Amigo wrote:I just got through visiting a friend who is a Marine. He's a killer who served two tours in Iraq. He likes danger. A good soldier. Stay out of politics. He called Bush a traitor. I've never heard him talk like that before. But what can you say the Bush's could never have become who they are without the Bush's and the oil industries help. I watched the protest on cspan. They couldn't make it look lamer if they tried.
i think i understand your use of the word killer, as in "soldiers don't murder, they kill the enemy", which i've heard before from the military. still, it's a little weird to hear it used to describe one of our guys.
either way, the story you've brought is quite similar to the vietnam war, which if iraq wasn't in the beginning, it sure as hell is taking on a lot of the same charcteristics lately.
my nephew's buddy joined the marines out of highschool, and was in for nearly a decade before his tours in iraq. so he didn't enlist as a reaction to 9/11. he had planned to go career.
his extended time in iraq has brought him to the belief that it's not worth it. he also says that come time to reup, he's gonna pass. and bush? umm, the guy voted for him and regrets it, quite a bit.
we get a similar, if less bush critical, story from one of my wife's older brothers(who is in his mid fifties). a republican and reservist, he was called up for iraq to command a supply depot.
i guess it's all down to perspective, but it's interesting that, like vietnam, a fair number of the people doing the actual fighting, are coming back with a lot of questions about just what the hell america is doing in iraq.
volunteer or draftee, nobody likes feeling that their trust and body has been used in a less than honest way. like that in most things, isn't it ?
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again, like vietnam, the media is being careful not to give too much credence to the anti-war demonstrations. to give the lamest coverage they can. if they give to much in depth and start getting inside of what's going on, they risk the chance of being exiled to the hinterlands by the white house.
the larger the anti-war sentiment grows, the more serious and in-depth the coverage is becoming. that's why the catalyst of cindy sheehan is being poo-pooed.
the antiwar movement, while having it's share of pac's like moveon, hasn't had a lot in the way of compelling leadership figures. and sheehan may be only that , a figure.
that may be all it takes to get a few people out from under a group banner to take the lead and bring enough people
with a well focused "anti war in iraq" statement to let folks, like me, that are suspicious of groups like a.n.s.w.e.r. show up at more rallies.
i had the same problem during vietnam. i was absolutely against the vietnam war. but i didn't have much interest in the little red book or rallying with people waving the cong flag. or blowing up the rotc building either, for that matter. it's kinda like shtupping for virginity.
