Common disconnect made by the pro-Iraqi war crowd

For the most part, the American soldiers serving in Iraq are good people with noble intentions. Many of them truly believe that they are fighting and risking their lives for a noble cause. Those who support the war, including soldiers, argue that since the soldiers' intentions are noble and righteous, the war in Iraq is noble and righteous.

Unfortunately, the war as it has been executed is not noble and righteous. Those choosing to put soldiers in harm's way are not doing so to advance noble causes like freedom and democracy, but doing so to advance Halliburton and military contractors. Since the true intentions of those who are leading this nation into war are sinister and base, the war is sinister and base.

Unfortunately, people who serve and their families take great offense to the conclusion the war is being fought to advance the petty interests of an elite few. These people feel that when people like me say this, *I* am devaluing their lives, their dignity, and their sacrifice to this nation. This could be further from the truth and is another logical disconnect. The person that puts the soldier in harm's way for no good reason is devaluing that soldier's life and human diginity, not the person that is advocating taking the soldier out of harm's way.

Just some food for thought about one of the mind f---s that this president and his cronies are perpetrating.

Originally posted by hotpinkurinalmint
Unfortunately, people who serve and their families take great offense to the conclusion the war is being fought to advance the petty interests of an elite few. These people feel that when people like me say this, *I* am devaluing their lives, their dignity, and their sacrifice to this nation. This could be further from the truth and is another logical disconnect. The person that puts the soldier in harm's way for no good reason is devaluing that soldier's life and human diginity, not the person that is advocating taking the soldier out of harm's way.

Just some food for thought about one of the mind f---s that this president and his cronies are perpetrating.

What I take offense to is equating our troops with murderers and terrorists. You didnt do this but many on the extreme left do.

I was against the war in Iraq from the start. The war wasnt going to be worth it in the long run and the only way Iraq will have western style democracy is to divide the country into 3 states which no one is willing to do. We went in with too few troops in the initial invasion and these PNAC folks on the neocon right had no plan for what to do after winning the war.
We should never fight a war were we are not willing to fight a total war fighting a war half way is always a mistake.

I am a veteran myself and I have 3 out of my 4 kids fighting in this war as I type this.

[edit on 5/31/2007 by DarkStormCrow]

I would agree it is inappropriate to call our troops terrorists or murderers. For the most part the troops make great efforts to minimize the risk of civilian casualties, often creating a greater risk to their own lives when they do so.

The military's job is to kill people and break things. Those who support sending the military out to some country to kill people and break things are worthy of blame. I find it difficult to blame the lowly foot soldier who really has no choice but to follow orders, but those who enthusiastically support, encourage, and participate in this war are worthy of blame.

Its easy to support a war when its not your blood on the line. Which is why we should have instituted a draft on September 12th 2001.

I don't know if you necessarily need a draft, but having all of America, especially its business interests, somehow pay for the war, not necessarily with their blood or the blood of their sons, would have prevented a lot of trouble. My grandparents' generation beat the Nazis not only on the battlefield, but on the home front by rationing and making sacrifices in their daily lives. Since September 11, 2001, Americans have not been making the necessary sacrifices to defeat Al Qaida. It is only in the past one or two years that Americans have started to think about being fuel efficient. Between 2001 and the time of Hurrican Katrina Americans were driving and buying large SUV's and trucks as if they were going out of style. We have been giving Al Qaida more money by buying larger cars and using more fuel at higher prices, rather than curtailing our oil consumption. Furthermore, the companies that benefit the most over wars for oil have done extraordinarily well for themselves (see Exxon's record profits and Haliburton), while not paying one cent to further a war fought to protect their interests.

If Americans started using less fuel and developing technologies and an infrastructure that used less fuel, we could win the war on terror. The fight over Iraq would be less intense as the black goo undereneath it would be less valuable. Those countries fighting a proxy war through the Shi'ites and Sunis would have less money to do so because the black goo they sell on the world market would be less valuable. Furthermore those same countries would have less money to give to terrorists. Those countries would also have one less bargaining chip to use against our country on the diplomatic front.

If companies like Halliburton lost money over wars, rather than made money off wars, we would see a lot less fighting.

Of course, the Bush administration has not asked any of the American people nor any American business interest to make any sacrifice, save the poor people that send their children off to war, to make any sacrifice to win this war whatsoever. Perhaps if we had a leader that asked the American people and American business interests to make reasonable sacrifices in order to promote reasonable measures to fight terrorism, this world would be a better place.

[edit on 31-5-2007 by hotpinkurinalmint]

I believe that the families of the soldiers fighting In Iraq should demand the present administration that started this war to tell the truth of why their loves are not at home with them right now.

Instead of trying to circumvent the freedom of speech of their fellow American citizens so they do not feel offended.

In any war is going to be cruel comments mixed with the reality of the issues behind any war.

One of the problems is the issue of sacrifices because when the question comes for who and why our soldiers are sacrificing their lives in Iraq the answer is not a very nice one, the families knows this and our nation knows this, we have enough lies already and we should not keep lying so others feel comfortable.