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Iraq Vets
I've been told that by the end of this year the total number of American military veterans of the Iraq war will exceed 1.5 million. I haven't been able to confirm this number. If it is true, then no wonder the President's popularity has dropped below 30% -- that's just too many people reporting on the truth about this conflict.
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Just to keep the record straight, Bush's mean approval rate on all polls last month was 34.7%. Even if we toss out the 3 most suspicious, it was still 33.5%. A third of the country seems unmovable. It is unclear how any foul up, no matter how monumental, could shake their support for him.
Frankly, I am puzzled. Well, no. I think the deliberately divisive politics of the Republicans have been successful. There is a population that is literally afraid of Democrats. I am not talking about the super rich, who are probably right to consider the Democrats to be opposed to their interests, but another much broader population who cannot rationally be better off with the Republicans. Yet here they are after 6 years of miserable Republican domestic policy on top of a pointless war and they cannot be budged away from support of a dangerous president.
March 3, 2007 10:12 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am sorry that I have followed you here from “The Hunt for Osama Part II”. This is related to what I have asked in my previous post about “highest priority to bringing Osama to justice” and your response was that “he’s a killer”.
To refresh your memory, I have taken the liberty to cut and paste my post and your response here.
My post:
Why is he more important than 35 million Americans who have “food” insecurity?
What about 45 million Americans without medical insurance? What about proper medical facilities for Veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq? What about those poor folks in New Orleans still struggling with the damages caused by Katrina?
Your response:
My view: because he's a killer and a perpetrator of a crime against humanity, we ought to find, capture, try, convict and punish him.
Right now, we know for a fact that there are 2 senior and reputable casualties from the Walter Reed scandal and obviously it is the highest priority now. It even gets the attention of the president and the general public as a whole.
What is it to you about the 1.5 veterans already served Afganistan and Iraq(if this figure is confirmed to be right later on). The hunt for Osama has diverted massive amount of our financial resources that is not worth fighting for and the $400 billion could have created lots of wealth for the unemployed, needy and most of all better medical care for the veterans as well as the general public.
This is all about war profiteers and not about the Veterans, isn’t it?
March 4, 2007 3:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is the same group of hard core fanatics that made up the 30 to 33% during the Clinton impeachment, while 60/65% of the rest of the country supported Clinton during this period. They're the same fanatics that were there for Clinton's whole 8 years, always negative, always on the attack, regardless of what Clinton did or didn't do. Today, they're the Bush sycophants.
March 4, 2007 9:19 AM | Reply | Permalink
Your accusation seems to reduce all to a binary matter: if Osama is pursued, then medical insurance will not be provided, and all the other things you cite as legitimate social concerns.
Americans have been fighting the issue of access to medical care, which is more complex than insurance alone, battle since long before Osama met Ayman. There may be villains in the existing US medical insurance and other industries, but the problem isn't war profiteers.
The problems at Walter Reed are severe, but, again, it isn't, as you would like to simplify, "the highest priority now." It is one of a number of priorities relating to veterans.
While you are quite vague about your nationality, it seems fairly obvious, from language and lack of knowledge of details of America, that you are not an American. In that case,
since when have your financial resources been involved?
--
Howard
*equal opportunity offense to both extremes*
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" [George Santayana]
March 4, 2007 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Howard,
I think you are an assassin from the government. I love you when you are good in analysis but not as a person who stalls and makes personal attack on me.
You always quote your friends and friends but you don’t actually been to overseas. I could not find it in your writing.
The other point about your knowledge of Iraq is totally inadequate and yet you would like to impress me with your knowledge of the fire power. The real issue is that there is a shortage of equipment and many soldiers are not properly trained and you turned my point into somtheing else. I am totally disappointed with your analysis.
The recent report about “operation readiness” has confirmed my point about inadequate training and equipment and the whole military is not ready for another disaster.
Out of the blue, you just jump out and attack me. I am directing my question to Reed and not you, my beloved Howard.
I don’t think you are aware of what was going on between me and Reed. I am advocating health care for the veterans and Reed is advocating Revenge.
I think you are just being nosy and irritating. I would like to make love to you but first, you must not be so bitchy. Walter Reed is the highest priority now and still now. Two top guns had been fired. I think you are here to distort my I have to say. I don’t think this is your job to do that. Just let Reed has his say.
