Why The Misery Must End
If we are to believe the enthusiastic reports of our government concerning the situation in Iraq, then we are only ensuring that the killing shall continue unabated into the next decade, perhaps. I say this because the direct combat phase in Vietnam for the United States lasted from March 1965 to January 1973. Thus, if we were to imagine that this war will last just as long, we are only in August of '68- at the very height of the brutal slaughter, and it won't stop for several more years. We might think that the decline in U.S. casualties is a sign of better days, but that is only because of the significant spike in Iraqi army deaths. And even these units are incapable of controlling Baghdad, which means that we may once again see a significant rise in U.S. battle deaths, that is, unless we resort to the only method which works: total and absolute resistance to the tyranny of this government which has wasted our blood and treasure for a frivolous, damnable reason (and I mean, quite literally DAMNABLE, that is, if you believe there is a hell). And if you think there is a solution to the problem of Iraq which will originate from the infinite wisdom and prudence of Bush & Co., just look at the facts:
-The skirmishes and battles fought between coalition and resistance forces has increased from an average of 70 to 90 per day.
- There are an estimated 20,000 resistance fighters in Iraq to this day, and their ranks will be perpetually replenished by thousands upon thousands upon thousands of more enraged young men willing to die for both God and country.
-Apart from Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Mosul, there is little, if any, violence which would erupt due to sectarian strife. It is only when coalition forces attempt to recapture a city that violence erupts. Otherwise, much of Iraq would be relatively peaceful without us getting in the way, seeing as how it is controlled by local authorities. But this is not a rosy picture in the least bit: As long as Baghdad continues to erupt in sectarian violence, and as long as we continue in our quest to gain control over more of Iraq, the insurgents will continue to keep mobilizing all their efforts with ever-more sophisticated IED and sniper attacks. Should we not also include on our part the never-ending use of tank and artillery fire which demolishes homes and kills scores of innocents, which only further recruits indignant locals to the ranks of the insurgency?
- If we are facing enough turmoil with the Sunni areas of Iraq that are facing sectarian violence, imagine the incredible risk we are taking to gain control of the Shia areas. So far, such insidious weapons as IEDs have been used sporadically in the south, but that could all change. If U.S. and coalition forces are over-extended in the Sunni areas, dealing with internecine warfare, just imagine how much more terrible things could get in the near future.
- About 40,000 Iraqis are dying on a yearly basis as we continue to deny defeat. Is there any justification left in 2006 for what was lauded by the Bush stenographers, that is, the mainstream media, in 2003 as a great war to "liberate" Iraq? Every single justification, even the remotest one, died before they could be acted upon.
I remember the headlines which started in August 2002 about the impending war. Did we think that we were going to war, say, in early 2002, despite Bush and Co. labeling Iraq with the "axis of evil"? Needless to say, all of the hype simply started at once in that fateful August, and the world has not yet recovered from the trauma suffered. To simply fathom the fact that over 100,000 Iraqis are dead, and 18,000 of our soldiers are dead or wounded shatters the conscience and silences every voice which still supports this war. We came to bring "liberation" to Iraq, but we have only brought death- more death than Saddam did. And we still continue to think to this very day and hour that we have a "duty" to continue this senseless and brutal war. 2,592 American soldiers are dead- and for what? Did Iraq attack this country? No. Did Iraq ever intend to? No. Was Bush & Co. lying to us? Yes. And for this, we must expel all of them from office, even if we are reduced to using brute force to expel these criminals from the White House and Congress. Do I advocate violence? No, for that would only show that we are no better than these war criminals. What I mean by using "brute force" is that if impeachment fails, then we must take to the streets every day, every moment, to force this regime to end the war right this instant. We must mobilize a huge grassroots effort comprised of civic, business, and religious leaders, not to mention intellectuals and celebrities who shall speak their minds. And most important of all, ordinary people must make the bulk of this movement. Can we be so sure that this nefarious regime will not resort to the draft- taking our own children, our flesh and blood, to fight, kill, and die in a senseless war which will never end as long as they are in power? This is why I advocate the streets as our forums. We must start marching, say, every weekend in the Capitol, all day long. We must harass Bush and his ilk- not with physical violence, but with the truth. We will shout, we will scream, and we will rage in defiant anger against the ruthless bastions of power in Washington and beyond- all of the Congressmen and Senators who supported this war will be punished to the greatest extent possible by not re-electing them. We will throw every one of them out of office, and we will not support anyone who will still give credence to the war. We will lay down a strict orthodoxy to supplement our orthopraxy of working for peace and justice in this land. We will revolt against big oil and all big business which puts profit ahead of human lives and dignity. We might like the thrill of war while playing a videogame, but this is no game: real lives are being lost daily, and the world suffers in agony while we continue this dangerous charade of arrogance and brutality masked as benevolence. We have as much luck bringing our style of democracy to the Middle East as we do a snowman that will not melt in the summer heat. Our only hope for peace is to leave Iraq this very instant- and no one is justified in thinking otherwise.
