Tuesday, June 20, 2006
No Place For Snark
Spank the Donkey had a snarky post about the Iraq War, making light of the endless horror that has become Bush's perpetual war in the Middle East.
It's clear from his writing that he obviously didn't read the heart-wrenching story in this Sunday's Washington Post.
Two American soldiers died in Iraq; and all because the United States government failed to provide them with rudimentary life-saving provisions.
In a brilliant story, April Witt recounts how a brave young officer died on the battlefield because the military didn't provide his unit with a $20 tourniquet; and this, after spending $400,000 of taxpayer's money to educate the former valedictorian at West Point.
She writes: "He graduated fifth in his class at West Point. He was so fit and gung-ho about physical training that his men affectionately called him Super Dave behind his back. Everyone liked Super Dave. He was known for listening to the concerns of his men and trying to help."
But 1st Lt. David Bernstein died in the Iraqi desert at the age of 24, not for lack of training or will, but for lack of regard by the people he trusted.
For want of a nail the shoe was lost.
For want of a shoe the horse was lost.
For want of a horse the rider was lost
For want of a rider the battle was lost.
For want of a battle the kingdom was lost.
And all for the want of a horseshoe nail.
Witt also chronicles the story of a young private; and his father's journey to honor the son's death by ringing the alarm that GI's were dying in Iraq, NEEDLESSLY!
Private 1st Class John Hart was sent on a mission with Bernstein and twelve other men without "essential equipment" that could've saved the servicemen's lives.
The grieving father was once a staunch Republican from a long line of fundamentalist Christians; but little by little the father came to realize that GOPers were great with a jingle but callously inept.
Witt writes about the lead-up to war:
And we all know what happened to Shinseki?!? Yet dear ol' Karl outed a CIA operative and he gets to keep his daytime job!Gen. Richard Myers, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld faced their legislative overseer, the Senate Armed Services Committee. An invasion of Iraq seemed imminent. Tensions with North Korea were mounting.
Sen. Warner asked Myers the obvious question: Was the military prepared? "So, I start with you, General," Warner said. "The armed forces, which are under your super-vision: Is it your professional judgment that they are prepared to meet any contingency for the use of force as may be required in Iraq . . . and to continue the high level of activity against the worldwide terrorism?"
Myers responded: "I'll give you a real short answer: absolutely."
[...]
Gen. Eric K. Shinseki, then Army chief of staff, wrote to Congress a few weeks later, saying that the administration budget left the Army alone $3.2 billion short of what the service needed for "sustainment of war-fighting readiness." Shinseki's wish list of unfunded requests included items as basic as guns, bullets and armor.
Moreover, each time some Chickenhawk projects his own weakness into a political opponent, DENIAL. And as they jam ruinous legislation and policies down the throats of a minority party and nation, the problems remain unsolved .
Let's take the case of Karl Rove. In a recent speech, Rove projected his inner cowardliness into a true military war hero; and in the meantime, the carnage continues in Iraq as the White House sharpens their talking points.
Thank God for Rep. John Murtha; he gave Rove the verbal smackdown he deserved so long, long ago.
Oh please dear Lord, let the Republicans try to smear the Democrats this election cycle; gonna be kinna hard, though, with all those fighting Democrats on the ballots.
Every Republican deserves to go down to defeat in November. Every last one of them! We can't do anything about Bush, but we sure as hell can kick his Chickenhawk toadies out of Congress.
// posted by Howling Latina @ 2:16 AM 
Comments:
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Maam, with all due respect. How does my post "make light" of the Iraq War.
I "make light" of the intellect that is behind the RK post I was criticizing, and I clearly laid out why we are fighting that war.
Your post here is just raw emotion at work. More youth are dying annually in our country from murder than in the War on Terror. Why not focus your energies on that subject.
I "make light" of the intellect that is behind the RK post I was criticizing, and I clearly laid out why we are fighting that war.
Your post here is just raw emotion at work. More youth are dying annually in our country from murder than in the War on Terror. Why not focus your energies on that subject.
Our youth are dying in greater numbers, but from what?
Our soldiers are needlessly dying in Iraq because of hubris by the White House, their neocon buddies and a gullible public.
Facts are pesky facts. And surely if misguided public policies by liberals regarding crime could be used by folks like George Felix Allen during the drug crime wave of 80's to march to Richmond, Democrats have a moral duty to point out to the public that GOPers totally f----d up in Iraq; and must be held accountable at the polls or they'll do it again and again.
Our soldiers are needlessly dying in Iraq because of hubris by the White House, their neocon buddies and a gullible public.
Facts are pesky facts. And surely if misguided public policies by liberals regarding crime could be used by folks like George Felix Allen during the drug crime wave of 80's to march to Richmond, Democrats have a moral duty to point out to the public that GOPers totally f----d up in Iraq; and must be held accountable at the polls or they'll do it again and again.
We focus on the War on Iraq because we don't HAVE to be there. Occupying Iraq is doing NOTHING to curb terrorism, it is doing NOTHING to secure the nation, it is doing NOTHING to lead the world in the direction of democracy. It is doing NOTHING they said it would and everything we warned you against. Once again we are right but the neo-con cabal still hasn't gotten over losing Nixon and the VietNam debacle so I guess when they get their asses handed to them in November they will slink away to plot for another 30 years their overthrow of democracy. Because these guys can't win without cheating, lying and stealing.
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# posted by 
: 3:17 PM
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