I want to say, as most do, I hate war. War is an abomination. Yet rarely in the 100,000 years humans have made "modern" war upon each other have they turned from the task, if the reason was noble and true, an honest cause to fight for. There is nothing honest or true about Iraq or how we ever got there. Saddam Hussain as everyone knows had nothing at all to do with WTC or secret WMD. The whole thing reminds me of the ills I recall from the war of my time, Viet Nam, where free people helped others fight communism and keep it from their land. We lost. We let down the South Vietnamese, abandoning them to the North and the whole country has been communist since 1975 when we finally ran away in rooftop helicopters. We didn't know what we were up against, stayed too long because politicians believed we could win (read HAD TO) and it lasted until close to 60,000 American "babies" died. The amount of Vietnamese murdered? In the hundreds of thousands. Did I support those who went to fight? No. When I say "support" in this entire entry I mean "in principal". I pitied them because they had no choice, we had a draft in place. We should never have been there. My friends of only 18 years who were with me at the movies one day, had a gun in their hand the next and were mowing down women, old people, babies, dogs, even burning them alive, everything but the Viet Cong because they couldn't find them. The "enemy" was in the jungle in places only they knew, we didn't. They could fight in pajamas and scandals for crying out loud. Some of my friends came back. Sort of. Some I was forced to welcome home by putting flowers on their graves. To this very day, kids I knew in the 60's, the days of peace and love, are strapped into wheelchairs, legs gone, an arm missing, just staring out into nothing. And they're the lucky ones. War is just so toxic - I'll never forget the posters with the little girl picking flowers we all knew so well: "War is not healthy for children and other living things."
We shouldn't be in Iraq. So, obviously I don't support the war there. Do I support the people who chose to continue the useless fighting and killing, mostly of civilians, and far too many due to "friendly fire", malfunctioning ordnance, a very unclear view for the soldiers as to what our true objective is, ad infit.? How can I say "I don't support this war, but I support the folks who fight it." It makes no sense to me! Did you read what I just said?!? People support the fighters but not the fighting - what??? Hey I've nothing against them, they made a decision and went with it; but to decide it's a noble deed to place oneself in a situation so immoral and yes even illegal as to bring terrorism to the doorstep of anyone, ANYONE at all, well no I'm against it. Of COURSE I am. We've brought such hatred to an already volatile region of the world. We've used terroristic methods ourselves, yet we decry it. All I hear are flag-waving fence sitting rationalizing about why we're in Iraq. Don't most people want us the hell out of there? It's not our war, it's a civil war and we've caused enough trouble for others by our presence. Whose face are we trying to save, as in Nam? We started this, running into Afghanistan yelling "Get Osama!" He'll die of old age, I'd say. Right now, innocent people are dying. Human beings are being murdered, like any other war. Only this one has no purpose, no direction, and if we eradicated every insurgent/terrorist on the planet I'd feel no reason to be proud.
You may say, "Well, this is where the terrorists make their homes, we must root them out - that's a noble cause." If that were really true, we would've deployed troops into South Yemen, the safest country for terrorists to hide, and our government knew that. Still, people who hate because of a difference in religion and a way of life are everywhere in the world. Yes, it's right to prevent such a cowardly deed as 9/11/01 from ever happening again. Just exactly how do we accomplish this? Kill every "muslim-looking" person alive? Since we couldn't do that here we went overseas to kill who we believed to be terrorists. If we remain in Iraq will there never be another bombing in the world? Did we even care before it showed itself here? Did anyone demand we get involved in the Bosnian civil war? How does arming ourselves and shouting "We'll get you back you bastards" do any good? Calculations say we "won" this war over 6 years ago, didn't we? Why are we still there, dying in the rocks and sand? Why would anyone support going there and exactly what would it accomplish?
For what it may cost me, I stand my ground: I do not support the war in Iraq, therefore I can't support those who chose to fight it. "Support" in wartime to me means "principal". So of course, if our soldiers needed encouragement that we'll do everything to get them back, I support that. I support helping them end it. When a principal becomes the funeral of one mother's son, it's over. No discussions as to right or wrong, a person is dead.
You may've noticed our troops are being forced into several terms of duty. Re-used over and over. I've read that there just aren't enough reserves or new recruits who can back this tragic farce of a war, who can't see the "nobility" of what's happening there. Recruiters can't even accurately explain why we're there, what our reasonable long-term goal is. Certainly the soldiers who've been there, and are told they have to return don't see the point, they've seen too much useless death. The goal stated by our government is impossible. Bring democracy to a land which doesn't practice it? Bush and his kind say they'll start leaving when the Iraqi start "doing their part" in having elections and governing themselves. We all know what happened after their first election.
The more we engage these insurgent off-shoots of al-Quada, the more their numbers grow. There are decidedly MOREof "the enemy" now than 6 years ago, when we "won" and it's because of our continued presence there.
Looking to WW2 I know I'd feel so much differently. Korea. Even our own Civil War. But this? It's madness. The ruling party even stands firm against the President in this one matter. Republicans and Democrats alike just issued another statement for consideration that 1400 troops be sent home immediately, followed by up to 5000 within the next 18 months. A small presence being kept there until a government is firmly in place, that's what they're asking for. Though it's bound to fail, too many powerful people are sick of the dollar-drain and insist something more tangible be done than the continued bleeding out of men and women into that land of sorrows. This is alot more logical than killing ourselves trying to win an unwinable war.
The person who risks life and limb to uphold standards they believe in have my respect. Do you believe what's happening in Iraq and Afghanistan is worth risking life and limb for?
I do hope you get to see it.
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