Comments on: Borders Are For Sissies

By: Danny Ray

Danny Ray — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 14:17:52 +0000

Croylus,

Sorry, I have not been following this. Number 1 why do you say I have a warped mind?

Denk, yes somilia was a well planned operation until slick willie started to call the shots and it went to hell ,fast. and that was the first incursion, we got out of there with a win , that is we killed about 15000 people and only lost 18. Some say that the 15k figure is a little high but the intel teams counted 9000 fresh graves and we figure that the rest crawled off, like dogs to die.

the second incursion into the armpit of the world we sold the stinking pest hole to Ethopia and they are sorting the bastards out.

By: Elijah Roberts

Elijah Roberts — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:14:11 +0000

The disrespect to soldiers is out of bounds. Soldiers act on orders and execute those orders accordingly. After reading tons on Vietnam, Korea, the Gulf…..hmmmm, what exactly are we doing there? It is time to bring the troops home…..but that won’t happen. Halliburton is earning tons…..and if O gets sideways of his handlers he may go the way of others who tried to stand up to the military industrial establishment. No one dares mess with the “self licking ice cream cone”. I am still not sure this whole thing hasn’t been engineered. The establishment needs a war, any war, and having been there I believed in what I did and did well…..and there are those who are oppressed who could use a little help. O will not get us out of the war…..I predict that it will spread.

By: UNK

UNK — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:33:58 +0000

So lets disband our military and open our borders. Obviously the world is such a friendly hugs-and-kisses place, we would have nothing to fear. Whether or not you believe that there are things worth fighting for, the military is a necessity, any sane person can tell you that. Everything you do (if you are a US citizen, or citizen of the many countries we have sponsored or freed from Nazis/Nippon/colonial powers/dictators/etc.) has been predicated by actions of the US military. Its simple existence guarantees that you can sleep soundly without fear. Like I said before, disagreeing with a war or war in general is one thing, but to disrespect people who chose to serve their countries is another. Sometimes people who themselves serve disagree with a policy or war, but endure it, knowing that their country needs them, even in a time of folly.
As for our right to be in Afghanistan, the taliban harbored the men who killed thousands of our citizens; that seems clear cut to me. I’m pretty sure chanting and guitar playing wouldn’t persuade them to stop killing us. Please don’t reply with “how many of them have we killed with our imperialism, fascism, etc.” Its tiresome. We as a nation have been reaching out to the mid-east for over 200 hundred years. We founded their first modern universities and hospitals. You can say what you want about our support of Israel, but in the end, we have the right to defend our nation and its citizens.

By: corylus

corylus — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 04:28:22 +0000

UNK,
My “choice” has never been predicated on the U. S. military and its actions, and thus you haven’t at all explained how my opinion is “shallow and short-sighted.” A response to differences that entail violence is always a choice made, whether by the individual or by a nation. Your weak argument sounds familiar: we fought those wars so that you have the right to say what you will. BULLSHIT! The American military has always operated as the enforcement power to imperialism and greed, not to democracy and individual liberty.

By: bozhidar bob balkas

bozhidar bob balkas — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 16:17:30 +0000

UNK,
ur right, pashtuns live in afgh’n and p’kstan and not in syria.
the point i’m making is that US war planners have no right (legal or moral) to be in syria, p’kstan, iraq, or afgh’n.
if US was not in iraq causing all kinds of trouble, syrian sortie wldn’t have occurred.
iraq, afgh’n, india, p’kstan, r evil empires; wrought by other evil empires in order to keep enemies bound together so that the evil euro empires can rule over them.
the reason i spoke of pashtuns, is beacuse it clarifies what US does: murder, destroy, torture, etcetc.
whether such killings/maimings r correctly investigated is of no import to me. thnx

By: UNK

UNK — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 05:23:44 +0000

AJ,
To clarify: I spoke of investigations done on a case by case basis by the military when lives are taken. I never meant to imply the military would work with the Syrian government to do a CSI-like investigation. And I’m pretty sure they don’t want anyone to forget about the attack; it was meant to be a deterrent.
Also, last I checked, Syria is a predominantly Arab country, not Pashtun. There are an equal number of sources saying that Damascus was secretly complicit in the attack as well. It would be necessary for them to appear outraged to keep their population complacent.

“I have almost no respect for anyone who chooses to live a military life, even as I know that the pressures to participate can be overwhelming for some young people: choice is always available.” – Corylus
I completely respect your right and opinion to disagree with the war in Iraq, but to say you don’t respect those in the military is shallow and short sighted. Why do you think you even have the choice of whether or not to serve? Plenty of people world-wide do not have that luxury.

By: corylus

corylus — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 17:32:33 +0000

Danny Ray,
got your warped mind in a wedgie, did I?

By: AJ Nasreddin

AJ Nasreddin — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 15:26:23 +0000

UNK is BSing you all. It looks as though the US is not investigating anything at all – at least there is no communication about it with the Syrian government about the attack in Syria. The lack of response has led the Syrian government to close the American Cultural Center in Damascus and word is that they’re very close to asking the embassy to pack up and leave as well. From inside the embassy, the word is that there is no word from the State Department – not even a “We’re looking into it” kind of statement. I’m pretty sure they’re just hoping that all this will blow away and everyone will forget about it.

By: Zainab

Zainab — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 10:18:02 +0000

This article is proof enough that America is still a place where a dissident voice can be heard loud and clear. But it also shows how the military establishment, other government agencies, and critical national decisions are off-limit to any public (by the people) investigation just like other undemocratic countries all over the world. Thank you for a very illuminating website.

By: Danny Ray

Danny Ray — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:45:21 +0000

Denk; Which Time?

