Doonesbury by Garry Trudeau for December 24, 2008

Good for Melissa.

Then the cop said “don’t make me taze you bro’.

For any brothers or sisters in arms who might be reading this on the “FOB,” Merry Christmas. Being on a FOB at this time of year is tough. We’re thinking of you.

Son-in-law Hyrum in Baghdad! My Hero!! Merry Christmas!!!

DeathDealer says:

For any brothers or sisters in arms who might be reading this on the “FOB,” Merry Christmas. Being on a FOB at this time of year is tough. We’re thinking of you.

Yes, Merry Christmas to you!

Give the vets and troops in past and current wars the greatest supports and unconditional loves! Salute!

And Merry Christmas, y’all!

Tedious thread.

Look, it’s always a tragedy when someone is hurt.

But the Heroes are the troops who refused to participate in Bush’s illegal war and went to prison because if it, not those who deliberately went to kill people, hundreds of thousands of them civilians, many many children.

And now you want our support? Sorry, no

Bmnot, do you care to back any of that up with actual facts? First of all, we’re not even in a war; it’s our defense policy of preemption. Basically, it means that we send our soldiers to fight the terrorists far away from home; that way, they won’t attack us at home. Second, show me a reliable news article about American soldiers deliberately killing children. I’ll link you an article about Taliban or Al Qaeda militants killing children if you want. Third, someone who deserts, even if they don’t agree with what they’re being told to do, is still a deserter. I’d like you to show me an article about a soldier being sent to prison because he refused to go to the middle east, though.

http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2008/10/20/aid-worker.html

There’s an article about a suicide bomber killing 2 German soldiers and 5 children in Afghanistan. And a female aid worker being gunned down.

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE4BA2GH20081211

Here’s an article about a suicide bomber killing 50 men, women, and children in a packed restaurant.

Oh yeah, our soldiers are definitely the monstrous child killers in this conflict…

What bothers me about the Amerian Army helping people who are living with terrorists and corrupt governments etc, is where are they in Africa. Lots of horrible stuff going on there. Oh wait, they don’t have oil.

Can we please keep the politics separate from the support for the troops? While I believe that the Iraq war was illegal and for the wrong purposes, I do not expect an individual soldier (incl. marine, airman, etc.) to be in a position to make that kind of judgment and suffer the consequences of opting out. And I want them to be there for the wars I agree with.

There are as many reasons for going to Iraq on orders as there are soldiers. Almost all of them are honorable, almost all of them care about us, and ALL of them are brave. Go safe, guys (incl. women).

“I do not expect an individual soldier (incl. marine, airman, etc.) to be in a position to make that kind of judgment and suffer the consequences of opting out.”

Sorry: “I was just following orders didn’t work in the Nuremberg Trials” either.

How brave do you have to be to kill civilians? One of the biggest mistake Americans made was making “supporting the troops” more important than standing for justice and against mass murder.

These are the heroes, the truthtellers: http://ivaw.org/wintersoldier/testimony/Rules+of+Engagement%3A+Part+2

My last word on the topic: bmnot, you set up a false dichotomy. As most of America (50% + epsilon) later learned to its chagrin, we don’t have the facts to make judgments on the war in advance. Once there, the soldier can refuse to obey a command that is obviously illegal (My Lai,e.g.). Please don’t waste your time or mine with quibbling, but try to understand why I wrote. This is not the place for your anti-military diatribe.

bmnot, If you’re a vet you need to get help. If you’re not you need to shut up. You don’t know what you’re talking about. I looked at your web site. I see propaganda. I see those men being used for someone elses agenda. I see a bunch of guys who went to war for our country, got used up and hurt. They all need help, and you’re right, they are all heros.

What I really hate about people like you is you forget about all the sons and daughters, men and women, mothers and fathers, who go there, do it right and come home and you make it look like they are the bad guys. Let me tell you now you’re wrong. THEY ARE HEROS, just as much as your so called dissenters, your political prisoners.

Never, ever try to make them out to be Nazis. Don’t even compare what our soldiers did to what the criminals at Nuremburg. It’s a completely different thing. You better be glad you’re running your mouth in some smelly little whole at the end of a computer because if I knew where you I’d expect you to tell me these things to my face. And I doubt you could.

bmnot - Please take a very long walk on a very short pier.

Oh, and Merry Christmas anyway, but I’d bet you’re one of those Happy Holiday types.