What is wrong with the attitudes of Americans today?

Hello everybody, new guy here. I've been watching the news pretty consistently for awhile and I don't agree with any war protests going on around the world.
I am quite close to my grandfather that served the United States of America in WWII. He has told me stories about things that he did and of things that happened during that war that he has not told anyone else. In these stories I try to imagine being there by his side. I have often felt the fear, the determination, the commradery, and the pride by the sound of his voice or the look in his eyes. So dedicated he is, that he told me if Uncle Sam were to call him today he would go serve again. Now he was no General or even an officer, just a gunner in the Army. When he talks about the war and all the things that the entire military had to endure to fight a ruthless dictator, it makes me proud of him, the men and women in the military, and to be an American in this great country that we live in. I know that alot of you will say 'Oh what a beautiful sob story', but I believe that if no one would have stood up to Hitler,(another ruthless dictator), we would not be here. It is our responsibility to remove people from power that are willing to kill innocent people to gain power by the use of fear. I for one believe that if the U.S. would have had the same public support it had in WWII that it should have had in this conflict, we probably wouldn't be this situation now. Saddam, as any sensible person would know, when he was outnumbered. Whatever you get from this, please know that I care and I pray for the soldiers that actually have to kill someone so that the world may remain safe. My feelings that's all... thanks!

Welcome fli ! Thanks for sharing your story, I wish more Americans saw things the way you do. All of these protesters are marching for peace, but they dont seem to realize we are trying to remove a very evil person from power so the world will be more peaceful. Why should we wait until another 3000 people are murdered by terrorists to do something about it? We have a very brave military and they need our support back home, I dread seeing a repeat of Vietnam where our troops came home and were spat upon. These men and women are sacrificing their lives so that we can continue to enjoy the freedoms that we do each and every day, and hopefully that the Iraqi people will enjoy when this war is said and done. I really think people take freedom for granted because that is all they have ever known, but they shouldn't forget the people who fought for our freedom and are fighting right now as we speak. Anyway, welcome to ATS !!!!

Your grandfather is a true American in all aspects of the term. I don't know the man and I respect him and the men and women just like him!
Thank you for sharing that story with us
Magestica

I SALUTE YOUR GRANDADDY!




[Edited on 26-3-2003 by U.S. Patriot]

Your grandad sounds like a brave guy, I was speaking to my grandad-in-law about the war over Christmas, he'd worked with the medics and been posted all over the world. He spent time in South Africa, Asia, Cyrpus, was present at quite a few landings and treated the wounded from the battles. WW2 was a terrible war.

However, in answer to your subject line. The problem with Americans now is that they're unwilling to question their government, or the media, about what's really going on in the world. It's not particularly the American peoples fault, it's more the media who may pretend to cover both sides, but in reality just spend their time sidelining the anti-war case. And if you need an example, just examine Bush/Powell and Rumsfield's recent speeches for factual accuracy... search on the web, do the groundwork yourself and don't trust the US media.

What's wrong with americans today is that some of them are so plainly honest and naive, if not to say unintelligent, that they even believe the bull# of guys like Bush, Fleischer and Cheney.

I was talking to my wife's grandad, and he served during WWII. He's a German, he was based in Frankfurt and was a captain of a gun battery that shot down over 30 planes. He too knows what war looks like. He is turning 96 this year. I too hope that it is not another Vietnam, where a lot of innocent lives are wasted over a stupid war. This war was made by choice, nothing else.

Good advice, no matter what side of the fence you're on...as there is a tremendous amount of erroneous info on BOTH sides of this arguement....

Nice to have you, and welcome.

Thanks for your words of encouragement. I really love this site, it's very interesting.

dom i know the media isnt a great source for news, but how unrealiable are they. Please be specific.

Patriot why is your flag always at 1/2 mast?
Is it to remember the death of democracy and freedom?

Originally posted by U.S. Patriot
I SALUTE YOUR GRANDADDY!

