This is a recent comment from a US Army Captain, who currently commands a company in Afghanistan:
"Although American citizens should definitely be more interested in what their military is involved in, they should not think that their military is somehow "standing watch" to protect the citizens' freedom just because the politicians say it is so.
But standing watch in Iraq, Afg, etc, etc is not protecting Americans freedom IMO. This just seems like some sort of romanticized feeling about loving one's own military no matter what. While that is not necessarilly bad, it sometimes misleads people into thinking their military is actually defending freedom (the military's real job) instead of just being grossly misused by ineffective political leaders (the military's current job).
A draft or mandatory public service (military or civil option) would do much to bring normal citizens into the fold on caring about public policy.
Remember your military on Memorial Day, yes. But don't say we are doing something that we are not. As I'm standing in the TSA security area of a major airport right now listening to a detachment from the local police play The National Anthem, it strikes me ironic that we are "the land of the free" but also the land that strip-searches old women and relies on big brother to ensure we fly safe.
Some might take these comments as un-patriotic, but you'd be sorely mistaken."
Matthew Hoh's resignation letter:
"I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end." Matthew Hoh
Great article on his resignation and the effects it had...
His actual resignation letter:
http://www.vvaw.org/commentary/Hoh_ResignationLetter.pdf
"I have doubts and reservations about our current strategy and planned future strategy, but my resignation is based not upon how we are pursuing this war, but why and to what end." Matthew Hoh
Great article on his resignation and the effects it had...
His actual resignation letter:
http://www.vvaw.org/commentary/Hoh_ResignationLetter.pdf
The video the US Military doesn't want you to see:
Take a few minutes and digest the content of each. They are examples of other people's opinions of our involvement in these wars. I give the most credence to Hoh's resignation letter. The Captain's comments are on one level anecdotal yet a very common theme reported by our returning servicemen. The video I thought was a bit over the top. Its too sensational as it comes across to me as "let's find the worst clips possible and edit them together and make a video."
There is no evidence that our military presence is really making us safer. We have hundreds of thousands troops chasing hundreds of Al Qaeda terrorists. All indications suggest they aren't even in Afghanistan any more and have departed for Pakistan, Yemen and other countries. We're not at war with the Taliban. The Taliban didn't blow up the World Trade Center, fly a plane into the Pentagon nor attempt to crash one into the Capitol.
What are we doing there?
At a time when elected officials are saying we don't have enough money to help the victims of the Joplin, MO tornado, we need to ask ourselves is this military action worth two billion dollars a week to continue? If you feel we should remain in Afghanistan indefinitely, I'd love to understand why.
Sources:
http://www.vvaw.org/commentary/Hoh_ResignationLetter.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Financial_cost_of_the_Iraq_War
We need to get out of Afghan as we have an ally as useless as the Presidents of South Vietnam. However, we also need to maintain a very strong military and intervene when we need to.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Bill we can't afford it now, but we better be ready if China determines to flex it's military muscle in Asia.
I work with a lot of military guys as a contractor to the military, so I think I have some clue.
I kinda like Ricks, but at times he misses it, and I did read the letter, but it has become all but forgotten.
As for Wiki, I do use it, but don't count on it being correct especially on current issues. Yeah, the war cost a ton of money, but the Bush policy is the primary reason for the "Arab spring", not the Cairo speech from Obama. Even nailing Bin Laden resulted from the incredilbe effort of the DOD during the Bush era.
Remember, current leader said we should have never gotten in the war, and we should have cut and run when the going got tough. He sure takes a lot of the credit now.
However, he has followed most to the Bush policy once he got there, and good for him. It sure do piss off the far left.