As for the detractors to our case for withdrawal, and for the apologists of the stupidity and incompetence of this regime, I do not wish to engage in name-calling, because while all of you are responsible for this war by letting your leaders go about executing it, you are not guilty of starting it. Only the Bush regime is guilty. And so for the remainder of this message, I would like to share some personal reflections on why I will not be an Army officer after all. In September 2005, I entered college ROTC as a freshman. I never really wanted to be there, but I felt forced by a desperate father who felt I had no other options for going to college (as of now, I do). But I forgive him for the myopia he suffered then, and the hypocrisy of opposing the war while still letting his son go into the military. And he also understands now my utter incompetence of being a soldier, much less an officer. But while I was there, I had a hard time fitting in with the rest of the cadets- all of them prospective officers, or working their way to that goal of earning their gold bar at the end of their four years in college. I honestly thought that by 2009, I would be a second lieutenant, possibly leading troops into battle. However, due to the fact that I was the lowest scoring cadet on the physical fitness test straight for an entire year, and that I couldn't even handle an M-16 rifle properly, I grew more and more despondent as time went on. I had no idea about what was going on in any of the battle drills we went through, and thus I was simply the cannon fodder who would be stationed, waiting for the order to go and get killed. I honestly had no idea how I would be able to memorize the complexity of leading a squad through one of these drills, which I had to do by the time I was supposed to enter summer training camp before graduating. Needless to say, I won't have to worry about that. But I think I was determined that I would not make it through my first year of ROTC somehow when I did the worst at firing that M-16. I hate this weapon, because its only purpose is to kill people. That's it. It can't defend human rights or bring democracy to oppressed peoples. It is a nihilistic instrument of destruction, pure and simple. I couldn't even zero in a target because I was too nervous to have enough common sense to fire with my right eye instead of my left. The same was true for the pop-up targets- forty of them in all, and only one which I shot down. And so there you have it, the futility of me even using a weapon to defend myself. And I send a special apology to MSG Coe for having put in his precious time and talent to train a dud, and also I send an apology to LTC Hilton for having made his Battalion look a little worse for having me in it. And I apologize to anyone whom I might of offended for stating my case, especially to the families who have lost loved ones in the war, and yet still support. Honor your loved ones by pushing for them and for all the rest of the military to get out, so that more lives are saved. And to everyone- honor the necessity of peace in the world by doing whatever is in your capacity to help end the war. I know I have only spoken, but I remember a saying by the philosopher Sartre that commitment is not a word, it's an action. May this be just as true for us who value peace as it has proved so terribly and fatally true for those who gave us this war.
If we are to believe the enthusiastic reports of our government concerning the situation in Iraq, then we are only ensuring that the killing shall continue unabated into the next decade, perhaps. I say this because the direct combat phase in Vietnam for the United States lasted from March 1965 to January 1973. Thus, if we were to imagine that this war will last just as long, we are only in August of '68- at the very height of the brutal slaughter, and it won't stop for several more years. We might think that the decline in U.S. casualties is a sign of better days, but that is only because of the significant spike in Iraqi army deaths. And even these units are incapable of controlling Baghdad, which means that we may once again see a significant rise in U.S. battle deaths, that is, unless we resort to the only method which works: total and absolute resistance to the tyranny of this government which has wasted our blood and treasure for a frivolous, damnable reason (and I mean, quite literally DAMNABLE, that is, if you believe there is a hell). And if you think there is a solution to the problem of Iraq which will originate from the infinite wisdom and prudence of Bush & Co., just look at the facts:
-The skirmishes and battles fought between coalition and resistance forces has increased from an average of 70 to 90 per day.
- There are an estimated 20,000 resistance fighters in Iraq to this day, and their ranks will be perpetually replenished by thousands upon thousands upon thousands of more enraged young men willing to die for both God and country.
-Apart from Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Mosul, there is little, if any, violence which would erupt due to sectarian strife. It is only when coalition forces attempt to recapture a city that violence erupts. Otherwise, much of Iraq would be relatively peaceful without us getting in the way, seeing as how it is controlled by local authorities. But this is not a rosy picture in the least bit: As long as Baghdad continues to erupt in sectarian violence, and as long as we continue in our quest to gain control over more of Iraq, the insurgents will continue to keep mobilizing all their efforts with ever-more sophisticated IED and sniper attacks. Should we not also include on our part the never-ending use of tank and artillery fire which demolishes homes and kills scores of innocents, which only further recruits indignant locals to the ranks of the insurgency?
- If we are facing enough turmoil with the Sunni areas of Iraq that are facing sectarian violence, imagine the incredible risk we are taking to gain control of the Shia areas. So far, such insidious weapons as IEDs have been used sporadically in the south, but that could all change. If U.S. and coalition forces are over-extended in the Sunni areas, dealing with internecine warfare, just imagine how much more terrible things could get in the near future.
- About 40,000 Iraqis are dying on a yearly basis as we continue to deny defeat. Is there any justification left in 2006 for what was lauded by the Bush stenographers, that is, the mainstream media, in 2003 as a great war to "liberate" Iraq? Every single justification, even the remotest one, died before they could be acted upon.