I love you Howard.
March 4, 2007 8:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I could tell you my job, but then I'd have to kill you.
Lots of things you don't know, including things you can't find in my writing not because they aren't there, but that there are problems with your reading comprehension of that which doesn't agree with your preconceptions.
Incidentally, I use my real name here, and some of my work overseas is available on the Internet. You haven't had the courage even to identify your nationality, let alone your name. I am reasonably confident that the Black Helicopters have more important things to do than chase you. *musing* Of course, it is said you never hear the bullet that hits you...
I recognize you believe the total function of a military is to make loud noises. The best leaders win without firepower, as Sun Tzu observed circa 400 BC. Our newer paradigm, which works when the mission is appropriate for the military and not when the political leadership assigns the military to an impossible task, is more information centric. Read some Boyd and get back to me, so I can further get inside your OODA loop.
That being said, did you want to go back to the Abbasid dynasty, back to the Umayyads, or forward to the Ottomans, all relevant to understanding Iraq, and the US mistakes in Iraq?
Perhaps to one pertinent to the subject?
It is good to know when one's efforts are not in vain.
When you say "I think you are just being noisy and irritating", I find the greatest error in your first two words. Believe me, I am not here to distort what "my I have to stay", but perhaps to clear up some of your vast ignorance about American history, politics, and law. Your native language is clearly not English, so if I paraphrase for readability, that is not in any way meant as an insult; your English is better than the small amounts of other languages I know.
Trust me. You are still here, so I didn't launch an all-out attack. If, however, you are such an expert on the military, you would know that the best attacks come out of the blue.
No, I don't think I'm here to satisfy your sexual cravings. I am not sufficiently sadistic to meet your apparently masochistic needs.
Reed is a big boy and can counter anything of mine with which he disagrees. I suppose you aren't familiar with reasoned discussions among equals.
--
Howard
*equal opportunity offense to both extremes*
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" [George Santayana]
March 5, 2007 7:14 AM | Reply | Permalink
I could tell you my job, but then I'd have to kill you???
Yawn...
~OGD~
March 5, 2007 7:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Consider to whom that was directed, who seems to have a difficulty with tongue in cheek, as well as other than broad generalizations.
--
Howard
*equal opportunity offense to both extremes*
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" [George Santayana]
March 5, 2007 8:00 AM | Reply | Permalink
Howard,
Well, you have never ceased to amaze me. I love you for a reason but I am not sure having sex with you is a good thing.
There are some points that I would like to clarify:
Firstly, when a government has limited money, it can only do one thing at a time. In this case, Walter Reed is the highest priority on the President’s table, and not hunting down Osama. There is always a priority and right now, Walter Reed is the highest priority.
America has about 8.7 trillion debts and recently it has asked NATO allies to contribute financial and human resources in Afghanistan. This is a symptom of financial trouble and manpower shortage and catching Osama is not even on the top of the list.
Secondly, the US soldiers are thugs fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Many Iraqis have decided to turn against the US soldiers because of all the bad things that they have done. Some of the bad things are terrorizing, torturing, killing of innocent civilians, and raping of young men and ladies.
Yesterday, US soldiers killed a number of civilians in Afghanistan and this was not an isolated incident. It has been reported many times over the past few years about US soldiers killing innocent civilians in Afghanistan and Iraq. Family members of the victims had cried for justice and their cries were often ignored. This is not just a matter of bad judgment; it is the result of poor military training and inadequate medical help available to the existing soldiers suffering from mental disorder. Some of the US soldiers committed suicide in Iraq and some, after their completion of their tour, killed themselves in America either by hanging or a bullet through their head. They just got sick of the war and did not wish to fight anymore in Iraq.
Finally, judging from your writing, I don’t think you really know what is happening around the world, much less on Iraq. I would recommend you to read some of the speeches from John Murtha, Robert Byrd and Edward Kennedy. They have good insights of the real world. I don’t find it in your writings. I am not insulting you, I am telling you for a fact. I have done enough research and interviewing to come to such a conclusion.
P.S. I am sorry about my typo in my previous post. By the way, I graduated in America and I paid taxes, also, in America.
