Comments on: Armistice Day http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/ Exposing the ugly truths about the Bush Administration. Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:22:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=1.5.1.3 by: felicity smith http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-45235 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:17:11 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-45235 Sorry, Maha. Passion often leads to reiteration, sort of like I-have-to-get-it-off-my-chest or I'll implode kind of thing. Snippy qualifies too. Sorry, Maha. Passion often leads to reiteration, sort of like I-have-to-get-it-off-my-chest or I’ll implode kind of thing. Snippy qualifies too.

]]> by: sara http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44977 Mon, 13 Nov 2006 02:31:25 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44977 It's easy to confuse the soldiers' experience with the marketing of the Iraq War, of military service, and of warfare in general. However, many of the people who fervently consume the latter have no experience whatever of military service. It isn't the soldiers who "buy the war," in the sense of ignorant consumption of this imagery and ideology, it's civilians. It’s easy to confuse the soldiers’ experience with the marketing of the Iraq War, of military service, and of warfare in general. However, many of the people who fervently consume the latter have no experience whatever of military service.

It isn’t the soldiers who “buy the war,” in the sense of ignorant consumption of this imagery and ideology, it’s civilians.

]]> by: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44869 Sun, 12 Nov 2006 19:39:53 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44869 felicity: <i>Maha A foreign military intervening in another nation’s civil war has got to be the height of absurdity. I mean, what if a foreign military had intervened in our Civil War. To what end? The fact is we invaded a country, removed the guy who had merely kept a lid on a boiling pot, the pot boiled over and made one helluva mess. </i> Of course. I've been saying exactly that for going on four years. Just because I didn't repeat myself in this post doesn't mean I need it explained to me. <strong><em>Update:</em></strong> Sorry, that was snippy. I apologize. felicity:

Maha

A foreign military intervening in another nation’s civil war has got to be the height of absurdity. I mean, what if a foreign military had intervened in our Civil War. To what end?

The fact is we invaded a country, removed the guy who had merely kept a lid on a boiling pot, the pot boiled over and made one helluva mess.

Of course. I’ve been saying exactly that for going on four years. Just because I didn’t repeat myself in this post doesn’t mean I need it explained to me.

Update: Sorry, that was snippy. I apologize.

]]> by: felicity smith http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44868 Sun, 12 Nov 2006 19:27:45 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44868 Marijam The young feel invincible and love adventure which is why it's so easy to send them off to war. It has been suggested that the old may support war, fought by the young, as a way of getting rid of competition. We are, afterall, not that far removed from the jungle. Maha A foreign military intervening in another nation's civil war has got to be the height of absurdity. I mean, what if a foreign military had intervened in our Civil War. To what end? The fact is we invaded a country, removed the guy who had merely kept a lid on a boiling pot, the pot boiled over and made one helluva mess. Marijam

The young feel invincible and love adventure which is why it’s so easy to send them off to war. It has been suggested that the old may support war, fought by the young, as a way of getting rid of competition. We are, afterall, not that far removed from the jungle.

Maha

A foreign military intervening in another nation’s civil war has got to be the height of absurdity. I mean, what if a foreign military had intervened in our Civil War. To what end?

The fact is we invaded a country, removed the guy who had merely kept a lid on a boiling pot, the pot boiled over and made one helluva mess.

]]> by: Donna http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44822 Sun, 12 Nov 2006 16:33:50 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44822 Emptiness in a commercialized world where brand name allegiance [which includes sports allegiance] is fostered as a substitute for character building....where education is now much narrowed to primarily serve the cause of money making in that commercialized world......where philosophy and literature and the arts are relegated to low, even sneered-at status...... Probably this emptiness has something to do with our young soldiers finding and enjoying a relief of depth in their lives through 'war'. You can't get much deeper that fast than 'living on the edge of death', with the bonuses of exclusively sharing that edge with buddies and of being able to feel one's potential rise to the level of heroic. I wrote of a fellow last summer who had been in Iraq and was glad to be heading back.....he said, "I have never felt so alive in my life." I believe this dynamic of emptiness-to-depth is an important ingredient in at least some soldiers' preferential conclusions about the Iraq war, or even in whether some soldiers wish to steer clear of critical thinking about the war. Emptiness in a commercialized world where brand name allegiance [which includes sports allegiance] is fostered as a substitute for character building….where education is now much narrowed to primarily serve the cause of money making in that commercialized world……where philosophy and literature and the arts are relegated to low, even sneered-at status……

Probably this emptiness has something to do with our young soldiers finding and enjoying a relief of depth in their lives through ‘war’. You can’t get much deeper that fast than ‘living on the edge of death’, with the bonuses of exclusively sharing that edge with buddies and of being able to feel one’s potential rise to the level of heroic.

I wrote of a fellow last summer who had been in Iraq and was glad to be heading back…..he said, “I have never felt so alive in my life.”

I believe this dynamic of emptiness-to-depth is an important ingredient in at least some soldiers’ preferential conclusions about the Iraq war, or even in whether some soldiers wish to steer clear of critical thinking about the war.

]]> by: Swami http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44821 Sun, 12 Nov 2006 16:22:32 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44821 If they want to win in Iraq here's 3 steps of the Alcoholic Anonymous 12 step program that could prove beneficial if they implemented them.. <i>Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. </i> Actually winning in Iraq is just an illusion because our defeat in Iraq has already occurred. The only chance we had was winning hearts and minds..and that's been blown How does that go?...You can lead a horse to water... If they want to win in Iraq here’s 3 steps of the Alcoholic Anonymous 12 step program that could prove beneficial if they implemented them..

Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

Actually winning in Iraq is just an illusion because our defeat in Iraq has already occurred. The only chance we had was winning hearts and minds..and that’s been blown

How does that go?…You can lead a horse to water…

]]> by: c u n d gulag http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44817 Sun, 12 Nov 2006 16:16:07 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44817 maha, Winning? We can't win this war! It's a Civlil War. There's no blue and grey, black or white there. They're all grey and fighting amongst themselves! Anyone could have told those in charge. Jesus, even I knew in 2002 that it would be a disaster, and I concentrate on Soviet and Russian politic's. You have been on the right track for years. I thank you for it. I love your site, and I wish I had more time to blog on it! Keep it up:-) maha,
Winning?
We can’t win this war!
It’s a Civlil War. There’s no blue and grey, black or white there. They’re all grey and fighting amongst themselves!
Anyone could have told those in charge. Jesus, even I knew in 2002 that it would be a disaster, and I concentrate on Soviet and Russian politic’s.

You have been on the right track for years. I thank you for it. I love your site, and I wish I had more time to blog on it!

Keep it up:-)

]]> by: maha http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44807 Sun, 12 Nov 2006 15:28:56 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44807 <i>Many of the young, who have never seen the horror of war, just see the glory.</i> In the case of an Iraq vet, I assume he's seen the horror also. The issue requires critical thinking skills and the ability to formulate basic questions -- what is "winning," and exactly how will the military achieve the goal of "winning," whatever it is? Some people can understand that these are the basic questions that need to be answered (and which can't be answered, IMO), and some just plain can't. Many of the young, who have never seen the horror of war, just see the glory.

In the case of an Iraq vet, I assume he’s seen the horror also. The issue requires critical thinking skills and the ability to formulate basic questions — what is “winning,” and exactly how will the military achieve the goal of “winning,” whatever it is? Some people can understand that these are the basic questions that need to be answered (and which can’t be answered, IMO), and some just plain can’t.

]]> by: marijam http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44776 Sun, 12 Nov 2006 13:13:56 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44776 There was a young Iraq vet on Washington Journal yesterday who stated that "he didn't want to leave until we'd won". To some in this generation, winning is everything and nothing else matters. Many of the young, who have never seen the horror of war, just see the glory. It isn't only the old that want the young to fight the wars, it's the young as well. I agree with the sentiment that we should do whatever it takes to win, any sacrifice necessary, and that if we're not willing to do that we have no business going to war. This isn't really a war on terror, its a war for profits by KBR, CACI, TITAN and HALLIBURTON. What's in it for them for us to win? There was a young Iraq vet on Washington Journal yesterday who stated that “he didn’t want to leave until we’d won”. To some in this generation, winning is everything and nothing else matters. Many of the young, who have never seen the horror of war, just see the glory. It isn’t only the old that want the young to fight the wars, it’s the young as well. I agree with the sentiment that we should do whatever it takes to win, any sacrifice necessary, and that if we’re not willing to do that we have no business going to war. This isn’t really a war on terror, its a war for profits by KBR, CACI, TITAN and HALLIBURTON. What’s in it for them for us to win?

]]> by: uncledad http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44715 Sun, 12 Nov 2006 08:53:01 +0000 http://www.mahablog.com/2006/11/11/armistice-day-2/#comment-44715 Zeus: "Unfortunately, there will be yet another piece of granite that future school children will have to parade by" Unfortunatley you are right. But it's not too late. The best way to prevent future conflict is to end the one we are involved in now. And once and for all tell the truth about this war. Georgie-boy really fucked this thing up. Six years of ignorence. A bad war with no planning. Even had this been a noble cause G.W. would have screwed it up. Isn't it obvious? Two more goddam years left, and the "liberal" media will insist that we not be to hard on the commander in chief. Also known as the C-student in Chief. But at least the neoconsuperfratboys have a scape-goat. After all the democrats are in charge now! Zeus:

“Unfortunately, there will be yet another piece of granite that future school children will have to parade by”

Unfortunatley you are right. But it’s not too late.

The best way to prevent future conflict is to end the one we are involved in now. And once and for all tell the truth about this war. Georgie-boy really fucked this thing up. Six years of ignorence. A bad war with no planning. Even had this been a noble cause G.W. would have screwed it up. Isn’t it obvious? Two more goddam years left, and the “liberal” media will insist that we not be to hard on the commander in chief. Also known as the C-student in Chief. But at least the neoconsuperfratboys have a scape-goat. After all the democrats are in charge now!

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