Herbert in NYTimes: Someone Else's Child

[understandinglife]

Someone Else's Child

By BOB HERBERT
Published: June 20, 2005

It has become clearer than ever that Americans do not want to fight George W. Bush's tragically misguided war in Iraq.

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If the United States had a draft (for which there is no political sentiment), its warriors would be drawn from a much wider swath of the population, and political leaders would think much longer and harder before committing the country to war.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/20/opinion/20herbert.html?hp

Relevant DU references:

Bob Herbert: "They won't go."
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3844995

"The Children's Crusade": Part 2, A Marine Recruiter and Axel
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3812002

"The Children's Crusade"
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3797148

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article4173.htm


WE THE PEOPLE .... WILL NEVER FORGET

"... we sent our young people into harm's way without leveling with the American people." - Congresswoman Pelosi before Congress, 16 June 2005

Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us - Impeachment of Bush and Cheney; indictment and prosecution of all members of the Bush regime who participated in the deception, should be campaign promises of any candidate worthy of our vote in the 2006 Congressional elections.

[jojo54]

1. The way I look at it,

if more freeps voted in the last 2 elections (alledgedly), then there's more of them to be drafted. Right?

[understandinglife]

2. "loudest of the flag-waving hawks were those who were safely beyond ..."

You can still find plenty of folks arguing that we have to stay the course, or even raise the stakes by sending more troops to the war zone. But from the very start of this war the loudest of the flag-waving hawks were those who were safely beyond military age themselves and were unwilling to send their own children off to fight.

Clear enough for even a war criminal, neoconster, chickenhawk to understand.


Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us - STOP THE ATROCITIES; PROSECUTE BU$H AND ALL THE OTHER WAR CRIMINALS

[The Animator]

3. If I got the call I sure as hell wouldn't go.

I'm a little beyond their ideal age bracket, but I'd still like the opportunity to tell Bush that he could go fuck himself.

[understandinglife]

4. Herbert: "It's easy to be macho when you have nothing at risk."

It's easy to be macho when you have nothing at risk. The hawks want the war to be fought with other people's children, while their own children go safely off to college, or to the mall. The number of influential American officials who have children in uniform in Iraq is minuscule.

ibid: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/20/opinion/20herbert.html?hp

[understandinglife]

5. Herbert: "I don't know how you win a war that your country doesn't ..."

... want to fight. We sent too few troops into Iraq in the first place and the number of warm bodies available for Iraq and other military missions going forward is dwindling alarmingly. The Bush crowd may be bellicose, but for most Americans the biggest contribution to the war effort is a bumper sticker that says "support our troops," and maybe a belligerent call to a talk radio station.

ibid: http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/20/opinion/20herbert.html?hp

Peace.


www.missionnotaccomplished.us - Impeachment of Bush and Cheney; indictment and prosecution of all members of the Bush regime who participated in the deception, should be campaign promises of any candidate worthy of our vote in the 2006 Congressional elections.

[yankeedem]

6. Kick

This is a very powerful article, the first attack on the 101st Keyboardists. Good for him.