While prosecuting its war on the Iraqi people I had been in Iraq for about two months when my brigade suffered its first fatality. He died from a gunshot wound to the head. Nobody wanted to believe that it had happened. The deployment was supposed to be quick and easy; we were supposed to be greeted with flowers and return home within a few months. ??As the sounds from the memorial service echoed in our barracks, there was silence-only the recorded sounds of bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace." Nobody wanted to talk about the realization that we may never return home. Nobody wanted to talk about the situation we had gotten into; the number of Iraqi people who were dying because of the invasion. Most of all, nobody wanted to talk about the soldier who had died.
On a cold night in Iraq, two fellow soldiers and I were awakened by our superiors and told to interrogate a prisoner who had just been arrested. Whoever brought in the detainee insisted that it could not wait until morning, so we irritably left the warmth of our sleeping bags and set off into the darkness.
When we arrived at the detention facility, there was a young Lieutenant waiting for us. He brought the prisoner there.
But the prisoner did not get to that facility the way most did-hands bound tightly behind the back with a sandbag over the head.
He arrived on a stretcher. The Lieutenant told us with a sadistic smile that this prisoner tried to flee a traffic checkpoint he was working that night, and he proudly proclaimed that he filled the Iraqi man's car with bullets as he tried to drive away.
As Mother's Day approaches Moms throughout this country cry. Many parents cannot be physically close to their sons or daughters. Telephone calls will not come. Children may desperately wish to speak with mother; however, when "in country," on the battle field, a conversation with Mommy is not possible.
Some guardians are quite near to their children. Perhaps, they hold on more tightly, for the caregiver knows the tot has no other parent to turn to. So many American lads and lasses have one parent in Iraq, in Afghanistan, somewhere far, far, far away from home. Our troops hearts may be with toddlers and teens left behind in the States. Yet, the hands of a service Mom or Dad are often nowhere to be seen or felt by their babies. The children of military men and women clutch photographs, and dream of the day when Mom or Dad will return home.
In the Middle East, young and old also mourn. Many Moms, Dads, sons, and daughters do not have family to cuddle with. Celebrations are reminders of loss. In a war-torn nation, countless are orphaned. Males and females are frequently widowed. People live and then violently, they pass.
Many Americans may wish to believe that if Arizona Senator John McCain were elected, he would ensure that this nation remains engaged in battle for eons. The conventional wisdom is Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton will "bring the troops home." Citizens, mostly Independents and Democrats, may blame the Republicans for conflicts that seem endless by design. Of course, when war is in question, countless Americans contemplate the current conflicts. Nearly everyone with some exceptions, places the onus on President George W. Bush, Vice President Richard B. Cheney, former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld, or any of the other Neoconservatives in the Cabinet. Yet, these individuals and groups are not the only creators of combat. Any man or woman who believes, at times, war is the best, last, or the only option is culpable. Citizens throughout the globe have accepted the notion wars will always be. Hence fighting is, forever.
Thank God for the Iraqis, if it were not for them the MSM would have allowed John McCain to put the Iraq War in his pocket and run with it. Fortunately the Iraqis have other thoughts and have reminded the American public that yes there is still a war going on in Iraq. Despite all the hype and the John McCain "Mission Accomplished" banners, any peace in Iraq has very little to do with us and the surge and is dependent on the Iraqi people. It is unfortunate that it takes bodies and bloodshed to get the MSM's attention, but of course when St. John declares peace is at hand who in the MSM is going to argue.
Americans are five years into a battle gone awry. Citizens of the United States cry out, "too much blood has been spilled, too many lives and limbs were lost," we the people want to, "Bring the troops home." Hence, Congress holds hearings. The inquiry is intended to help define the future. For many it is time to exit Iraq and end a futile war. The people have questions; when and how will we complete a failed mission. On April 8, 2008, the Senior Commander of multinational forces in Iraq, General David Petraeus, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker, American envoy to Baghdad, spoke to United states Senators and attempted to address the public's concerns.
He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it.
He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it. ~ Martin Luther King, Junior
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. ~ Martin Luther King, Junior.
Days from now America will commemorate an anniversary. On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Junior was brutally assassinated. Citizens will recall the wisdom of a man who lived for peace and yet, fell victim to violence. Homage will be bestowed. The American people will praise the preacher, the teacher, and the man who taught us all to speak of what remained tacit for too long. In the United States of America, all men are not equal. As a country, we do not treat people well. Nor do government officials lead us to the promised light of world harmony.
In the first 90 days of 2008 the United States reports 103 troop deaths in Iraq. Since the invasion we have commemorated the 5th anniversary we have commemorated 5 years and more than 4000 soldiers lost. Today we hear of costs near $12 billion per month and estimates of $3 trillion overall before all is said and done.
Meanwhile our mainstream media continues to play down the ongoing failure with barely a mention any more of the deaths let alone stories of the families and friends left behind. The death count also fails to reflect the numbers of US contractors killed in country. No mention is made of the many thousands of life altering injuries such as limbs or eyes lost. Nor do we hear much of the many minds broken beyond repair. Suicides related to service time are also not counted and often not mentioned. Coalition losses are not counted in the total. The Iraqi losses count many thousands more, yet those are dismissed often without a thought. Every death rends the fabric of humanity a bit more.
Their names and faces are known. Yet, these servicemen and women remain invisible for most Americans. Their families suffer, and have for years. When the troops were abroad, relatives worried. Now that these four thousand are gone from Earth forever, the persons that love them still wish to bring them back. Semper fidelis, always faithful and forlorn.
In March 2008, as Americans pay homage to the thousands of soldiers and civilians lost in five years of battle we discover that the Administration and the elite allied with earlier Executive Branches are more contemptuous of the citizenry than we ever thought possible.
Editorial columnist Bob Herbert of the New York Times wrote an interesting piece discussing the true cost of the Iraq War. According to a Nobel prize winning economist, Joseph Stiglitz and the vice chairman of Goldman Sachs International, Robert Hormats the Iraq War will cost at least 3 trillion dollars. This figure includes cost which are never reported by the media or discussed by politicians. The truth is that the cost of a war is more than the money spent on men and material, as if it were some business venture that can be tallied with a nice spreadsheet and budget. In today's world, war is packaged like a corporate enterprise complete with sanitized videos and reporting to make it more palatable to the disinterested masses.
Said Mr. Stiglitz: "Because the administration actually cut taxes as we went to war, when we were already running huge deficits, this war has, effectively, been entirely financed by deficits. The national debt has increased by some $2.5 trillion since the beginning of the war, and of this, almost $1 trillion is due directly to the war itself ... By 2017, we estimate that the national debt will have increased, just because of the war, by some $2 trillion." NY Times
Today, in hearings on Capitol Hill, I confronted Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on her role in the lies, exaggerations, and misdirection that led us into the Iraq war.
During my questioning, Secretary Rice falsely stated that she never saw intelligence casting doubt on the Bush Administration claims that Saddam possessed weapons of mass destruction. This unbelievable statement is flatly contradicted by numerous government reports and CIA testimonials.
Sources such as the 2006 Senate Intelligence Report, a January 2004 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace report as well as former CIA agents (including Tyler Drumheller) have disclosed that there was contrary intelligence to the information provided to the Bush Administration in the lead up to the Iraq war.
Republicans rant. It is our patriotic duty to support the war. Every citizen must fund murderous actions and accept more soldiers, and civilians will fall. Our countrymen need to devote millions, billions, and trillions of dollars to the cause. We, the people have no choice. Our image is at stake. The world's greatest superpower must win! Americans must never say die. We must only discuss victory.
In this nation, might makes right. It is it not this war it will be another. Americans will remind people throughout the globe, we are strong.
Super Tuesday lived up to its hype, giving us political-junkie types plenty to digest.
On the Democratic side, voters continue to be torn between two historic contenders: The first woman, a wonkish machine of a candidate who brings back memories of a better time; and the first black, an inspirational orator, a bit light on substance, who promises a brighter tomorrow. Yesterday's split decision means this thing could go on all the way until the convention in August. Barak Obama looks to have an edge in almost all of the remaining February contests (including my home state of Washington, which caucuses Saturday), and maintains a major fundraising advantage. Hillary Clinton, on the other hand, maintains double-digit leads in the three remaining big states: Ohio and Texas (both March 4), and Pennsylvania (April 22).
Because of the winner-take-all nature of several of the Republican primaries, Super Tuesday all but anointed John McCain as their nominee. The exit polls reveal serious weakness in support from the conservative base of the party, but who else can the GOP rally around? Few seem impressed by the clone-meat artificiality of Mitt Romney, while Mike Huckabee seems stuck in the South. The rank and file appear ready to hold their noses and move on.
Finally, the thing that really stood out to me yesterday is how far Iraq has fallen off the map as a campaign issue. Except for Obama's occasional poke at Hillary's authorization vote, the Dems have lost their way on this issue. Where's the outrage over McCain's talk of staying in Iraq for 100 years? It appears the war is "The Forgotten Issue" of this election year - and the topic of this week's cartoon.
Eddie Adams won a Pulitzer Prize for this 1968 photo showing a South Vietnamese officer executing a Viet Cong prisoner on a street in Saigon. Associated Press.
Forty years have past. Life is essentially the same. Even though technologically, throughout the planet, we have been transformed, or at least realize we have the capacity to change. However, traditions remain intact. Humans do not wish to separate themselves from what they know. The familiar is extremely comfortable. , for generations, globally, we were familiar with poverty, pollution, and war. These have been our friends, or the follies we love to hate, perhaps, since the beginning of time.
Americans acknowledge "The sky is falling." We, the people must unite and take our country back. Democrats must choose the most desirable candidate. The best candidate is defined as the one who can win the White House. The Top Three are fine; perhaps, not as good as, they could be, but they will do the job. Dennis Kucinich, for many is ideal. His proposals are well thought out and he fully addresses the issues that affect the common folk. However, Americans hear at every turn, Dennis Kucinich does not have a chance.
Presidential aspirant Kucinich was excluded from the American Association for Retired Persons [AARP] debate in the Hawkeye State. In Granite country, ABC News declared Dennis Kucinich would be barred from the dialogue. Silver State voters were not able to see the profound Presidential hopeful on stage. He was relegated to the streets allowed to speak only to the neon lights. The Palmetto State decreed, "Dennis, this is not your kingdom." Indeed, you are locked out in this land of liberty. Now, Texas tells its tall tale. Dennis Kucinich will not be the hero in the Lone Star State.
The night was young, and yet, the messages were old. The top-tier Democratic hopefuls huddled together around a round table. The stage was prepared and the performance would be unparalleled. Each character in this play reveled in an accepted reality. Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, or Barack Obama, are "right" for the country. No one else could compare to this cast of characters. In truth, the three were one. The dramatic debate was cordial and quaint. The candidates were polite, prim, and extremely proper. The production was well-managed. No one was scolded. Regrets were expressed. Geniality grew as the hopefuls promised to do no harm to the others.
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