I'm Pissed And I've Got To Get This Off Of My Chest.

[Radicalman]

One of the characteristics of fascism is supremacy of the military. Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized. It is with the latter concept I want to deal with. Most of the stuff in the mass media about our soldiers in Iraq is pure bull. "They are fighting for our freedom," we are told. To do what? Attack another country that poses no threat to the U.S.? Maintain the American standard of living which fat boy Chickenhawk Cheney says is "non-negotiable? (The American standard of living means that we haven't seen such disparities of wealth since 1929, and the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.) To pollute the planet? What exactly are the troops fighting for? Oil reserves to keep away from China? Corporate America? A neo-con Empire? There isn't anything glamorous and about military service. The purpose of the military is to train people to kill other human beings. What in hell is glamorous about that? It is a dirty, inhumane job that must be done in the defense of our country and its best values when we are threatened. It does require courage and other virtues. And to salute people for their courage in the promotion of a just cause is understandable. But Iraq? Most of the grubs in Iraq are there because structural inequalities in the American economic system. They come from rural areas and suburban/urban areas where job opportunities are meager. In many of their minds they have not choice but to join the military in order to help their families, go to college, etc. We must be sorry for them that they have been victimized by an expansionist, neo-fascist state who sends them to war without proper armor and screws them over, in terms of benefits, and medical treatment if they are wounded. And despair and fell their pain when when they are mangled and they loose limbs And be supportive of them when they are incapacitated because of DU and their children are born with genetic defects. And we must give them the GI Bill of Rights that vets got after WW II. Absolutely. But "support our troops." What does that mean? The Bush coup hasn't supported them, in terms of benefits, proper treatment for the wounded and maimed, and even proper body and vehicle armor. "Support Our Troops." If you don't you're unpatriotic and you're not "for us," says the Bush coup. It's all bull. It's politics by bumper sticker slogan. A slogan used by evil bastards who have no regard for human life or they wouldn't have practiced genocide in Fallujah and sent U.S. troops into war without the proper equipment. Glorifying our "troops" and saying we must "support them," when Bush and Co. don't, and when they are sent to do the empire's dirty work, and are not supported by the Bush junta, is not just hypocrisy. It is the stance of vile bottom feeders who respect neither the lives of our troops or innocent Iraqi civilians. It is ironic that we on the left, who want adequate expenditures for armament, better medical benefits for the troops, oppose DU, want a GI Bill of Rights and better treatment for our troops' families, are the ones who truly support the troops. It sticks in the craw to hear these Rumsfelds, Cheneys, and these moral monsters talk about supporting the troops in Iraq. They only use them to further the profits of their cronies in Halliburton and Bechtel, and the military-industrial-complex. They use our troops as a means to achieving their own ends of multinational corporation control of the world's economy. Our troops are only "things" to achieve the ends of their self-styled "betters." They use our troops to further their fascist agenda by glamorizing them and saying that criticism of them is criticism of their statist coup. To hell with them. Yes, I support our troops - and the best way to do that is to bring them home instantly.

[graywarrior]

1. Could you break it up into paragraphs?

[NMDemDist2]

2. agreed! my old eyes have trouble with that much text too.... n/t

[benddem]

8. Ditto

I find this hard to read!!!!

[Kurovski]

9. Same here.

Paragraphs, please.

Thanks! :-)

[Kurovski]

10. Welcome to DU, Radicalman. I liked your post enough to make it more

accessible. Seemingly presumptuous of me and perhaps even somewhat rude, but that is not the spirit in which I make the offer.

I see that the edit time has expired on your post.


******************************************************


"One of the characteristics of fascism is supremacy of the military.

Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected.

Soldiers and military service are glamorized. It is with the latter concept I want to deal with. Most of the stuff in the mass media about our soldiers in Iraq is pure bull.

"They are fighting for our freedom," we are told. To do what?

Attack another country that poses no threat to the U.S.? Maintain the American standard of living which fat boy Chickenhawk Cheney says is "non-negotiable? (The American standard of living means that we haven't seen such disparities of wealth since 1929, and the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.)

To pollute the planet?

What exactly are the troops fighting for? Oil reserves to keep away from China? Corporate America? A neo-con Empire?

There isn't anything glamorous about military service. The purpose of the military is to train people to kill other human beings. What in hell is glamorous about that? It is a dirty, inhumane job that must be done in the defense of our country and its best values when we are threatened.

It does require courage and other virtues. And to salute people for their courage in the promotion of a just cause is understandable.

But Iraq? Most of the grunts in Iraq are there because structural inequalities in the American economic system. They come from rural areas and suburban/urban areas where job opportunities are meager.

