Haditha - A Lesson Unlearned

I was commenting on Jessica's post over at 4 Zillion when I realized that my opinions on this subject are too strong to not post on the events at Haditha. For those of you who are unfamiliar, Americans soldiers killed about 24 people, including women, children, and babies, after a particularly difficult day for them in Iraq. I should mention, though, that ALL days are difficult in Iraq for both the Iraqi's and the American soldiers. Still, that does not excuse the handcuffing and execution of Iraqi civilians, especially children.

My main concern is that the Army feels the only thing that needs to be done about this atrocity is to give mandatory Core Values training to all soldiers in Iraq. I see several problems with this. First, the soldiers have already received values training. It was drilled into their heads at Basic Training or during ROTC, even as they learned to shoot first and ask questions later. They were not taught to defuse situations, they were taught to handle them. Second, the problem is not that the soldiers don't have training, it's that they don't have an outlet for the incredible frustration that comes with fighting an unseen enemy day in and day out. They know that the Iraqis who die are rarely the ones who have been shooting at them or planning the IED's because all of that is done from a distance and the local population protects their freedom fighters. Our soldiers are dying, a few at a time, every day, and they have no idea who's killing them. They're tired, their tours have been extended over and over or they've come home and been sent back, they're not properly equipt for a war. It is a war zone that will ALWAYS be a war zone. There is NO break. There is NO rest. Haditha and Abu Ghraib are only the fist incidents in which our soldiers have taken their frustration with the war and with their own government on the Iraqi people.

It's not like it was in Vietnam. There, the soldiers had at least a little down time once in a while. There, the soldiers could sometimes see the enemy, and the dead enemy soldiers, and feel like they were making some progress. There, the soldiers also snapped and killed an entire village of people. With the way this war is being fought, and the lack of support our soldiers are receiving, it is only going to get worse before it gets better. We have learned NOTHING from the lessons of Vietnam. These soldiers need physiologists on staff at all hours so that they have someone they can safely talk to, though that would make us look soft in our own government's eyes. We still have Vietnam Vets who are mentally unwell, and now we will be dealing with a generation of soldiers dealing with many of the same issues. It will not go well for them, or their families, if they don't get some help. I have already seen my friends and family members who have come home changed. I don't want to see it happen to the thousands of other men and women who are there, or will be there, because I think we all know that this war is going to last a VERY long time.

No Longer a Loss

On the radio I heard that for Reservists on Active Duty, the war is no longer a loss. I was appalled at the statement. The reporter was referring to the financial troubles many Reservists were having due to prolonged absence from their jobs, however, once Combat Pay was calculated, most ended up earning a higher yearly salary than they had before, which I'm sure is consolation to those who lost their homes and businesses in the meantime. So, the pay is better, but saying that the war is no longer a loss for these people is absurd. There are more important things than money.

What about the soldiers who have lost their friends? What about the soldiers who have lost a limb? What about the soldiers who have lost custody of their children? What about the soldiers who have lost their wives of their husbands? This war IS a loss in every way imaginable. To pretend that it's not is to do a disservice to every man and woman valiantly trying to do what their country has asked of them, even though it's wrong.

For Profit

Rashad Williams was killed because he was trying to break into a house. What he did was wrong, absolutely, and if he was threatening the life and livelihood of the family in the house, I don't necessarily disagree with the justification for the shooting. I can't say I wouldn't shoot a man who was trying to rob my house while my children were inside. My question is this: How is what this kid did any different than what the US is doing in Iraq?

Instead of invading a house to further our own gains, we invaded a country. We threatened an entire people. Shouldn't they rise up against us? Wouldn't rising up against us be the act of a free people who are defending themselves against a violent foreign aggressor who has killed over 30,000 people and invaded their homeland for no just cause? Aren't they justified in doing so? Throughout the history of this country, the definition of freedom has been the right to defend oneself. Free men have the right to defend their freedom if it is threatened. The Iraqi people were free before we got to them. They didn't invite us in and they made it pretty clear that they don't want us there. So they should be allowed to shoot us on site.