Well, in response to the original poster, I'd like to add this:

My Grandfather was a Lieutenant in WW2 and Korea. He was a Demolitions expert in the Army, and in Korea, worked with a group of five Navy Seals. His job (In Korea) was to blow up bridges to slow the advance of Korean troops and give retreating G.I.'s time to retreat. He was fluent in Korean, and was trained in all manner of martial arts. He was a fearsome man with a genius intellect, and many of my family members claim I have inherited his good looks. (Though that is subjective)

However, through all his battles, all his stories of little Korean boys walking up to him to offer him an apple only to find it was really a hand grenade, he told me time and time again that war is wrong. Period.

He was a liberal, a man with a heart who hated to see his grandson join the military. He was highly decorated, having earned a Purple Heart and a Bronze star among other things. Yet, he saw war as a last resort, and considers Bush to be both a fool and a two-faced liar.

You will be hard pressed to find a veteran who supports this war. Especially since Bush recently passed a bill that would cut 36 million out of the Veteran's administration's budget for VA hospitals.

I suppose it is ok to ask young men to fight and die for his cause, yet it is not ok for those young men, when they are old and sick, to ask the president for a little compassion.

www.vaiw.org...

Respect to all the soldiers of the world that fought and died.

But what were they fighting for?

Did they really understand?

You say you have to follow orders blindly whether the war is right or wrong.

Unfortunately our leaders start war because of their egoistic approach towards humanity.

My father went through WWII and told me it was the worst experience and prayed it never happened again.

It is about power and making others succumbe so you can have your way.

I gather that you are all proud americans and support the war.

I am not and can see through all the brainwashing that your government is applying onto your narrow brains.

Narrow, not because you are stupid, but cannot see further than what you hear on the news.

This war is not about weapons of mass destruction, it is not about liberation of Iraq, or getting rid of Saddam Hussein (if you read well back in history you fill find it was the US that put him there in the first place),

It is about:

1)American domination of the Middle East.
2)Control of the oil reserves (the black gold) and it's pricing
3)Installation of US bases in that part of the world.
4)Ultimately the control and the Americanisation of the rest of it.

It is scary to think that one country can impose their way of thinking globally and can start wars at will.

I do not think your president made a good decision because he has not evaluated all of the collateral negative effects.

Time will tell

Originally posted by zaxatron
This war is not about weapons of mass destruction, it is not about liberation of Iraq, or getting rid of Saddam Hussein (if you read well back in history you fill find it was the US that put him there in the first place),

Bravo. I'm glad to see this board has some intelligent thinkers. You hit the nail on the head, my friend, and I feel I should add something to your statement.

I'm sure most of you know that during the 1980's, The U.S. backed BOTH Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein. You can look this up, or ask any historian, and they will indeed back me up.

We supported Bin Laden because he was, at the time, fighting the Russians in Afghanistan. We gave him Stinger Missiles that he used to shoot down the Russian Special Forces copters, and later he gave those same Stinger SAMs (Surface to air missile) to the warlords in Somalia, thus creating the fiasco we all know as Mogadishu.

We also supported Saddam in the 1980's because he was at war with Iran. We gave Saddam countless biological agents and long range missiles, yet the United states government refuses to admit this. (even though it is generally accepted as fact by all other nations.)

Ask yourself this:

Who is the madman?

A benign ruler of an impoverished third world nation

Or an oil rich billionaire who uses the name of god to justify his war against said third world nation?


[Edited on 26-3-2003 by Kai-Raega]

ilovepizza - Specifically then, there is another thread by John-bull about the lack of credibility in the western media right now, so maybe that's the best place for the discussion.

The Western media have been side-lining and questioning the anti-war line for months. But when interviewing the right-wing pro-government line they have rarely asked the right questions, or done anything more than provide a platform for warmongers such as Richard Perle, Donald Rumsfield, etc..

Basically, the media is backing the government. In the UK it's really obvious that all of Murdoch's papers back the war, and it's only amongst the smaller more independent papers that the anti-war views get an airing. In the US nearly all papers are owned by larger media groups, who all seem to back the war. There are so many holes in the US administrations arguments that it's easy to poke holes, and yet few mainstream media organisations have done so...

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