So… American servicemen have to shit on Iraqis so their fellow Americans are free to shit on them?
U.S.A.! U.S.A.!
Hey. I never said I agreed with the current war. FTR, I disagree with the current administration’s objectives. But I can separate bad policy from the duties and hard work of our servicemembers.
Robin
Maybe I am wording this a bit strongly but, FUCK OFF.
I hate to interrupt this frank and vehement exchange of ideas, but I just wanted to point out that the poem in the OP is attributed to a Vietnam soldier and has been updated by some unknown person for their own gain (gasp) no doubt. I’ve been unable to find a corroborated author, just various ‘my uncle who I never met’ and ‘this was found in a dead Marine’s pocket’, w/ no sources noted. (I have worked my google-fu to no avail and Snopes had nuttin’.) It’s likely copyrighted somewhere, but if it’s not to be found I guess we’re not bound by the whole ‘don’t post unattributed copyrighted material thing’, eh?
How typically American. If you oppose torture and mass murder, you are beneath contempt. These days, the only thing Americans seem to admire is savagery.
You already pegged it yourself, but since it seems to bear repeating, I’d guess you’re in the politically naive category. And if you’re a nurse and get off on being called “ma’am”, I’d guess you’re one of those direct-commissions, which means your silly little rank comparison is probably the opposite of what you think it is.
Portia, I think you must be right. Substitute “Vietnam” for “Iraq” and the verse actually scans, and “Vietnam” is a near rhyme for “lawn”.
Ahh, Citizen Second Class. I knew I should have gone for the upgrade. :rolleyes:
Brainwreck, admittedly some of the volunteers with whom you served in the first Gulf War were taken by surprise, never dreaming that they would actually be required to serve. Anyone enlisting in the service since then has known that this is a very real possibility. If they choose to serve in order to take advantage of the opportunities afforded by doing so, they also know the risks.
By volunteering, an individual trusts that the government will value his or her commitment by not casually placing them in harm’s way. There are many who feel that the current administration has not met that level of responsibility. This can’t be placed at the feet of those who are serving and risking their lives.
Oh, merci, mais non. Aprez vous, Alphonse.
It’s a good thing we have people like you and Brain Wreck to make ridiculously broad generalizations about large groups of people, which isn’t hypocritical at all given that the people you criticize have done the exact same thing with the Iraqis. So the Americans aren’t the victims in this case, stereotyping is still stereotyping. :rolleyes:
Ah. Explains a lot.
Really. People who take pictures and videos of their misdeeds aren’t trying to hide what they did from outraged comrades. For every soldier guilty of an atrocity, I’m sure there are dozens who helped try to cover it up, didn’t care, or just looked the other way.
Well, this is true to some extent, and I do admit that I overstated my case somewhat (this is the Pit after all). I don’t doubt there are some well-intentioned people in Iraq who probably don’t agree that they should have been sent to Iraq and had no realistic choice but to go. And were we talking only of Afghanistan, I would not be talking the same way.
But where we differ is on the proportion of people who think what they’re doing in Iraq is completely legitimate and appropriate and that they somehow deserve our respect and admiration. Mainly I was addressing the subject of the OP as the central exhibit of this kind of glory-seeking vanity. While there are good people in the military, I have had sufficient exposure to believe that the vast majority of US servicemen killing people in Iraq are convinced they are in a just war and are killing people justly. And when people wholly support and unjust war and then go off and get maimed or dead in that war, in my view that’s cosmic justice coming home to roost. If somebody served in Iraq, I’ll treat them as I’d treat a Vietnam vet… I’m OK with it unless they start justifying or expecting accolades for what they took part in. Funny thing is, these Iraq guys don’t yet seem to have that kind of awareness. Perhaps you have to see an infant with its scalp blown off by Air Force bombs, and maybe a lot of people just chalk that up to insurgency.
And this brings me to the final pitting of the milquetoast sentiment of “I support the troops but I oppose the war”. Considering that most of the troops are probably for the war and willingly embrace the Bush deception, well, it’s hard to muster up much support other than “sorry you let yourself get fooled”. So a thousand pardons if I don’t jump on that bandwagon, I won’t rain on your flag-waving any more.
Damn, a mind reader. Do you know the lotto numbers, too?
You filthy pile of scabrous dog vomit, you are beneath contempt because you wish death on American soldiers. Your disgusting sentiments have been well documented, and while you have backpedaled, you have not apologized.
Surprise, I also oppose torture and mass murder. Oh no! What will happen to your paradigm now?! It’s crumbling!
I don’t recall backpedaling. I’d be perfectly happy if every American soldier in Iraq was vaporized by Martians.
And if you “support the the troops”, then by definition you support torture and mass murder, whether you choose to admit it or not.
No. Fundamental rights such as free speech are neither earned or granted. You’re born with them.
One more thing to add to the list of stupid things you’ve said in this thread.
I’ve been taught that this format is known as “galloping eights.” Whatever your opinion of the sentiments they convey, you must admit that this style of poetastery is inferior to even the silliest cartoon jingles
*This is the World of Commander McBragg
Your hair will curl in the World of McBragg.
He fights monsters galore
And then asks for still more
Or so says the brag of McBragg. *
I really love this canard about how these soldiers in Iraq are somehow dying to protect my life or my freedom. Unless they are protecting the physical territory of the United States from invasion or attack, they aren’t doing shit to protect me or my freedom.
BTW, the editor who “updated” this jingle by substituting “Iraq” for “Vietnam” forgot to fix this bit. Baghdad is about 6000 miles from New York or 9000 miles from California, not 12000.
Actually, even Hanoi is only about 8000 miles from New York as the crow flies. 12000 miles away is the middle of the fricking Pacific Ocean, as near as I can make out.
May you long remain imperfectly happy, then. Geezus, what a thing to say. :mad:
You wake up with something really big stuck up your ass this morning, or are you always so much of a fuckwad? In either case, go stick something really big up your ass.
I support the troops. I don’t support those specific members of the military who engage in criminal acts, anymore than I support civilians who do the same.