Because everything we are doing in Iraq, we are doing for profit. We may veil it in the concept of freedom and liberty, but it is a VERY THIN VEIL. The truth is, we as a country, are no different than Rashad Williams: young, selfish, and naive

Senator Santorum's Speech: Democrats are Evil

Listening to Rick Santorum's speech in the middle of a group of students was difficult, as I could not give away my personal disappointment with the man. I remember being told over and over, "Respect the rank, not the man", but Senator Santorum made it pretty clear that his rank was not to be respected either. I felt no sense of awe sitting in the presence of a Senator, and I have to say I wouldn't have no matter who was standing there. That was my first major indication that I have lost all faith in my government and my people.

Santorum started out by saying that we went to Iraq to further the cause of liberty. He said that the challenge we face is Islamic fascism and that our soldiers are fighting a different type of enemy in this war. After setting that up, he made sure to mention that the leftist argument against the war was irrelevant and counterproductive. He said that Democrats and other left organizations are not committed to winning the war in Iraq because, "winning isn't important if you don't think you have anything to lose". More importantly, he stated that those against the war are not "putting their country before their own personal ideology" and that Democrats do not support free elections in Iran.

Santorum constantly referred to the September 11th attacks when justifying the war in Iraq. He complained that reports of American casualties are incessant and the only consistent headlines coming out of the war. He tried to justify President Bush's use of ILLEGAL wire-tapping by giving an example of how LEGAL wire-tapping stopped an attack in Italy. Santorum said he and other Republicans were making it their personal mission to stop the over-politization of the war in Iraq, and that if we lost, we'd have to answer to the world for helping to create an Islamo-fascist regime in Iran.

We Are Winning the War in Iraq

Did I hear him correctly? Did he really suggest that a war can be won or lost like a game of chess? Is he really so arrogant to believe that his actions as President can change the fate of an entire region, especially when there is NO ONE who wants us to be there?

Voting is not an indication of a budding Democracy any more than parenting a child is an indication of maturity. Anyone can hold an election. Anyone can parent a child. Having these things turn out well is a result of careful planning, serious time investments, and A LOT of hand holding. The United States of America does not have the time or money to invest in fostering democracy in Iraq. Just like children who do as they please when their parents are out, democracy will cease the moment we leave Iraq, which is particularly disturbing for the women and children of the country.

The President's assertion that for every life lost more are reclaimed is absurd. Not one American life has been saved by this war. Not one American life has been improved by this war. There is only sacrifice for us. We sacrifice our money, our people, and our souls for a war that has no purpose and no justification. We cannot win a war when we have nothing to gain.

Collapse and Die from this Surprise

Alcohol abuse among soldiers returning from Iraq has risen to 21%, up from an already high 13%. It seems the military isn't doing that good of a job of debriefing soldiers, and certainly isn't encouraging them to talk to someone about their war experiences. About 15% of soldiers are divorcing their spouses upon returning from the combat zone, so they're not talking to them, either. Since we can't change the fact that these young men and women have been to war, we should be making sure that they are taken care of when they return home. Have we not learned the lessons of Vietnam?

Men of Honor

I know not all of the troops are trading pictures of dead Iraqis for porn, but I think it's time to wonder what kinds of boys they're recruiting now. Generations of my family have been in the military and they've never seen anything like this. Although, if there had been more cameras available in Vietnam, the result may have been similar. War does strange things to people. It makes some less than human and others more than saints. To do something of this nature dishonors the memory of those who have fought bravely and died valiantly. It makes me angry on so many levels. Torture is the cruelest form of punishment, which is not to say that it isn't necessary in a very few, very dangerous cases. It weakens our image world-wide and makes us look like barbarians. It makes our countrymen ashamed to support the military. As Americans, it is our duty to demand that these men be immediately discharged from duty and prosecuted for war crimes.