By: bozhidar bob balkas

bozhidar bob balkas — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:22:28 +0000

UNK,
what u have just said may be true. if so, wldn’t US military love to show to UN observers that it is done so?
and not to mention the fact that pashtuns r legally and morally obligated to defend their turf regardless how bad/evil they r in ur eyes.
so US raid on syria (by now numbering mnsof such raids over the globe) is both illegal and immoral.
i do not care an ioata how it may have been executed. thnx

By: denk

denk — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 14:41:09 +0000

dng , danny ray, i bet when uncle sham violated the sovereignty of somalia [tinyurl.com/564oh5], it was just another run of the mill, meticulously planned and executed "war on terror" eh ?

By: Danny Ray

Danny Ray — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:49:39 +0000

Corylus.
I love your name. Is it due to your liking of Filberts or are you hard like a Korus?

By: Danny Ray

Danny Ray — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:48:41 +0000

Corylus,
you use the term Rape murder and Pillage, These were American Warriors not a bunch of Vikings. This was not a spur of the moment fling ala William Quantrell. This was a very well set up and superbly led special op that took out its targets and went home. If we did not care we could have patterned bombed the whole place and they would have had to send in people to bury the dead there would be no one left.
This group had been sending bomb making materials to kill women and children on n almost daily basis. If they had of been in your back yard or on top of the Effel Tower we could have hit them there . The Syrians havent been doing jack to close their side of the border so we have to.
heck half the time you guys on the left say there should not be a border there anyway. It is just an arbitary line drawn by the French and the English while they owned the place. As far as the village being filled with peaceful farmers I have to give you a large BS on that the place is a damn sand box, you could not grow Tomatoes in a pot there. Everyne in this village were making their living off the war.

By: UNK

UNK — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 01:12:38 +0000

You should do a little fact-checking on what modern U.S. military raids consist of. The reason commanders put U.S. lives at risk in these raids, instead of aerial bombing, is to prevent civilian casualties. Having participated in these actions directly, I can tell you that any killing, including hostiles, is investigated thoroughly. Rules of engagement are very specific and violations are not tolerated. Despite the opinions of Corylus, service members are not murderers, and do not gleefully mow down civilians. The “victim” of military actions such as this one is not “some innocent villager pleading for the lives of his children.” Do not speak of things that you have no experience of, or for that matter, done any research into.

By: Erroll

Erroll — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 00:53:36 +0000

What is important to note is that the major [alleged] antiwar candidate named Barack Obama has, as far as I can determine, refrained from condemning this latest example of US aggression. But this should not surprise anyone given the fact that Obama has also advocated what Bush has done vis a vis Pakistan proving, apparently, what little difference there is between Obama and the more overt war hawk John McCain. All the more reason for Americans and progressives to vote for a third party or independent or socialist presidential candidate in 2008.

By: bozhidar bob balkas

bozhidar bob balkas — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:42:25 +0000

corylus; we are educating; that may turn out to be enough. young generations coming along may refuse to be serfs to ther ruling class.tnnx

By: corylus

corylus — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:13:51 +0000

Ron,
Thank you for the mind-numbing, yet necessary, reminder of yet one more example of American pathos carried out by the military we all pay to do our dirty work. I think I share your outrage about American military aggression, allowing for your personal experiences that have likely been far more horrifying than mine. Yet I weep almost daily for the lost and ravaged lives of people who are just trying to survive, only to have their world torn apart by malicious greed defended on the sanctimonious ground of American righteousness. There are no such grounds, even as I live a life that has largely been easy because of American exploitation and imperialism.

I’m at a loss for what more to do to stop the madness. I take to heart your admonition that these war crimes [my characterization] stem from the “failure of the American people to maintain a popular movement” against military actions in the Middle East, as well as elsewhere, for over 200 years. I have written, called, marched, picketed, occupied, voted, and recently, quit my job in government in protest of America’s foreign (and domestic) policies. I am reminded, daily, of my depression, a deep lasting pain that is not in the least relieved with the daily news of another act of American murder, torture, or destruction. I am horrified and saddened as I hear my friends and associates explain their means and justifications to ignore the immense suffering our comfortable lives extract, even as I continue to live my own sheltered and privileged existence. I’ve even given thought to the most drastic of personal actions against American militaristic belligerence, but I’m still sane enough to know that my deed would amount to nothing.

I have no military experience, but I absolutely detest all that is military for all that it does to create misery and to promote hatred. I have almost no respect for anyone who chooses to live a military life, even as I know that the pressures to participate can be overwhelming for some young people: choice is always available. I respect those who’ve joined the National Guard in earnest desire to help others, and wish no one with a conscience any harm. But I hate the killing, I hate the training to kill, I hate the machines that kill, and the twisted thinking that justifies killing. I hate those in power who dismiss killing as standard practice, to protect “our interests, our democracy” — there is no bloody excuse whatsoever that can possibly justify murder, rape, and pillage. I do believe that the only justice that can truly end the madness must be administered by the people, for people everywhere, against the relatively small group of insane individuals who’ve outlived their right to speak or to act for me and anyone who retains any sense of humanity or compassion. These people are the ones who really should die, not some innocent villager pleading for the lives of his children.

By: bozhidar bob balkas

bozhidar bob balkas — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 17:18:03 +0000

we live on planet US. world plutos welcome that. plutos were told; u r either w. the uncle or against him.
to prove that people don’t listen to sound advice, just count missing limbs, heads. count also the dispersed or even replaced people.
just 5 mn in iraq.
they never learn. all they had to do is to be w. the uncle and to have fought own people. that’s all it takes. thnx