CNN/TIME Viewpoint: The danger of yellow ribbon patriotism

[sabra]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/POLITICS/08/22/joe.klein.tm/

Viewpoint: The danger of yellow ribbon patriotism
By JOE KLEIN
TIME columnist


Why Cindy Sheehan's Crawford war vigil spurned a long-awaited dialogue on Iraq.


The yellow ribbons and support our troops signs are heartfelt. But there is a growing sense this summer that mere patriotic displays just won't cut it anymore.

The military is frustrated by both the mission and the sense that the war isn't front and center for the rest of the country. There is a fair amount of anger among the returning troops, especially the noncareer soldiers, the National Guard and reservists whose tours were extended and then extended again.

....

Other officers wondered why the American public was never asked to share in their grief, why the President never attended the funerals of the fallen. One general, who had presided over 162 memorial services in Iraq, told me how it worked: "There's no coffin, just the inverted rifle, boots and helmet of the fallen. We call the roll, up to the name of the missing trooper. We call his name: Specialist Doe.

....

And that is why the awkward anguish of Cindy Sheehan has struck a chord, despite her naive politics and the ideology of some of her supporters.

She represents all the tears not shed when the coffins came home without public notice. She is pain made manifest.

[ClassWarrior]

1. All the tears not shed... All the flags not at half-staff...

All the funerals not attended...

NGU.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Very moving -- "tears not shed" -- thank you, sabra. Nominated. nt

[Generic Other]

3. Thanks for this!! I posted a link here!

8/22 ALL DU Cindy threads DAY 16
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4422197

Please recommend the All Cindy threads for greatest page! It helps keep the info up all day!

[sniffa]

4. "her naive poLitics and ideoLogy of her foLLowers"

what the fuck. peopLe who eat this shit without question are naive.

x(

[Nite Owl]

16. Exactly

The 'ideology' of her supporters has been proven to be right. That's what I want to hear. Cindy is far from naive in her politics.

[lostnfound]

22. Yep. Will we ever hear it portrayed as such at CNN?

Not in our lifetime.

[babylonsister]

5. I have a problem with Joe Klein:

"We are told that George W. Bush often cries in private meetings with the families of the fallen. No doubt the President feels the intense pain and responsibility of having sent young people off to war."

...and I have a REAL problem believing this.

[katsy]

7. Wasn't there an article ages ago...

that suggested * called our troops "cannon fodder"?

I'm with you. It's just as likely that * can cry on que.

[Dhalgren]

8. And this line that could have been written by the DLC:

"about why this war -- which, unlike Vietnam, cannot be abandoned without serious consequences -- is still worth fighting and why we should recommit the entire nation to the struggle."

Total bullshit! It misses the whole point - but then that is what it is supposed to do. This is an attempt at the co-option of the antiwar movement. It isn't that the war is wrong, it's that it isn't being fought correctly. BULLSHIT!

[progressivebydesign]

10. From all I've read.. he does not cry he doesn't actually know where he is

I've read that from so many sources. Bush often doesn't know the names of the people he's meeting with or the names of the fallen. He appears to be completely out of touch with reality. Cindy was not the first to comment on that...

[Wetzelbill]

11. yeah no shit

agreed.

[unhappycamper]

6. Gots me a new yellow ribbon.

:sarcasm: Sure hope it helps us "win." /:sarcasm:

[City Lights]

9. "Why hasn't the President issued a national call to service? "

Because he'd be pressured to explain why military service isn't for his daughters. Why military service isn't for his kind of people.

"This is a failure of leadership, perhaps the signal failure of the Bush presidency." :thumbsup:

Article makes some excellent points. Thanks for posting.

[A Simple Game]

15. Because his supporters,

would have to put up or shut up.

If his supporters shut up, he has no support.

[BiggJawn]

12. That should be "spurred", not "SPURNED".

"Spurn" is what the Shrubster does as in "The president has spurned all suggestions that he attend at least SOME of the services for Iraqi war dead...."

See, I can write, too...

[bertha katzenengel]

13. Yeah, I am surprised that "spurned" got through.

:hi:

[charlie]

17. I'm not

I've got a collection of CNN screen caps on my drive with countries misplaced on maps, heads of state renamed, transcripts rife with misspellings... One notable goof was when CORE's Niger Innis was a guest on a political talkfest -- guess how they spelled his name?

[bertha katzenengel]

18. They didn't!?

What a bunch of morans. :eyes:

[charlie]

20. You would think

when typing out the name NIGER for a screen overlay, special care would be taken not to inadvertantly double the G... but no, CNN presented Mr Innis to the world as NI**ER INNIS. It was shameful... and freaking hilarious, the idiots.

[Mr_Spock]

14. I think that's an appropriate commentary

Cindy is speaking for a large number of disenfranchised. I hope there are more Cindy's out there - we need more than one :D

[ClayZ]

19. Email this article and it goes up the Most Emailed ladder!

Thanks !:kick:

[jokerman93]

21. Naive Politics?

I've heard this before, and been labeled the same by a few conservative kool-aid drinkers I've come across. So I'd like to know exactly what it is they think is so naive. Perhaps I'm so naive that their logic escapes me entirely!

:-)

Could someone here sum it up for me? Please write in complete sentences. Neatness counts.

Seriously. What is so naive about expecting integrity from our so-called leaders?

[photuris]

23. Reporterous Egotistica

It has been my humble opinion, base on the few reporters I've met, that SOME have gigantic egos. Stories, motives, most everything is too complicated for the corn-eating hoi-polloi to grasp. Never mind they almost always get the facts wrong and focus on PWGs (Pretty White Girls), instead of the real issues at hand.