In many of their minds they have no choice but to join the military in order to help their families, go to college, etc.

We must be sorry for them that they have been victimized by an expansionist, neo-fascist state who sends them to war without proper armor and screws them over, in terms of benefits, and medical treatment if they are wounded. And despair and feel their pain when when they are mangled and they loose limbs And be supportive of them when they are incapacitated because of DU and their children are born with genetic defects.

And we must give them the GI Bill of Rights that vets got after WW II. Absolutely. But "support our troops." What does that mean?

The Bush coup hasn't supported them, in terms of benefits, proper treatment for the wounded and maimed, and even proper body and vehicle armor.

"Support Our Troops", If you don't you're unpatriotic and you're not "for us," says the Bush coup.

It's all bull. It's politics by bumper sticker slogan. A slogan used by evil bastards who have no regard for human life or they wouldn't have practiced genocide in Fallujah and sent U.S. troops into war without the proper equipment.

Glorifying our "troops" and saying we must "support them," when Bush and Co. don't, and when they are sent to do the empire's dirty work, and are not supported by the Bush junta, is not just hypocrisy. It is the stance of vile bottom feeders who respect neither the lives of our troops or innocent Iraqi civilians.

It is ironic that we on the left, who want adequate expenditures for armament, better medical benefits for the troops, oppose DU, want a GI Bill of Rights and better treatment for our troops' families, are the ones who truly support the troops.

It sticks in the craw to hear these Rumsfelds, Cheneys, and these moral monsters talk about supporting the troops in Iraq. They only use them to further the profits of their cronies in Halliburton and Bechtel, and the military-industrial-complex.

They use our troops as a means to achieving their own ends of multinational corporation control of the world's economy. Our troops are only "things" to achieve the ends of their self-styled "betters."

They use our troops to further their fascist agenda by glamorizing them and saying that criticism of them is criticism of their statist coup. To hell with them. Yes, I support our troops - and the best way to do that is to bring them home instantly."

-Radicalman

[Kurovski]

11. Radicalman , why don't you try reposting this piece in another forum?

It's very good, and will get more readers with paragraph breaks included in the post.

I'd have PM-ed all this to you, but you appear to have that function switched off on your account.

[Radicalman]

12. Thanks. I need your help.

I've been around here for 3 years, mostly too busy to post anything. I have read and learned from other people on DU, although I haved gotten involved. I have no idea what "I'd have PM-ed all this to you but you appear to have that function switched off on your account" means . Also, I have nod idea what other forum this should be posted in. I certainly appreciate the suggestion about paragraph breaks and will do so. Thanks.

[Kurovski]

13. PM means "private message". Registered users can

send each other messages (it's like internal DU email)

To activate it, you have to click on the "options" icon at the top of this page.

Then click on "edit your preferences" in the left-hand column.

A list of choices will come up. One will be "Allow others to send you private messages?". You can click on the "yes" circle, then click the update button st the bottom of the page, and you are ready to get and receive PM's.

You can send a PM to someone by clicking on the open letter icon on their post.

As for a repost, General Discussion is good. "General Discussion:politics" would also work. (I guess).

:hi:

[boobooday]

3. But they neglect the first

They dump money into "defense" but it goes to the contractors at the expense of the soldiers.

This may well be their downfall. Witness that of the 11 Iraqi veterans running for Congress this year, nine are Democrats.

[uppityperson]

4. "It's politics by bumper sticker slogan." very much so

sound bites, instant gratification, simplicity for those who can't or are too lazy to think for themselves. Good rant and I agree.

[Olney Blue]

5. Radicalman, thank you for that well-written post.

Welcome to DU- there are many here who feel the way you do (like me).

[patrice]

6. Have you seen the Army advertisement with the Dad and his Son sitting

together at Sunrise/Sunset, just hanging out, low key, by themselves, just guys, and the Dad says to the Son, "You've changed into a man. I could tell when you got back and you looked me in the eyes for the first time."

Got trouble with your SON? Do you want him to LOVE YOU? But there's some kind of difficulty and you are really kind of strangers? Or has your SON had some kind of trouble becoming a MAN and you can't seem to help him? Do you want your SON to LOVE you?

Encourage him to Enlist.

People talk about BRAINWASHING around here. This IS it!!!

Thanks for your post Radicalman!!! I'm going back to read it for pleasure this time. I'm very glad you brought this up.

[babylonsister]

7. Excellent rant, and I agree; "politics by bumper sticker slogan."

This government supports no one but the bottom dollar; soldiers are just a stepping stone to fatten their corporate wallets.