How Hubris Lost the War

Every month, the violence escalates. Every month Iraqis fall deeper into poverty. The infrastructure of the country continues to deteriorate, with electricity, water and sanitation sporadic at best. By virtually any measure, the country is worse off than it was before we got there. And now comes the constitution fiasco. The constitution was supposed to convince the Sunni's to get on board and join the program. The Sunni's have rejected it completely. They are dead set against a federal state, believing it will eventually lead to the partitioning of country. Which is the same reason the Shia and Kurds are in favor of it. This is a civil war waiting to happen. And the Shiites are not only fighting the Sunni's, but fighting amongst themselves. Iraq is a country rapidly descending into utter chaos. Part of this is because the Iraqi people didn't choose Regime Change or revolution. They were attacked, occupied, and policed by the United States.

This war was lost due to sheer arrogance. Because a small group of men with no military experience thought they knew better than the best military minds in the country or NATO. Bush, Rumsfeld, Cheney, and Wolfowisz. Chickenhawks all, willing to send others to do the dirty work they were unwilling to do. Virtually no military experience, yet convinced they knew better than the current Chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the three previous Chairmen( including Desert Storm leader Colon Powell), the Marine Commandant, and the Army's top general. Were so confident that they ridiculed these men for having the hutzpah not to see the brilliance of their plan.

How much different would things be in Iraq today if Bush and his fellow Yellow Elephants had been humble enough to listen to the experts? If we had gone in full force. If we'd have had enough troops on the ground to actually secure the country? If we would have had a real plan for reconstructing the country?

Every time an IED blows one (or two, or ten) of our kids into oblivion, remember all those ammunition dumps we left unguarded because we didn't have enough manpower. Next time Rummy or Dick complain about foreign fighters amongst the insurgents, ask yourself how many of these fighters would be there if we would have had adequate manpower to guard the borders? Ask how much different things would be now if not for the arrogance of a few small men.

Make no mistake, this war is lost. Even many Congressmen and Senators in Bush's own party are conceding the fact. And when history deals out the blame, it's gonna fall on the lap of one man. That's when the buck he has been passing for the last 6 years will finally come to rest where it belongs!

by The Great White Bear, edited by Polanco Consulting

Recruit Me Not

As the school year approaches, the issue of military recruiters in school is coming into the forefront again. This is an issue that bothers me as a teacher, and when I see the recruiters at lunch, I always stand near them. I have caught several in lies and corrected them immediately, earning me several dirty looks and a conference with the principal, whom I informed that I would not allow recruiters to blatantly lie to my students, even if it got me fired. It nearly did, but there was nothing they could do to me since I hadn't actually done anything wrong. Students are impressionable and recruiters are not as honest as some might think. I really believe that a parent or school official should be present when a child speaks to a recruiter. I also believe that the "opt-out" form used to keep recruiters and other outsiders from getting student information is not always used correctly. In some schools, if a student does not want to be contacted by a recruiter, he or she may not have their personal information or picture in the yearbook. What kind of message is that sending to our kids? Your choice is to be harassed by recruiters or not be in your high school yearbook. Recruiters should only be allowed in schools if there is a career fair. They should only be allowed to contact students that REQUEST information.

How Far is Too Far

With a shortage of troops in Iraq, recruiters are becoming desperate. They are lying to students, encouraging students to lie to the government, and engaging in a vast array of inappropriate or illegal behavior. And we lie these people into our schools. How right is it for a recruiter to speak to an underage student without a parent being present? The allure of a uniform is sometimes overwhelming when it comes with the promise of money and college. Shouldn't a responsible adult advocate for the student be around to put those things into perspective? I have taught middle school and high school. I cringe when I see a recruiter. It terrifies me to think that they will be preying on younger students. I cannot abide by having any child I know spoken to by someone with an obvious agenda without a parent's permission or supervision. I wouldn't want a pastor speaking to my child without my permission, and chances are, a man of God isn't going to try and convince my child that getting shot at and possibly killed is a viable option for obtaining a college education. Schools have an obligation to protect our children when they can. In this case, they can.