Spc. Vassell, 2nd Platoon Apache Company Strykers:Guardian has a new video linked on their front page, that covers events on and after May 19, 2007. It's a Flash 8 and takes a minute or two to load.
I challenge anybody in Congress to do my rotation. They don't have to do anything, just come hang out with me and go home at the times I go home. And come stay here fifteen months with me.
Spc. Vassell, 2nd Platoon Apache Company Strykers:The politicians all sit there in their cushy offices or their comfy little places on the floor of the House, The Senate, and in the White House. They do not have a fucking clue what they are doing to the soldiers. They do not have a fucking clue how stressed out the military is. How the policies they are all pushing for are breaking the military.
We're supposed to be on the way home right now. We were supposed to be flying home in six days. Six days. But because we have people up there in Congress with the brain of a two-year old who don't know what they're doing. They don't experience it. I, I challenge the President or whoever has us here for fifteen months to ride along, alongside me. I'll do another fifteen months if he comes out here and rides along with me every day for fifteen months. I'll do fifteen more months. They don't even have to pay me extra. I just want him to come out here and ride with me another fifteen months.
YOU all say YOU support the troops. What a fucking load of crap. If YOU aren't there in Iraq along side them in this endless war that YOU support...
Don't ever fucking tell me YOU support the troops.
That goes for all of you war cheerleaders, Republican and Democratic party alike, that continue to fund this endless disaster. The same thing goes for all of you keyboard and armchair warriors that cheer on the occupation of Iraq but are too hypocritical to spill your own blood in Iraq's desert sands.
Via Lithiumcola at The Booman Tribune. Buzz it if you want to...
[update] Via the NY Times:
More soldiers and their families are speaking up against the Iraq occupation.
[update deux]sptmck at 1%More Conscious has 100% more well chosen words concerning the soldiers that are mad about the longer deployments and the others that no longer believe in the mission in Iraq.
[update trois] Veteran activist jimstaro at ePluribus Media Youtubed an ABC report covering this story:
And this one aired later in response to the original report:
Crooks and Liars has picked this story up from ABC one up. They don't have the video up (yet?) but I do. heh
22 comments:
You are right, only hypocrites say they support the troops. Fuck the troops. It's an all mercenary army fighting an indefensible war of aggression. If they want to, every US soldier can join the human race, strip off that silly fucking costume and refuse to deploy.
I would think that the only real option to support the troops is to bring them home now.
There is a serious problem when the soldiers have absolutely no confidence in the decisions being made through the chain of command (including the president and Congress).
If they want to, every US soldier can join the human race, strip off that silly fucking costume and refuse to deploy.
That is happening right now. Some soldiers are doing that. It is going to get worse (IMHO) before it gets better.
IMPEACH THE BASTARD, HYPOCRITICAL, CHICKEN HAWKS.
I have been calling the Senate offices and giving them an earful and then I tell them how many millions they got from business.
most congressmen are wholly owned subsidiaries of the Military Industrial Complex; the ones that are war profiteering while the military bleeds.
Every day more we spend in Iraq is another day a soldier will die needlesly. If it would end the war I would say let's just give all of those companies the money and they don't have to deliver any more military hardware. Unfortunately it also comes down to warmongering ideologues in Congress and the White House that want more than to enrich the MIC, they want a global empire of their very own, and all of the resources and markets that come with it, IMHO.
Hey dude . . It's a volunteer military . . you volunteered just like I did in 1983 . . You pays your money and you takes your chances . .
So you don't want to have to kill people at the direction or politicians playing games with your ass? . . You are a mercenary. You get paid to either kill other humans directly, or you support those who do . . WTF?? . . And now you're feeling whiney an don't want to go back to the lovely 130 degree heat of Iraq?? . . well boo-fucking-hoo to you . . Which part of your enlistment didn't you understand? . . Apparently ALL of it . . I just spent 3 weeks driving all over Kentucky, Illinois, Mississippi, Ohio, Wisconson and Minnesota, Arkansas . . Drive from Greenville Mississippi to South central Wisconson like I just did through the small towns along the highways and see the little shrines in the local graveyards . . Or the flags and signs on teh phone poles across the river from Paducah KY . .
The only way I support you is with tough love pal . . we really don't support you . . But I guess the positive in the whole thing is that by NOT supporting you, we are helping you and the rest of your whiney ass buddies get home just that much sooner . .
Have fun . . and keep your head down . .
Don't mention it . .
"Hey dude . . It's a volunteer military . .
No one volunteers for illegal wars of aggression. Only politicians can order those.
And yeah... Your comment sure shows that YOU support the troops in the true republican way. You support their death sentence on a shoestring budget without the proper equipment and no direction from this incompetent and criminal leadership.
At least we know where you keep your head. You keep it in "Anon" cover because of the ridiculous stuff you say.
Latest word has it that GI Joe Lieberman would "love" to join you in battle, but he can't find his "cool-dude" shades to wear while he is "guarded" by 100 Marines and many Apaches.
He "will" get guarded, won't he?
Tom
I am a vet. I don't serve anymore. That is just another in a line of photos in my profile that I can and do use.
I don't think Joe neocon LIEberman will ever join me in any poltical battle either, considering he is almost always on the wrong side of the argument. Not to mention the fact that I was a Lamont supporter (even though I am not a Dem) and, like many others,was working towards replacing LIEberman even before Lamont jumped into the fray.
I watched the video of the recent Bill Moyers Journal with John Nichols and Bruce Fein (http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07132007/profile.html).
Bruce Fein is a constitutional scholar with impeccable conservative credentials. He wrote the first article of impeachment against Bill Clinton. Now he says that Bush's crimes are far worse than Clinton's.
