Letters to the Editor
Beauzeau
Published Letters: 61
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Coulda ... Shoulda
[Read the article: In Iraq to stay]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Early on in the occupation, a good friend and co-worker, who was also a Army Reserve Major in a construction battalion, was called up twice for duty in Iraq. He was about as loyal an Army man as ever served, but spoke very disapprovingly about what he saw as the obviously open-ended and permanent nature of base construction there. I thought he might be exaggerating the scale of what he saw, but as time went on, it became obvious that what he described to me was on the conservative side.
This went on in the open, and could easily have been reported on, but once again, our "free press" totally failed us.
What an ironic ending to the occupation it would be, if after introducing "freedom and democracy" there as the Bush regime claims, the "duly elected representatives of the Iraqi People" kicked our butts out.
To NotOrbitBoy: Why do you continue to equate withdrawal from Iraq with LOSING? We LOST the minute the Bush Administration made the decision to invade and occupy Iraq. The proposition only becomes more morally and politically degrading the longer it goes on (...unless, of course, you enjoy that sort of thing).
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LowOrbitBoy
[Read the article: In Iraq to stay]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Yes, OrbitBoy, BEAUZEAU! Ain't it cute! And I won't even try to explain.
Was Iraq in chaos before the US invaded? States all over the world have "descended into chaos", dictatorship, genocide and self-destruction while America did NOTHING! Why haven't we invaded Zimbabwe? Explain why Iraq should be any different (without using the old, tired, and patently false justifications provided by our current plainly-less-than-perceptive leadership).
How can Iraq ever be "self-sustaining" under a permanent American occupation? Would you suggest that we allow the PRC to occupy the United States in order to make us more "self-sustaining"?
Not that I really needed to, but I read the links you provided and don't see much evidence of what I would call "progress" therein. What I would recognize as progress would be getting all our people out and letting Iraq become a "self-sustaining nation", as you put it. (...or at least replacing the troops with Christian fundie missionaries)
You will never recognize America's failure in Iraq because you don't understand Iraq, and because you represent a particularly narrow agenda-driven tunnel vision.
I'll not even try to predict exactly what Obama would do as president, but I think there would be suprises for all of us.
The last digit of pi - Thanks for the insight on American troops overseas. Maybe it's time to start re-evaluating our whys on that, too.
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History Repeats
[Read the article: In Iraq to stay]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]For anyone interested in just one example from our history that almost completely explains what has really driven our involvement in Iraq, read up on one of America's great forgotten heroes, Smedley Butler. For speed and convenience, just google him or go directly to the Wikipedia article about him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler
I read his book, War Is A Racket, years ago, and today am looking for a copy to refresh myself on it.
The story of his disclosure before a congressional committee of the "Business Plot" is fascinating, as is the committee's published conclusions and subsequent coverup of Butler's testimony.
Wonder if the far right has a "Business Plan" for President Obama? Maybe if they forsee an election they can't steal ...
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Bring back the draft
[Read the article: The tragic story of LaVena Johnson]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As a former Navy officer, and married to a former Air Force officer, I can only second letters like maywald's and sleeps with cats'. I remember my OCS class singing the Navy hymn or the national anthem or saying the pledge of allegiance and then guys leering and hooting like a bunch of chimps when a female training officer appeared before us. I was ashamed then and I'm ashamed now. Women are just a usable commodity in every branch of the military. I served during the era of the draft and I believe that all volunteer service has degraded America's military to the lowest common denominator and the military is no longer representative of the general population. And it's not just sexism: if the well-hidden political, religious, and racial indoctrination and pressure on our troops were ever revealed, people would find it hard to believe. The military is well-versed in making the messages subliminal.
If we are really at war for what are truly national interests, there should be a draft. Americans from all walks of life would be proud to serve, and the military would be less insular. However, if a draft were instituted, support for what we're doing in Iraq would collapse pretty quickly, wouldn't it?
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What does this mean to the Bush Regime
[Read the article: Turning their backs on jihad]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Nothing. Too stupid to finesse an opening like this. Why tickle with a feather when a sledgehammer is at hand?
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sysprog et al
[Read the article: Al-Marri and the power to imprison U.S. citizens without charges]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Wow! Never thought I'd see the day when Nixon didn't seem so bad after all. Remember teaching high school government at the time of Watergate and being amazed at the level of information held by my students and their perception of the dangers presented by Nixon and his henchmen. Wonder what's being discussed in those same classes now regarding the Bush presidency? Somehow I doubt it's being touched on at all, and certainly not in terms of implications for our democracy. What an opportunity is being missed, yet just too controversial and complicated for the average teacher to deal with.
Today, we have almost no one in Congress willing to stand up for the Constitution and the rule of law as so many did in the early seventies. Sickening what we're passing on to our kids.
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Big Smiles
[Read the article: Broadsheet, out]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I'm retired. Play golf and follow politics. My big joys come from a golf ball doing what I mentally pictured when I hit it, and from an elected offical (notice I didn't say politician) actually doing the right thing rather than trying to bury me in bullshit.
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The Real
[Read the article: Quote of the day]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]Somebody please tell me that Klavan's piece was just irony and satire ... please!
Otherwise, Andrew Klavan = Cliff Claven.
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Re: James T. Kirk
[Read the article: This Modern World]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]As long as we're doing comic characters today, how about this one:
"WHAT A MAROON!"