Monday, June 27, 2005

I Can't Even Think of a Clever Title for This One....

Ok, let me just admit that I know the limitations of UCMJ and how far a soldier can criticize Officers and elected officials. I am going to toe that line. Here it goes...

I am outraged as a possessor of Common Sense. I just got back from a mission through eastern Iraq, being alert for insurgents, IEDS, car bombs, small arms fire, etc. I returned 'home' tired and soaked in sweat to sit down and read the most absurd insult to American intelligence and to those fellow soldiers that have given their lives for this little field trip.

Has anyone read the latest story on Rumsfeld and his view of the insurgency?? He must really view us Americans as ultra-ignorant. Let me point out some intellectual lowlights from his statements:

"..Mr Rumsfeld said US officials in Iraq have had talks with leaders of the insurgency."

During a round of network TV interviews, Mr Rumsfeld made light of a report by a British newspaper that said US officials have secretly met with Iraqi insurgents.

Meetings go on "all the time", Mr Rumsfeld said, adding that Iraq's government often initiates contact.

"I would not make a big deal out of it. "


Meetings go on all the time? Don't make a big deal out of it??? Apparently these meetings go on near one of the largest of American FOBs in Iraq. Holy shit Batman! I thought the Marines, Army, and Air Force are all here trying to find these folks. No wonder we can't find them, no one would have ever thought to search American strongholds! Why are we meeting with them anyway? Why are we not killing these bastards when we have the chance?

And this bit of information....

"The US defence secretary told Fox News: "Insurgencies tend to go on five, six, eight, 10, 12 years."

"Vice President Cheney, who said in a CNN interview last month that the insurgency was in its "last throes," stood by that comment in another CNN interview Thursday."

Ok, I haven't been to the War College or anything yet, but what does he base this tendency on? Name another insurgency. Go ahead, dare you. If you *can* name one, which I doubt you can, how long did it last after the troops pulled out? Twelve years? That is an unusual number to pick. Why twelve years?

Now before you get all worked up and demand Rumsfeld resign, may I remind you that he has stated several times that it really isn't his fault. Rumsfeld stated that he has indeed tried twice to resign but Bush has not accepted them. In other words, "It's Bush's fault that I am here." Since when can't a person resign from any job? It still is America, right? Land of the Free?

I am outraged that our leadership expects us to lower our IQs so that their 'Emperor's Got New Clothes' scenario appears to work.


Please take the time to read the articles associated with each link. They provide interesting and pertinent information to this discussion.

13 Comments:

Blogger Dorman said...

This one is dedicated to you, Bob.

07:31  
Blogger Dorman said...

It surprises me in its depth. I am now far from sitting and being outraged at the Tv screen. I am far from being 'touched' by memorials to fallen soldiers in my home town. I am close to the source of the TV news, I know the people who are killed. This is now more real to me than anything else. Me sipping a Dunkelweissen in my kitchen in Germany is just a memory now. IEDs and insurgents are my reality. Insurgents that the government that sent me here knows personally, covorts with. It is one thing to lie about why we are here in the first place, that's politics. But to perpetuate the cycle of death for no foreseen gain? I feel cheated on.

10:57  
Blogger Carnealian said...

Seems like it would be easier to say "WE SCREWED UP" than to CEMENT the fact of it EVERY FREAKING DAY for years and years.

13:43  
Blogger mattandriver said...

WOW, OUR GOVERNMENT DOES NOT TELL THE TRUTH TO US VIA THE MEDIA. I WOULD HAVE NEVER THOUGHT.

Politics. And voting. Tell the average person sitting at home what they are wanting to hear. Kind of scary to be 'in the know' or 'on the inside', isn't it? A burden, to say the least. Thanks for the latest.

19:21  
Blogger Dorman said...

Gee, thanks for the obvious. Glad you grasped that but that wasn't the point. Not the lying to america again, just the unbeliveable actions. They don't even bother lying about it anymore.

22:15  
Blogger Dorman said...

It is betrayal. That is what I feel.

