Talked to a former Bush supporter yesterday.

[Solon]

One of my best buddies, a former Marine and Veteran (Somalia), actually would he be considered a veteran for that? Anyways, for the past three years we would argue about the merits of the Commander in Thief, and he would defend him. Note that he isn't a fundy or even a traditional conservative, more like an uber-patriot, military type. He didn't consider the Democratic party as patriotic, etc. etc. He was for the Iraq war and believed that we should have taken out Saddam, etc. Yesterday I talked to him on the phone, and boy did he change his tune. He framed it like this:

Him: "You know how many Middle-Easterners consider America as the Great Satan?"

I had no clue where he was going with this so, I thought he would say that was wrong and is why we should have gone there.

Me: "Yeah, I know that many of them do."

Him: "Well I'll be damned if they aren't right, we are the Great Satan."

I was shocked, this was one of those people that believed "My Country, Right or Wrong!" He elaborated that Bush was the Great Satan, not the entire country, he also said that he is certain that the Marines are PISSED OFF at Bush, and can't take his shit anymore. He believes this is Bush's last term and decided to go out with a bang so to speak. He meant military adventurism. He said Bush bit off more than he can chew, and it will bite him in the ass come November.

Let me just say that that was music to my ears, I think my badgering of him over it helped alot.

[cpa]

1. Congratulations

Now, if we could only get a few more people like him to see the light.

[aquart]

2. He changed his mind because of what Marines said, not you.

Which means our soldiers know they are being used and thrown away.

[Solon]

4. He doesn't talk to any current Marines.

The only Buddy he had left from those days was discharged years ago, and now lives in Canada, I would view him has a "Barometer" of what the military in general feels today. I'm the one who gave him a different view all this time, and turned him to alternative news sources than the CIA-Corporate Media.

[ima_sinnic]

3. congratulations on having a very smart, conscious, & open-minded friend!

I love these stories of individual waking-ups. They are the drips that have turned to a trickle that will be an overwhelming gush of antiBush sentiment come November!
:hi:

[Eric J in MN]

5. Did he say why he thinks of Bush that way? (nt)

nt

[Solon]

6. Didn't delve into too deeply.

He does think Bush is a Rich man's politician, particularly of the oil business. I pointed it out and he agreed, Bush is not a Man of the People.

[Ilsa]

7. Your choice in friends reflects well on you. n/t

[Solon]

8. My two best friends are him and my lesbian friend

who is getting married this summer. (Hopefully, It'd be the first time I would be Best Man, kinda nervous about it too.)

[Crachet2004]

9. Of the two ex-marines I know well, both are against Bush...

and they both voted FOR him in 2000. I think part of it is, no WMD, Which means Bush lied. Hard to get behind a Commander in Chief who evidently lied and is obviously waging war for money and/or a personal grudge. Hard to see any honour IN Bush.

And something else. I could be wrong here, but I don't think Marines like the role of occupation. Marines are shock troops and while being police might be a little less dangerous (very little, in Iraq), there is something about it that is unappealing to them, as elite troops. Impacts on their morale.

I think that rotating the Marines back to Iraq for a second tour was really stupid of Bushco. `

[Solon]

10. Not to mention Haiti

My friend definately finds that to be a mistake, and that Marines should not be used for occupation or police.

[roscoeroscoe]

11. good point~

i know you're right about this. the military's whole attitude about iraq was, 'let's get the job done and go home.' now they know they were suckered.
all they've got left is october surprise material, and i'm curious to see if the admin can make that kind of stuff work the way they want. i think events are out of their control.

[9215]

12. Excellent post! Thanks for

sharing this. This gives me hope that the rest of the country will wake up soon. :thumbsup: