GRAPEVINE, Texas - President Bush lamented the deaths of 14 Marines in Iraq Wednesday, calling the deadly attack a "grim reminder" that America is still at war.

Maybe he has to be reminded but the rest of us certainly don't. At least those of us who care about the death and destruction going on over there. American and Iraqi lives snuffed out or changed forever by injury.

Yes echo,

We really should've left the Iraqi's to the tender mercies of Saddam and sons. At least till a democrat gets back in Office, then nothing will stop the U.S. from getting the bad guys. At least that's my experience going by our use of pre-emptive action in Kosovo and Clinton's rumblings before the U.N., who said all the things Bush said about Saddam and that Hussein had to go.

:rolleyes:

http://www.robertsilvey.com/notes/2005/06/death_in_iraq_d.html

Chris Hedges is among the most eloquent and profound writers on the subject of war and its deadly attractions. He has written What Every Person Should Know About War .......Here are some of his thoughts on the war in Iraq:

"The vanquished know the essence of war – death. They grasp that war is necrophilia. They see that war is a state of almost pure sin with its goals of hatred and destruction. They know how war fosters alienation, leads inevitably to nihilism, and is a turning away from the sanctity and preservation of life. All other narratives about war too easily fall prey to the allure and seductiveness of violence, as well as the attraction of the godlike power that comes with the license to kill with impunity.

But the words of the vanquished come later, sometimes long after the war, when grown men and women unpack the suffering they endured as children, what it was like to see their mother or father killed or taken away, or what it was like to lose their homes, their community, their security, and be discarded as human refuse. But by then few listen. The truth about war comes out, but usually too late. We are assured by the war-makers that these stories have no bearing on the glorious violent enterprise the nation is about to inaugurate. And, lapping up the myth of war and its sense of empowerment, we prefer not to look.

We see the war in Iraq only through the distorted lens of the occupiers. The embedded reporters, dependent on the military for food and transportation as well as security, have a natural and understandable tendency, one I have myself felt, to protect those who are protecting them. They are not allowed to report outside of the unit and are, in effect, captives. They have no relationships with the occupied, essential to all balanced reporting of conflicts, but only with the Marines and soldiers who drive through desolate mud-walled towns and pump grenades and machine-gun bullets into houses, leaving scores of nameless dead and wounded in their wake. The reporters admire and laud these fighters for their physical courage. They feel protected as well by the jet fighters and heavy artillery and throaty rattle of machine guns. And the reporting, even among those who struggle to keep some distance, usually descends into a shameful cheerleading".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I can truthfully say that I have never come CLOSE to -- "lapping up the myth of war and its sense of empowerment"

The same can NOT be said about certain other posters here.....a fact that many of them do not even bother to conceal.

well.... Iraq was a bad boy.... and so while the parents are out... we are pretty much baby-sitting over there....

and why are baby sitters important???

because if there isn't one the whole freakin house is burnt to the ground.

Originally posted by Decka
....and why are baby sitters important???...because if there isn't one the whole freakin house is burnt to the ground.

Except that in this case, the baby sitter is the one destroying the very house she was ostensibly "protecting".

But then, it should be noted that the baby sitter owns a construction company, and will become very wealthy rebuilding the house she destroys.

Originally posted by Freethinker
Except that in this case, the baby sitter is the one destroying the very house she was ostensibly "protecting".


im talking about the middle east.... and as unstable as that area is... are you willing to just sit back and let WW3 start?

im glad we stepped in, but hey it IS taking awhile, but bush DID say that it would.

Originally posted by Decka
... are you willing to just sit back and let WW3 start?

The Rightwing is not about to "sit back" and let it happen.

The Rightists here would ---as evidenced by their fanatical support of Bush and his policies-- much rather have Bush and the fascists running America push the process along full steam ahead as they are presently doing.

Originally posted by Freethinker
[url]
"The vanquished know the essence of war – death. They grasp that war is necrophilia. They see that war is a state of almost pure sin with its goals of hatred and destruction. They know how war fosters alienation, leads inevitably to nihilism, and is a turning away from the sanctity and preservation of life. All other narratives about war too easily fall prey to the allure and seductiveness of violence, as well as the attraction of the godlike power that comes with the license to kill with impunity.

But the words of the vanquished come later, sometimes long after the war, when grown men and women unpack the suffering they endured as children, what it was like to see their mother or father killed or taken away, or what it was like to lose their homes, their community, their security, and be discarded as human refuse. But by then few listen. The truth about war comes out, but usually too late. We are assured by the war-makers that these stories have no bearing on the glorious violent enterprise the nation is about to inaugurate. And, lapping up the myth of war and its sense of empowerment, we prefer not to look.

We see the war in Iraq only through the distorted lens of the occupiers. The embedded reporters, dependent on the military for food and transportation as well as security, have a natural and understandable tendency, one I have myself felt, to protect those who are protecting them. They are not allowed to report outside of the unit and are, in effect, captives. They have no relationships with the occupied, essential to all balanced reporting of conflicts, but only with the Marines and soldiers who drive through desolate mud-walled towns and pump grenades and machine-gun bullets into houses, leaving scores of nameless dead and wounded in their wake. The reporters admire and laud these fighters for their physical courage. They feel protected as well by the jet fighters and heavy artillery and throaty rattle of machine guns. And the reporting, even among those who struggle to keep some distance, usually descends into a shameful cheerleading".


Wow that was a great read. I hope this guy has some facts though, I mean I hate it when political philosophers put absolutely little to no facts in what they do and say. Great passage though.

Check that, I just visited the website.

Originally posted by Freethinker
The Rightwing is not about to "sit back" and let it happen.

The Rightists here would ---as evidenced by their fanatical support of Bush and his policies-- much rather have Bush and the fascists running America push the process along full steam ahead as they are presently doing.

:@@: :o