolled quiet a few heads already, but I guess it won't happen with the current administration.

Ford Prefect
05-18-2004, 04:50 PM
Powell would never get the nomination. I think he's a great guy, but he's too far left to get the Republican nomination and too far right to get the Democratic. To the majority of American's who aren't ideological extremists this is a good thing, but it won't get you the nod.

T'ai Ji Monkey
05-18-2004, 04:55 PM
Ford Prefect.

Not sure how most Americans feel about him, but a LOT of people outside the US see him as the BEST option at the moment. And the person most likely to heal the rifts in the international relations.

He seems to be less of a puppet to the parties doctrines, many feel that he might go against party lines in order to get the job done right.
Which, IMHO, is always a good trait, rather than being a Yes/No puppet to the party. ;)

Vash
05-18-2004, 06:36 PM
I would love to see Powell in the Oval Office, provided we could get his kid away from the FCC.

jun_erh
05-19-2004, 05:13 PM
vash- stern show rules. It's the reason we are the greatest country in my opinion

Colin Powells speech at the UN pretty much destroyed any chances of his being president I think, considering everything that has happened. People who have seen my posts know I'm usually pretty pro-bush, but how can I argue with this guy?

Vash
05-19-2004, 07:18 PM
I didn't particularly care for Stern, except for his love of lesbians, but the reason he got booted off is stupid.

Besides, having someone that closely tied to the powers that be in a position of such influence doesn't seem conducive to a free and competitive media. I'm tired of hearing everyone touting their "sister stations." I wanna hear someone on CNN say "Fox News Blows Goats, I Have Proof!" Or something to that effect.

Christopher M
05-19-2004, 10:07 PM
Military culture is more insular than people realize, and a military man becoming a politician makes him an outcast from it. Powell is under significant pressure to be a good politician because his ability to return to being 'merely' a military man is compromised. Historically, people in this position tend to be clear about which side they're picking. Powell's reluctance to do that may make him an unsong hero to the thoughtfull everyman, but it's not much of a career booster.

GLW
05-20-2004, 06:56 AM
Powell has two aspects. A lot of people see him as honorable and honest...willing to speak out and somewhat less likely to bend to corporate wishes.

However, speaking out - didn't do it forcefully enough with this admin from the beginning. Now, is he acting the way he acts out of a sense of being right or out of typical military CYA mode?

While it IS possible that he is vastly different from his son, I look at the FCC, see his son, and wonder how far from the tree the apple fell.

Anyone that would like the ClearChannelization of the media in the US is NOT someone I would trust to understand how important a diverse media is...or understnad the pinnings of a democratic republic.

scotty1
05-20-2004, 07:12 AM
Clearchannelization :confused:

jun_erh
05-20-2004, 09:59 AM
scotty- clearchannel is a massive US corporation that has benifited greatly from the Bush administration. They ar in the news recently for dropping the Howard Stern Radio show for "indecency" though it's pretty obvious that it was done in reaction to the stupid janet jackson halftime show thing, as a gesture to the government to show they care about morals or something. Meanwhile they knew exactly what Stern does when they hired him and there dropping him wasn't brought on by any particular incident. check out sterns website (www.howardstern.com) the incident has politicized the usually low brow show a great deal. But people who don't like or listen to him are wary of clearchannel for similar reasons, they are way huge and way in bed with the right wing. Personally, I think it's obviously a bad thing for us to have like 4 companies that run everything, if only because it affects variety and because it's just generally scary.

Plus, if you were in, say, a rock band and you didn't feel like you wanted to have clearchannel booking/ venues involved you simply can't do it. They are everywhere. and they do stuff like have these ticket "brokers" so basically like what happened with Chris Rock is these clearchannel scalpers buy tickets from themselves and sell them for way more than the regualr ticket price, none of which goes to Chris Rock and all of which comes from his fans who just want to see him on stage. This is the short version of this story