I was in the Navy during the Vietnam War. I was lucky, however, and didn't have to be in combat like so many from my generation. In the mid-60's I was pretty ignorant about war, and didn't even know what Vietnam was until after boot-camp.
This current war with Iraq has the same taste as Vietnam. We are fighting in a country where few people like us and even fewer people help us. The purpose of the war is not obvious and the same tired mechanisms of crying "patriotism!" are used to support the effort.
In Vietnam there were millions killed, although not all by the US military. So far, in Iraq, there are nowhere near this many deaths, but death is ghastly whatever the numbers are. Every young person that dies in this war is a waste of humanity for causes that are no better than those in Vietnam -- in this case mostly American pride and Islamist extremism, plus revenge on all sides.
It is throwing good money after bad, killing more people in vain because so many have already died in vain. And what do we win -- if we ever do win? Oil? Land? Respect? Or will it be just more bad memories like Vietnam?
I could understand the war in Afghanistan. We were attacked by people that used that country as a willing base of operations. I can even understand getting Saddam -- the guy was a sadistic dictator at best. But we got the Taliban, we got Saddam and we've killed enough other people in "revenge of 9-11." If we can't get Osama Bin Laden the old fashioned way -- with CIA tactics -- then it is too bad. Having a war in Iraq is not accomplishing that end -- so it must be for much lousier reasons.
Probably we are trying to make sure we have a military presence in the Land of Oil. That has to be what this is all about. Nothing else makes any sense. I hope it is worth all the killing. I'm happy I have a daughter and not have to sacrifice a son to the War for Greedy Corporations.
This current war with Iraq has the same taste as Vietnam. We are fighting in a country where few people like us and even fewer people help us. The purpose of the war is not obvious and the same tired mechanisms of crying "patriotism!" are used to support the effort.
In Vietnam there were millions killed, although not all by the US military. So far, in Iraq, there are nowhere near this many deaths, but death is ghastly whatever the numbers are. Every young person that dies in this war is a waste of humanity for causes that are no better than those in Vietnam -- in this case mostly American pride and Islamist extremism, plus revenge on all sides.
It is throwing good money after bad, killing more people in vain because so many have already died in vain. And what do we win -- if we ever do win? Oil? Land? Respect? Or will it be just more bad memories like Vietnam?
I could understand the war in Afghanistan. We were attacked by people that used that country as a willing base of operations. I can even understand getting Saddam -- the guy was a sadistic dictator at best. But we got the Taliban, we got Saddam and we've killed enough other people in "revenge of 9-11." If we can't get Osama Bin Laden the old fashioned way -- with CIA tactics -- then it is too bad. Having a war in Iraq is not accomplishing that end -- so it must be for much lousier reasons.
Probably we are trying to make sure we have a military presence in the Land of Oil. That has to be what this is all about. Nothing else makes any sense. I hope it is worth all the killing. I'm happy I have a daughter and not have to sacrifice a son to the War for Greedy Corporations.
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