I lower my head in shame at the butchery I have perpetrated on the field of movie-quoting… 
They died defending this country from the people that hate us.
God Bless them and their famlies.
They hate us because we invaded them, wrecked their country and raped/tortured/killed quite a few of them. They aren’t defending us from anything.
Why “bless” a bunch of thugs ? I feel sorry for the families, but the Marines died because they attacked people who dare to fight back.
**Stan: We were told in school that most of the world loves America.
Afghan Boy: No! 1/3 of the world hates America.
Stan: Why?
Afghan Boy: Because you don’t realize 1/3 of the world hates you!**
On a level of international policy, I guess I’d have to say that once you invade and conquer a country, regardless of whether the reasons for invading made any sense, you take on an enormous responsibility for that country. George Bush is an expert at writing colossal checks that somebody else has to pay for. (In this case, apparently without any real planning at all for the post-invasion. At least, I don’t remember numerous press briefings explaining that we’d have troops in the country for however many years it took to quell the inevitable insurrection.)
I’d say to the families of these Marines that their sons were better, more honorable men than the millionaire chickenhawks who sent them to war.
Isn’t that more of a backhanded insult ?
“What did you think of my son ?”
“Well…at least he wasn’t a millionaire chickenhawk warmonger”
God, where does one start with a comment like this.
Do you know why they hate us?
Do you know who invaded whom?
Do you know which side (them or us) had weapons of mass distruction?
Do you know which country was the more vocal against Osama before 2001 (them or us)?
Can you name when in our history an Iraqi has ever threatened to invade our country?
And you have the gall to say they died defending this country?
Yes, God bless them, but I would also ask him to bless the tens of thousands that we have killed and their families for little or no reason.
God bless them, but they were not defending our country, they were attacking another country. They were also not defending our “freedom” or any of the other platitudes you hear. Iraq is not, was not, the Taliban or Osama Bin Laden.
And the other 2/3’s is water.
The people who are “fighting back” represent 2 groups: former supporters of Saddam, and out side influences such as Abu Musab al Zarqawi (from Jordan). Neither group deserves your support. Zarqawi is not fighting on behalf of the deposed political party he is specifically fighting against democracy. Saddam’s supporters were the same people dishing out the torture and genocide of their fellow citizens.
If you don’t think we have a vested interest in removing Saddam or providing for the citizens who support that effort that’s certainly within your right to say so. But to denigrate the troops who are over there (and know what’s going) on is a cold thing to do.
Cite?
I’m sorry, did you just refer to United States Marines as a ‘bunch of thugs’? That statement is both ignorant and contemptible beyond words.
No, he is fighting against the US. He wasn’t even in the country until the U.S. got there.
As opposed to now - Who is doing the torturing now, again? Oh yeah, we are. But that’s OK because we are the good guys, right?
So, despite the polls that show between 45%-65% support for killing American troops, and despite less than 1% support for the occupation, and despite a general human dislike of invaders and destroyers only a few foreigners and Saddam’s supporters are fighting us. Suuure.
No, you’re simply wrong. Zarqawi is a terrorist. He is opposed religiously to the Shia sect and is trying to start a civil war.
Who’s doing the torturing now? I guess you could do a headcount of those people who don’t have one because they were cut off. Or you could count the heads of suicide terrorists because that’s usually the only thing that’s left. Best place to meet them are schools, Mosques, weddings and funerals.
None of that is torture; most of the torture is done by us and our puppet Iraqi government.
The OP’s question leaves room for interpretation, but I’m surprised and disappointed
by some of the vehemence directed toward these men and women who have given
their lives in service to our country.
They gave their lives because the swore an oath to uphold and defend the U.S.
Constitution.
They gave their lives because they followed the orders of the Commander and Chief
and the orders of those officers appointed over them.
They gave their lives to honor and protect those who served along side them.
They gave their lives because they believed that their mission was essential and
necessary.
They gave their lives because to shrink from their duty would be cowardly.
If we ever reach the point where our military men and women rebel en masse against
lawful orders we will be in big trouble.
To those of you who think our military men and women are guilty of war crimes (and
that’s what some of you are alleging), I suggest you examine your own conscience.
What did YOU do to avoid the Presidency and the Congress from becoming so far
right to allow this war in the first place? What have YOU done to bring this war to a
stop and withdraw our troops?
In case you’re wondering who I am to be so outraged at your accusations: I served in
the U.S. Navy for twenty three years, including being in Cuba in Oct. of 1962 and
three tours in Vietnam, among many other places.
If you believe that this war is wrong, and I agree that it is, then speak forcefully to
your elected representatives and make your point at the voting booth, but DO NOT put
the blame on the men and women who are going in harm’s way!
We are.
What does that have to do with the abuses by the US? The victims at Abu Ghraib had nothing to do with those beheadings and torture would not be justified even if they had. While we’re on the subject, do you think that beheading a person is worse than say, beating him to death for three days and leaving him to die in his own shit? How does either atrocity justify the other?
If we hadn’t invaded in the first place, there wouldn’t be any insurgents, would there?
And speaking of bombing weddings. The US is no slouch at that sort of thing either.
I believe that only one person in this thread has directed any hostility towards the troops themselves. I agree with all you said. My position is that those men’s lives were wasted, not that they deserved it or that they didn’t have honor.
This is a recommendation ?
Why not ? Following orders does not absolve you of responsibility. Putting on a uniform does not make anything you do magically noble.