Subj : The War Has No Clothes
To   : Angus McLeod
From : Frank Reid
Date : Thu Sep 29 2005 03:55 pm

  Re: The War Has No Clothes
  By: Angus McLeod to Frank Reid on Thu Sep 29 2005 08:59 am

 >  > What would you have us do?  Turn tail and run, leaving millions of Iraqi
 >  > citizens who had hopes for a secure future to suffer whatever torture tha
 >  > ensuing chaos and civil war bring them?  Screw 'em, right?  Hey, why don'
 >  > just nuke every major city in Iraq and let 'em start from scratch?
 > 
 > You mat as well do it now as later.  There's gonna be a blood-bath
 > eventually.  I wanna know why it was necessary to go and provoke a civil
 > war in the *first* place!

I avoided that topic purposely, as it wasn't the topic of the post to which I
replied.  We've discussed before, of course... regardless of provocation and
cause, unless you have a crystal ball, only time will judge whether the Iraq 
war was wisdom or folly.  However, I will state again... You are wrong if you
think Islamic fundamentalists will be satisfied with a single country where a
radical few can dictate exactly what freedoms are allowed to the masses.  If
they are allowed to establish a stronghold anywhere, it will become the norm.

 >  > Every solider in Iraq knows that and is willing to stand, fight and win
 >  > for that greater good...
 > 
 > Doubt that, somehow.

No offense, but that statement simply reflects your infamiliarity with how the
military breeds honor, courage and commitment.  The Michael Moores and Cindy
Sheehans of the world would love to have you believe otherwise, but there are
few if any soldiers in harm's way who would run from their duty.

 >  > So how can one take a position, at home in an armchair and watching like 
 >  > spectator sport, that their dedication, courage and integrity are fruitle
 > 
 > I see their actions and sacrifice bearing no fruit.

Then you might as well spit on them as they exit the plane on their return
home.  To say they lost life, limb and innocence for no reason is just the
same.

 >  > It is patently inane for anyone to ever suggest "I support our troops, bu
 >  > don't support the war."  The two concepts are mutually exclusive.
 > 
 > Surely you jest?  I watch brave men and women thrown into danger, who are
 > struggling to achieve an unreachable goal.  I am rooting for them, same as
 > I would for people bailing out a leaky lifeboat in the middle of the
 > ocean.  I do NOT support the actions of their leader and Commander in
 > Chief, nor the corrupt administration, who placed them in that position in
 > order to furthur their re-election plans and line their pockets with cash.
 > 
 > Alfred, Lord Tennyson wrote, "Half a league, half a league, half a league
 > onward, all in the valley of death, rode the six hundred."  The famous
 > charge of the light brigade, considered still to be a magnificent example
 > of courage and fortitude by the military forces of a by-gone age.  But as
 > observer Pierre Bosquet said, "C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la
 > guerre"  (It is magnificent, but it is not war).  We can admire the
 > bravery of the men and their determination to do the best they could, but
 > as they regrouped and rode again and again into the muzzles of the Russian
 > canon, we can only feel distain for Lord Cardigan's failure to see the
 > futility of his action or care about it's effect upon his cavalry.

Save the cliches for the bumper stickers!  You cannot support the warrior if
you do not support the war.  What you really want to say is something like:

	- Even if soldiers don't do it with malice, they're still committing
criminal acts.

	- Although my beef is with the idiots in charge, soldiers are simply
mindless drones who can only do what they're ordered.

	- A soldier could recognize the criminality of what they do, drop
their weapon and leave the battlefield.

None of those are what a soldier would consider adulation and praise!

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