07:40  
Blogger kgfkj;kjgkfj said...

You should feel betrayed. All of us should. Unfortunately there are people out there who believe everything this administration says, without questioning it, hook line and sinker. I have a friend who has a name for those types of people : "sheeple".

It makes you think that this administration doesn't know it's ass from a hole in the ground. Cheney says the insurgents are in their "last throes", generals on the ground in Iraq say that's not the case, white house press secretary Scott McClellan stumbling around trying to answer a question on wheteher or not the administration actually said "last throes" and now rumsfeld saying the insurgency could last up to 12 years.

Which is it? Who's lying? The genearals in Iraq or bushco? Someone is not telling the truth and it sucks. I for one can handle the truth. I already have my beliefs about this whole debacle anyways, so I don't the truth would bother me.

Carnealian: This administration will NEVER admit any mistake or that they might be wrong. In their twisted world, they are the only one's who are right.

12:14  
Blogger kgfkj;kjgkfj said...

edit: McClellan is the spokesman, not press secretary. My bad.

Be sure to tune in at 8 pm (EST) tonight, to hear more misleading statements about Iraq, o the american people.

Too bad I'll be missing it. I have a Nationals game to go to. :)

Go NATS!

12:24  
Blogger Dorman said...

I've been asked about GWB's speech....

I.L., I only read excerpts from the speech. Right now I think Rumsfeld farted in the pool and everyone is standing there pointing fingers to avert blame. CYA maneuvers. Nothing of substance. I should look into it more.

btw, working on writing up the next interview. Now that the trash has been taken out maybe we can continue with some informed discussions.

12:17  
Blogger Dorman said...

OK, on Bush's Speech.....

I must simply put this because I am in disbelief. Here it goes.

I have been through countless weeks of training and briefings to prepare for the deployment and our mission here in Iraq. What I have found:

There is nothing remotely similar here to what GWB has stated in his speech.

There are no terrorists. That's right folks, none. I said it. NO TERRORISTS IN IRAQ. We have insurgents. Insurgents are not terrorists, read the definition of terrorist and their methods. Not too similar to what we have going on here. We have insurgents fighting for the removal of an occupying force and against the progress of such. I do not in any way sympathize with these bastards, but they are not terrorists.

They are definitely not terrorists that are threatening your homeland. They weren't here before we got here. They developed after we didn't leave when the gov't was toppled. They haven't made any threats against american soil that I know of, only americans on Iraqi soil. Think about it, if they wanted to kill american citizens and destroy america, why would they bother stopping in Iraq on the way? Silly premise.

Somehow creating a goal for the war in the form of an exit plan would be "a serious mistake" that could demoralize Iraqis and American troops. Excuse me? I would be demoralized by having a date to leave and a purpose for being here? Really. What kind of dumb shit is that?

What is our mission here? I know my unit's mission, but what is the mission of the US Armed Forces? Please don't start off any response with "To defend..." That isn't a purpose.

Ask these questions to your local politicians. Ask everyone until you get an answer. I don't have one.

08:45  
Blogger SnotSucker said...

I think Bush had the removal of Saddam in his back pocket prior to "gaining" his first term as President. Notice I did not say winning. IMO he is an arrogant man, and wanted to go after Saddam for the mere fact that he made a "fool" out of daddy. I still feel it was possible to do this diplomatically, but our government wanted this done yesterday and put too much pressure on the world to allow any viable solutions. Saddam didn't help matters with consistently lying, but for once he told the truth when there were no WMD's found. But of course we know that doesn't mean they were not there before.
Bush is a business man. He has no clue about war, but I think he should be faulted because any good business man should have a plan. Our government is so sure of itself that it feels our greatness and technology can overcome anything. Obviously they were wrong.
They obviously knew about 9/11 prior, but we'll never know if they were a "participant" per say. I hope & pray that they were not, but I will not put anything past our gov't anymore.

16:25  
Blogger SnotSucker said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

16:38  
Blogger SnotSucker said...

This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

16:39  

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