Friday, September 22, 2006

Beyong Conceptual Terms, WHAT Is This About?!

While we spend time discussing the philosophical implications of being involved in Iraq, while politicians use "the war" as a plank in their campaign platform, while the talking heads offer their self important insights as to the why's whereof's and therefore's...let us not forget one thing.

Every day there are families from sea to shining sea who are receiving a knock on their door. Their loved one has been killed on foreign soil.

The President of The United States is not able to clearly define - beyond some vague, meaningless line of bullshit - what victory in Iraq is let alone what constitutes success in his grand War On Terror.

For what has the person being shipped home from Iraq given their life? I am not understanding it. Can someone explain it to me? {Somehow, it seems, the focus of discussion regarding the number killed in Iraq is FOCUSED on the number. Not the people.}


"We're fighting them over there so we don't have to fight them over here" is not going to do it. I've had enough of self serving platitudes. Canned camelshit will not help me understand the reason Americans are being killed day-after-day in Iraq with no foreseeable end in sight. Talk of how Iraq is going to be an example of a Democracy to be followed by others in the region is fantasy.

Why are American being killed in Iraq? What purpose is it serving?

5 comments:

Ghetto Photo Girl said...

Iraq a democracy? Lets call the experiment failed now and forgo all the testing bother.

Anonymous said...

Let's think for a moment, years down the line. Iraq now has the possibility. Soldiers are working hand in hand with Iraqi men and women giving them possibilities they never had before.

No different to possibilities the US Military and the United States have done in other places, such as Bosnia (albeit a bit late), Rwanda *(again albeit late) and so many other places.

Yes servicemen and women are being killed. The loss of life no matter how or when or where is ever intercessory. My heart hurts for all of them. Yet when I think of the possibilities given to these people, I know these Soldiers are not dying in vain.

There giving up there lives so others know what it is to be free. Have the possibility of freedom. *(just an observation)*

BlueDuck said...

Here's my thoughts... Rumsfeld and the other planned for a week-long war. They stated before the war that that was how long they anticipated it lasting. They thought we'd go in, they'd surrender and greet us as liberators, and Chalabi would be installed as President, the neocons would declare victory, leave a few token troops behind, and then move the military onto the next adventure.

This was, of course, delusion, but that really seems to me what they expected.

So why are the troops- the human beings as you point out- still there? For what reason do they continue to die? The answer to that is more complicated, but I believe it is this: I believe that for the President to end this war, or even to start winding it down in a phased way, be akin to admitting his entire foreign policy is a failure. He will never admit this mistake. He has stated publicly, on many occassions, that he will not change course in any shape or form, and will simply leave the Iraq situation for the next President to deal with. He will not end this war himself; he will leave that fallout to be blamed on his successor.

So to answer your question, these soldiers are simply being kept there to buy time for George W, as he waits out the rest of his term. They are victims, not only of bulletts and roadside bombs, but of the Bush administration's pride and stubborness. This is sad and disgusting to ponder, but it seems to me the only real answer here.

Anonymous said...

I love the men and women who are willing to serve our country, die for our country, irregardless of politics. They are our true heroes - and in a culture obsessed with celebrity-dom.....I wonder why our media doesn't give us more of our true humanity.

With that said, several words come to mind as I look at those photos: Afghanistan, Vietnam, Beruit, The Olympic Games in Munich, Rwanda, The Sudan, South Africa, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Venezuala, Chile, Tibet, Tiananmen Square, Korea....it almost makes me wish I weren't human.......

rdg

The Wandering Author said...

I've read it before, of course, but every time I read that quote by Goering, and ponder the times we live in, I shudder.

I'd like to believe there is another explanation. Every time I start to convince myself there might be, the government calls someone else who opposes them a "terrorist" or the next best thing, and I remember that quote...