I remember the headlines which started in August 2002 about the impending war. Did we think that we were going to war, say, in early 2002, despite Bush and Co. labeling Iraq with the "axis of evil"? Needless to say, all of the hype simply started at once in that fateful August, and the world has not yet recovered from the trauma suffered. To simply fathom the fact that over 100,000 Iraqis are dead, and 18,000 of our soldiers are dead or wounded shatters the conscience and silences every voice which still supports this war. We came to bring "liberation" to Iraq, but we have only brought death- more death than Saddam did. And we still continue to think to this very day and hour that we have a "duty" to continue this senseless and brutal war. 2,592 American soldiers are dead- and for what? Did Iraq attack this country? No. Did Iraq ever intend to? No. Was Bush & Co. lying to us? Yes. And for this, we must expel all of them from office, even if we are reduced to using brute force to expel these criminals from the White House and Congress. Do I advocate violence? No, for that would only show that we are no better than these war criminals. What I mean by using "brute force" is that if impeachment fails, then we must take to the streets every day, every moment, to force this regime to end the war right this instant. We must mobilize a huge grassroots effort comprised of civic, business, and religious leaders, not to mention intellectuals and celebrities who shall speak their minds. And most important of all, ordinary people must make the bulk of this movement. Can we be so sure that this nefarious regime will not resort to the draft- taking our own children, our flesh and blood, to fight, kill, and die in a senseless war which will never end as long as they are in power? This is why I advocate the streets as our forums. We must start marching, say, every weekend in the Capitol, all day long. We must harass Bush and his ilk- not with physical violence, but with the truth. We will shout, we will scream, and we will rage in defiant anger against the ruthless bastions of power in Washington and beyond- all of the Congressmen and Senators who supported this war will be punished to the greatest extent possible by not re-electing them. We will throw every one of them out of office, and we will not support anyone who will still give credence to the war. We will lay down a strict orthodoxy to supplement our orthopraxy of working for peace and justice in this land. We will revolt against big oil and all big business which puts profit ahead of human lives and dignity. We might like the thrill of war while playing a videogame, but this is no game: real lives are being lost daily, and the world suffers in agony while we continue this dangerous charade of arrogance and brutality masked as benevolence. We have as much luck bringing our style of democracy to the Middle East as we do a snowman that will not melt in the summer heat. Our only hope for peace is to leave Iraq this very instant- and no one is justified in thinking otherwise.
As for the detractors to our case for withdrawal, and for the apologists of the stupidity and incompetence of this regime, I do not wish to engage in name-calling, because while all of you are responsible for this war by letting your leaders go about executing it, you are not guilty of starting it. Only the Bush regime is guilty. And so for the remainder of this message, I would like to share some personal reflections on why I will not be an Army officer after all. In September 2005, I entered college ROTC as a freshman. I never really wanted to be there, but I felt forced by a desperate father who felt I had no other options for going to college (as of now, I do). But I forgive him for the myopia he suffered then, and the hypocrisy of opposing the war while still letting his son go into the military. And he also understands now my utter incompetence of being a soldier, much less an officer. But while I was there, I had a hard time fitting in with the rest of the cadets- all of them prospective officers, or working their way to that goal of earning their gold bar at the end of their four years in college. I honestly thought that by 2009, I would be a second lieutenant, possibly leading troops into battle. However, due to the fact that I was the lowest scoring cadet on the physical fitness test straight for an entire year, and that I couldn't even handle an M-16 rifle properly, I grew more and more despondent as time went on. I had no idea about what was going on in any of the battle drills we went through, and thus I was simply the cannon fodder who would be stationed, waiting for the order to go and get killed. I honestly had no idea how I would be able to memorize the complexity of leading a squad through one of these drills, which I had to do by the time I was supposed to enter summer training camp before graduating. Needless to say, I won't have to worry about that. But I think I was determined that I would not make it through my first year of ROTC somehow when I did the worst at firing that M-16. I hate this weapon, because its only purpose is to kill people. That's it. It can't defend human rights or bring democracy to oppressed peoples. It is a nihilistic instrument of destruction, pure and simple. I couldn't even zero in a target because I was too nervous to have enough common sense to fire with my right eye instead of my left. The same was true for the pop-up targets- forty of them in all, and only one which I shot down. And so there you have it, the futility of me even using a weapon to defend myself. And I send a special apology to MSG Coe for having put in his precious time and talent to train a dud, and also I send an apology to LTC Hilton for having made his Battalion look a little worse for having me in it. And I apologize to anyone whom I might of offended for stating my case, especially to the families who have lost loved ones in the war, and yet still support. Honor your loved ones by pushing for them and for all the rest of the military to get out, so that more lives are saved. And to everyone- honor the necessity of peace in the world by doing whatever is in your capacity to help end the war. I know I have only spoken, but I remember a saying by the philosopher Sartre that commitment is not a word, it's an action. May this be just as true for us who value peace as it has proved so terribly and fatally true for those who gave us this war.
posted by Bob at 1:41 PM
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