March 5, 2007 8:26 AM | Reply | Permalink
This time, John, I am not going to get drawn into your trolling. As far as I can tell, you simply intend to tell everyone else how they are wrong, how your unspecified "research" is better than that of anyone else, and how all Americans are ignorant thugs.
Since you have yet to produce any credentials, national identification, substantial history of informative and balanced posts, or a website with your alleged "research", I don't think you have done enough research and interviewing to let you decide which toilet to use in a multi-place restroom. If you graduated from an American school, either it was a rather poor one, or you took a bare minimum of history and government, although you seem to have managed substantial experience in paranoia. You can't even coherently criticize Dick Cheney.
If you want to be believed, start producing substantive research, rather than telling us how great it's going to be.
It was truly informative, in another thread, when you cited Kennedy and Byrd, but dismissed as irrelevant, according to your "research", any other US sources, or indeed background on Byrd. In other words, your "research" appears to be limited to sources that confirm your preconceptions, and you call irrelevant anything brought up by anyone else -- you dismiss it without checking.
I am not insulted by your comments. I am rarely insulted by any comment, although I can learn and improve from substantive, informative, and preferably courteous comments. These descriptors do not apply to your vaguenesses.
There's an old story, from the computer industry, that I shall update slightly to give my opinion of the substance of your invisible research. Three women were speaking lovingly about their boyfriends.
The first said "my boyfriend is a poet, and when we make love, his words lift me on a cloud of imagery."
"Humph," said the second. "My boyfriend is a pro football player, and, when we make love, he lifts me with more than just words."
The third laughed. "Oh, I have it better than both of you. My boyfriend works for Microsoft, and, while we never actually make love, it's so great hearing about how wonderful it will be when they actually deliver the release."
Your research, so far, is less substantive than a Microsoft Statement of Strategic Direction.
Goodbye, and may you continue getting the respect you deserve.
--
Howard
*equal opportunity offense to both extremes*
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it" [George Santayana]
March 5, 2007 8:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
OK, If you boys can get over your squabbling, this is what we're up against:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haZUwAde-8A
and it is why the roughly third who answer polls stick with him; they're simply afraid not to.
Jan Knaus
March 5, 2007 9:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
Squabbling? Here I thought they were reading from a script of a 1940s film noir.
March 5, 2007 10:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
They have been tribalized by right-wing websites where they see only what they already know, by GM and Chrysler and Ford, by FOX and CBS and NBC and ABC, by cheap food and cheap gas, and by jackleg preachers spouting bad religion.
When they lose their jobs, get foreclosed on, and can't afford to drive their pickups and SUVs, look out.
March 5, 2007 1:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
Howard,
I am sorry that I can’t really help you. Colin Powell had given all his intelligence sources and all turn out to be untrue at the UN in 2003. Bush and Dick also gave lots of sources and it turned out to be untrue. I have seen and read many reports of America bashing France and Germany in 2003 for not helping America it its war against Iraq. The whole world knows America is full of lies and it has lost its credit standing among the world community. America can continue to threaten, intimidate and torture those who are weak, beyond certain points, these people do not feel anything anymore. When the blacks were enslaved in America years ago, they endured the torture, abuse and lies of the white masters and they prayed to God that someday they would be set freed. Now, America has turned its attention to the Middle Eastern people and they too have to endure the torture, abuse and lies of the white Americans (the majority is still white). Now you are abusing and intimidating me for not giving you the sources. You are just like most Americans, attack and attack, always demand obedience from another nation and when it fails to win obedience, then threatens or bribes.
I think you have lived in America for too long that you have no idea what is happening around the world. You can convince yourself how smart you are (most Americans are ignorant, misinformed and stereotype, it took me many years to realize that) and how knowledgeable you can be. The fact that you have still no idea what is going on…..I mean around the world.
I love you, Howard.
March 5, 2007 3:37 PM | Reply | Permalink
Please learn to use the reply link. You are making a mess. And, I promise to rate your posts 1 or zero if you include the phrase "I love you, Howard" again.
March 5, 2007 4:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
Sounds like a threat to me. I guess you must be an American.
March 5, 2007 5:04 PM | Reply | Permalink