After watching the video, I composed the following email and sent it to Speaker Pelosi, Senator Patrick Leahy, and Congressman Chris Murphy (with appropriate changes).
====
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-0100
Dear Madam Speaker Pelosi:
It's long past time for impeachment hearings to begin against President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. This White House has overreached its Constitutional authority in matters both foreign and domestic. You and I, and all the Congress and all the American people, know full well the extent of their high crimes and misdemeanors, and I will not enumerate them in this letter. They took an oath, as did you, to the Constitution. No one has taken an oath to George W. Bush, contrary to the slip of the tongue uttered by former aide Sara Taylor in her appearance this week.
You took an oath to the Constitution, and if you do not begin impeachment hearings, you will be violating that oath just as surely as have Bush and Cheney. The Founding Fathers included the tool of impeachment because they knew from first hand experience the inevitable result of unchecked executive power.
Do your duty. Put the Constitution before Party, before winning the next election, and before personal ambition. Begin impeachment hearings.
Sincerely,
Sharon, I know for a fact that you are not the only one that has sent a similar letter to Pelosi. :) That Moyers' show was quite interesting too! It is interesting how an interview can go when it isn't all about soundbytes, rhetoric and vitriol.
Thanks to everyone that commented, even the guy that exposed what many on the minority right-wing-side-of-batty really thinks about "supporting the military."
...all of you keyboard and armchair warriors that cheer on the occupation of Iraq but are too hypocritical to spill your own blood in Iraq's desert sands.
CM1, you are kicking some ass dude. Down here in the patriotic South far to many of the able bodied "Good old Boys" sit around talking trash about killing people and how the "ragheads" need to be dealt with. Curiously almost to man all these rednecks have yet to find their way to a recruiting station. Same thing with the squeaky clean middle class, oh they support the war but far be it that their designer dressed son or daughter serve to defend the country. That is for someone else's child to do, their kids can't miss college and mess up their young lives. I truly wish I could write that the sentiments coming from these two groups I just expressed were the exception and not the rule, but I can't. Many have wondered why no 1960ish protests about the Iraq war have sprung up, well crank up the draft and not only would all the college age Young Republicans suddenly turn into something else a thunderous roar of feet would soon be heard as rich kids find a pressing need to see Canada.
I agree with everything you say there, beach bum. You just have to look to "Anon" up there:
Or the flags and signs on teh phone poles across the river from Paducah KY . .
Wow... Flags. And on everything you own. It sure does make you more patriotic than everyone else.
I remember reading a story from an interview of a recruiter where one lady with all of those flags (and support bush signs) out front of her house said it straight up to the recruiter (Paraphrased):
"I support the war but my kids are above that."
WTF is running through these people's minds? Waving flags and cheering on the soldiers is not patriotic, nor is it any kind of selfless service.
WTF is running through these people's minds?
Beats the hell out of me. But, I'm seriously considering expatiating to Mexico or somewhere else once my kids are grown. This dogpack patriotism is just too damn close to 30's Germany for comfort.
And because I got into a discussion with someone at work over this subject who called me "civilian punk" who didn't know any better I'd like to add that I'm a retired E-6 with 4 years active army service and 17 National Guard. Some assume that my anti-Bush/Iraq war stance means I never served.
== ... a retired E-6 with 4 years
== active army service and 17
== National Guard. Some assume
== that my anti-Bush/Iraq war
== stance means I never served.
A career similar to mine.
I was in Iraq in 2004.
It is definitely the biggest
arrogant/blunder/farce in US
history.
I wonder if my former comrades
in the guard unit have stopped
watching Foxsnoooze.
I SUPPORT OUR TROOPS - ALL THE WAY.
(All the way home on the fastest aircraft available.)
If you are a vet like myself that is against the war, I suggest you make it known the same way I have (post yer pic in uniform) and shock the heck out of those people.
I am a liberal. I believe in a strong military to protect our borders and sometimes, YES, even to help in countries that want and need some policing or protection from attacks.
But I do not support "wars of choice", that is a fancy phrase for "illegal wars of aggression", nor do I support these criminals in the White House and their incompetent and illegal policies.
Apparently, neither do today's actively serving soldiers.
Nice to see there are still a few rational and articulate people in this country!
But, can't say the same of the posters at Free Republic.
Worried about the survival of this country as a Democracy.
All those people who hide behind the fact that it is an all volunteer military miss one very important point. Every person in the chain of command from J. Random Private to the President of the United States take an oath to defend the Constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic. So, when you volunteer to join the military you do not volunteer to break the law, to violate human rights nor to surender all of your own. Bush and his cronies are involved in criminal activity and it is unconsceincable that he is implicating our military in his corruption.
I agree Mike Grello. Like I said to Anon: No one volunteers for illegal wars of aggression. Only politicians can order those.
The oath to uphold the Constitution is one I take very seriously to this day. It is one of the reasons I Blog about what I Blog about everyday. It is also one of the reasons I believe the members of the bush administration are traitors.
Thank you for saying it in a much clearer fashion than I did.
CM1--Thanks for the shout out!!
No problem sptmck. It is worth the read.
connecticut man, I free-ken hear ya' Bro' - for sure. And with you 100%. Tell it like it is Bro' and remember you got war vets back in the world, at the VA'S and a lot of other places that think just like you do. You got to find them when you get back to the world my man.
Keep the faith Bro' and you do your thinkin' and don't let anybody else influence that in any way - which I don't think anyone ever will from what I see.
Dynamite Job and hell of a post Bro'!
Hang Tough ~
Bammo
101st Airborne Div/Americal Div.
RVN "DDAP"
There It Is? It Don't Mean Nothin'
P.S. Frig all these REMF MoFo's that buy the Bush and D.C. shuck and jive. Their all over the place, give em' a flag and a lollipop and the f**ckers are happy!
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