"Stripes" letters, July 27 - Aug. 2: A litmus for troop morale (it's low)

[lebkuchen]

Nearly every letter indicates that Bush has a severe morale problem on his hands. These kinds of letters are very unusual for "Stripes," as the Asst. Sec. of the Navy must realize, since he has written his own letter (scroll down the long list of troops concerns for the Sec.'s letter).

http://estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=16878

[Drifter]

1. Anyone see the dumb blonde on Letterman last night ?

Brittiny Murphy, or something like that ?

She said that she performed for the troop in Iraq (or near Iraq). Not sure what exactly her talent is (It could be that fact that she has boobs). She said the morale in the Armed Forces was extremely high. I'm sure she was in no position to see "true" morale problems in action. Besides I'n pretty convinced that her only talent is the fact that she has boobs.

Another thing that really bother me about her was she kept saying over and over that it was 150 degrees there. Has it ever been 150 degrees anywhere at anytime on this planet ? I doubt it.

Cheers
Drifter

[lebkuchen]

3. She is probably talking about inside the tents

where I've heard it gets over 140 degrees. Bars of soap melt, so those sending care packages (because Bush doesn't), must send liquid soap. No spray cans because they explode in the heat.

There was a letter or two in that bunch about the entertainment.

[demsrule4life]

2. After spending 20 years overseas

I really do miss the Stars and Stripes.

[lebkuchen]

4. The letters are an interesting (and popular) read

measuring the attitudes of the times. Read the letters the week before the week I posted....again, morale is very low.

BTW, while I was in the states, a WWII vet got into a conversation w/me about the troops at some trucker's cafe counter. He ended up walking out in disgust, calling me a bleeding heart liberal for supporting them in their despair! He said that was what they were paid to do.

The US population is in a confused state right now.

Yes, my heart does bleed for the troops. I'm sorry much of America's "support" is conditional: they support the troops only if they are willing to die with a smile on their face, unquestioning of the incompetence that has placed them in an impossible situation, not to mention the WH promises made and broken. If the soldiers aren't willing to faithfully, blindly, and unquestionly follow, to hell with the concept of morale, then America blames the troops, it doesn't support them.

[Logansquare]

5. Support our troops, not the military-industrial complex

Amen to everything you've said. Our troops aren't "paid" to survive on three liters of water in 120 degree heat. They aren't "paid" to live in fly-infested shacks and wait three weeks for Mom to send bug spray because the supply logistics are all f-d up by civilian contractors. Perhaps if the WWII vet knew how much of our tax dollars are being siphoned away from our troops by Cheney, et al, he'd have a better attitude.

What were lower income 19 year olds doing 25 years ago? Either working in industrial jobs (now gone) or going to college with generous grants and low-interest student loans. I was one of them. If I had turned 18 in 2002, I probably would have swallowed a recruiter's tall tale and ended up in this fiasco.

[lebkuchen]

6. Interesting that you would bring up that topic of 18 y.o. options

Not wishing to run into the aggression I had encountered w/the WWII vet again, I went to an espresso bar down the road the next day. It was run by 18/19 y.o.s, talking with the 19 y.o. town security guard, whose job it was to bust under 18 y.o smokers. All of them were gossiping about who liked whom, who was dating whom, etc. One young woman walked in crying to her friends because her father wouldn't allow her apply for a driver's license right now...all real innocent topics were paramount to these kids, as with all youth.

Two of the women told me a bunch of them had decided awhile back, over a drink, to join the Coast Guard. They wanted to help society by keeping drugs out of the country. They said they hadn't heard yet from the CG, but that the selection process was just that: select.

I wished them luck, and said if the CG didn't work out, that they shouldn't join the other branches of the military, because then they were likely to be guaranteed an immediate one year stint pounding sand in 120 degree Iraq. I suggested considering continuing education at the local junior college instead.

The thought of these unworldly women, girls, really, being sent off, like Lynch was, to tote a machine gun in one of the harshest environments in the world is disgusting to me. But the timber is all cut down around here, jobs are few, and the $25,000 recruiting fee too tempting an offer for minimum wage workers to pass up.

They told me one of their girlfriends is almost finished with army training camp and is, in fact, being sent to Iraq, for a year. I feel for her, and the horrible situation Bush has put our youth. He has bled the economy dry in order to guarantee himself an ever-replenished supply of our youth to fight for his oil. He and his ilk are contemptable.

[demsrule4life]

7. World war one and two

Was not paid by taxes they were paid by war bonds. Can you guess how long we would be in Iraq if we used the same system? I would guess we would of been out by now. I doubt people would buy bonds to finance this war.

[Career Prole]

8. I recall in a 2000 election

a certain shrub insisting that military absentee ballots be scrupulously counted. Somehow after reading the topic starter's linked article and others like http://truthout.org/docs_03/081103A.shtml
I get the feeling he may not be so eager for those absentee votes to show up this time.

[Vitruvius]

9. Kick

:kick: