You only just cottoned on to my utter contempt for your country’s Iraq adventure and all involved? Where have you been?
You know, being evil and heartless cuts both ways. Even when it’s aimed at Americans. Just saying.
South African, are you? Interesting that someone from a place that spent so many years numbered among the world’s pariah states should presume to hold me and mine in such contempt.
Incidentally, I had the pleasure of working with the SAS Drakensberg in 1996 when she visited Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico. This was the first time the South African Navy had visited the United States in twenty years, and was a sign of the transformation of South Africa following apartheid.
I visited the ship, and drank beer with the sailors. They were a fun bunch who welcomed me warmly, as we welcomed them. I certainly didn’t blame any of them for the unfortunate policies of their government prior to the transformation, and should any of them have been killed or hurt, I certainly wouldn’t have lined up to abuse them in any way.
All of this shouldn’t need to be explained, of course, except that people like MrDibble need explanations like this from time to time.
It’s not evil or heartless to be glad that bad people get thwarted, regardless of nationality. Man took a bonus to sign up for an evil army of occupation, didn’t serve out his time, didn’t get his 30 pieces of silver, I’m not going to be guilty at my Schadenfreude. Sucks to be him.
A good portion of the US feels the same way about the Iraq war, but most of us can express that contempt without gloating over people being maimed. In fact, it’s the whole “anti-maiming” thing that motivates a lot of the opposition to our adventurism over there. But, hey, if life’s too difficult for you to process without compatmentalizing it into, “people who agree with me,” and “people who deserve to die like pigs,” that’s your look-out. Just keep in mind that the difference between you and the average Bush-lovin’ war-supporter has narrowed considerably.
*My *side wasn’t the pariah side in that struggle. Try again.
Always with this crappy tu quoque ad hominem shit - Monty tried last go round, didn’t work then either. Actions of the apartheid govt. I was *on the wrong side of *have fuck and all to do anything.
Of course, you can quote where I gloated about him being maimed, rather than delighted in him not getting his bonus, right?
What, I’m supposed to make a distinction you’re not willing to make yourself? You’re not seeing individuals, why should I see you.
You’re just another South African, with all that that entails.
These are kids, not mercs. Kids that bought into the idea of serving their country. You don’t know when these injured Soldiers joined. Perhaps it was pre-Iraq. Are they guilty of joining an evil army? If they joined before the occupations, will you give them some slack and sympathy? What if they thought they were joining to make Iraq a better place? Do you think these men and woman joined with the idea of making huge salaries in the US military? They could easily make more money putting 4 years into the business world. Calling them mercs is ill-informed and just shows that in your rage against the US Government, you are blaming the pawns.
Please rage away against even the voters that voted Bush back in for 4 more years. They seem to me to be more guilty than the bulk of our young men and woman in the military. You can even blame the democratic party for not running a better campaign and better candidate against a President that should have been beatable.
Jim
Who said I don’t see individuals? The article tells me enough about the guy so I can judge him as an individual. To whit - the guy signed up in 2005 to go to Iraq. Enough said.
Yeah, but now you’re on the wrong side of this discussion, who cares what happened to you under apartheid? You probably deserved it retroactively.
Gee, dehumanizing your opposition is a lot of fun, isn’t it? Sure beats thinkin’!
Dude has a wife and two teenage kids. A kid he is not.
Perhaps not:
After 2003? Yes.
Only as much slack as it takes them to make clear to their CO that they refuse to serve in Iraq.
Then they are evil and stupid.
Nope.
Guy was a sodbuster/trucker, not Wall Street.
Pawns who are crying over their lost bonuses.
Those “young” men and women can refuse to serve in Iraq. If they don’t, damn sure I’ll judge their (im)moral choices.
I generally don’t give a shit about US internal politics, only external policy. I don’t care about your voters or your parties, only how it affects the rest of us. Right now, in Iraq, it’s the boots on the ground who do the work. As long as they are silently or willingly compliant, they are culpable.
“Wrong side”? Not likely.
I did think - I read the articles (something it seems some of “the right side” didn’t even bother to do, cf What Exit?. I made a judgment about the guy based on facts in the article. Nothing dehumanising about it - in fact, all too human.
I am sure you can point to where that took place, yes? Where he cried over his lost bonus?
One more question, at this point what are the soldiers themselves doing that is evil. If we could actually pull out every soldier today, now that we have royally screwed up their country, would the killing stop? Is it the US soldiers that are doing most of the killing?
BTW: The truck driver may well have taken a pay cut to become a so call merc. I have no details, so I do not know. Your characterization of these men seem to say a lot more about your anger than anything rational.
ETA: You are correct, I did not read the articles. I was reacting to your anger at the soldiers and the generalizations it appeared you were making.
Uh huh. I seem to recall some would defend apartheid by pointing to newspaper articles about crime.
You can make the facts dance to lots of tunes.
BTW: how does bringing apartheid into this have anything to do with the debate?
I think MrDibble is showing his ire at the wrong people, but I don’t see how bringing this up works against MrDibble unless he was part of the apartheid government, police or military.
Jim
Just trying to use an example close to him. I think we’re dealing with someone with a very limited worldview.
Any side as devoid of compassion and basic humanity as you’ve revealed yourself to be here is, by definition, “the wrong side.” You’re part of the same raft of assholes as Martin Hyde, you’re just paddling in the opposite direction.
You’re absolutely right - Hinkle just shrugs his shoulders, his wife does a little “Army did us wrong” and it’s the journalist who emphasises the financial aspects. Which I’m sure the family in no way shape or form mentioned to him.