Statement from a soldier in Iraq

Philosophy Forums Society, Government, and Economics
1

I took this directly from the website, Daily Kos, word for word.

"Why we need to leave Iraq ASAP-from someone who is over
there.

For the record, I’m actually on leave from Iraq. but if you think
I’m going to post this from a an internet room at my base’s
MWR, you’re freaking nuts. I’ve worried about Bush tapping
those lines long before we found out he was tapping phones without a warrant in the good old US of A.

This subject been touched on by other vets who post on here,
but I don’t think it’s been made into a whole diary until now.
We need to get out because our military cannot take much more of this.
We are stretched too thin and it’s about to get worse.

Currently our troop strength is bleak. Most of the 'Old Army" is gone
now. Almost all of the soldiers that I knew who had 15+ years in
have since retired and left the military. They leave because they
are tired of deploying and being away from their families. Now
it’s the rookies that are left fighting.

It may have been Clinton’s Army that toppled Saddam, but its
Bush’s army that is left with the insurgents.

When I first left for Iraq, we had that problem. Most of our leadership
had left after our first stint in OEF. To fix the gaping hole in our leadership, the brass decided to do 2 things.

  1. Slap some extra rank on soldiers and give them leadership position
    they weren’t ready for.
  2. Take soldiers who did have the rank and leadership position
    and put them in a job they weren’t trained for (example Artillery
    being put in charge of MPs)

As a result we have leadership that is too inexperienced and
overwhelmed to do their job. But wait! it gets worse!

Soldiers are frustrated. Every soldier I have talked to says that
they are getting out of the military when they get home. Every.
one. of. them. Regardless of rank, experience, and time in,
they all want out. There has not been a single soldier I’ve
talked to that says they want to stay in. This include
officers, NCOs, and rookies who are on their first tour of duty.

We need to get out of Iraq because Iraq is the reason why the
military is shrinking. We, like chindy sheehan, are curious as
to what “noble cause” we are fighting for. We can’t seem to find one.

This is weakening America. At the rate we are going, we are going to have a military that can’t fight because it has old and broken down equipment, and no troops to fight a war with.

If you could imagine the US Armed Forces being a fraction of what
it once was, with old and broken down equipment, and with none of its divisions ready to go to war and provide for the national defense,
you can imagine the nightmare that the US Military is becoming.
We simply can’t stay in Iraq and have a strong military at the same time.

We beat the commie bastards, without Vietnam and we can beat the
terrorist without Iraq. But right now we need to get out of Iraq,
regroup, and come up with a new plan to beat them. This 'Stay the
course" bullshit has got to go."

I took that directly. Even soldiers are questioning the insanity
of Iraq. It is time to rethink staying in Iraq. It is time for bush
to go for destroying the military that way and its time to get out
before its too late.

Kropotkin

2

At first I was worried that if the US left Iraq it would erupt into sectarian civil war, and we would be to blame for messing up their country. I thought at least if we stayed a little longer, we could get the Iraqi government and police and army and civil services up and running at some minimal necessary level, and that would help to prevent civil war. But now civil war is erupting under our noses. The Washington Post says that 1,300 Iraqis have died in the past few days following the golden dome bombing. Nobody seems to have a plan to stop the violence or the power to execute such a plan.

I doubt that history will treat this intervention into Iraq kindly. Perhaps it really is our generation’s Vietnam.

3

the daily kos is a lie filled propaganda machine for the far left… but even they have their dogma to religiously enslave themselves…

I hope when the troops come home, the democRATS treat the soldiers like they did after nam. except this time we won’t have to worry about a civil war in iraq…

democRATS will bring it on themselves again, but this time they’ll reap what they sow in spades

viva la revolution!!!

-Imp

4

Impenitent:the daily kos is a lie filled propaganda machine for the far left… but even they have their dogma to religiously enslave themselves…

K: of course, the thought that the soldier may actually be right
would never cross your mind. What if he is right? What are the options
then? If the military and its troops are in as much trouble, or even
possibly about to collapse, then what? We are in real trouble.

IMP: I hope when the troops come home, the democRATS treat the soldiers like they did after nam. except this time we won’t have to worry about a civil war in “iraq”…

K: You aren’t old enough to remember to that. I am, of course
in some places they were treated that bad, but it was rare and
wasn’t political, I.E. democrat or republican, it was more young vs
old. And people don’t blame the troops in the same way they did
back then, the blame is going exactly where it belongs. On the
inept leadership of bushco.

IMP: democRATS will bring it on themselves again, but this time they’ll reap what they sow in “spades”

K: I seriously doubt it. That is wishful thinking on your part.
Troops are dying for no good reason. I think its time we
end this madness and bring the troops home. How is that
against the troops? It isn’t. And troops know that.

Kropotkin

5

doubt it? keep deluding yourself. the troops know where their support lies… and it isn’t from the party whose hero “loathed” the military.

-Imp

6

Peter Kropotkin: Impenitent:the daily kos is a lie filled propaganda machine for the far left… but even they have their dogma to religiously enslave themselves…

K: of course, the thought that the soldier may actually be right
would never cross your mind. What if he is right? What are the options
then? If the military and its troops are in as much trouble, or even
possibly about to collapse, then what? We are in real trouble.

IMP: “THERE IS NO SOLDIER. THE KOS PIECE IS A LIE.”

K: I am glad you have ESP. Can you tell me the winning
lottery tickets tonight or if that is too fast, how about tomorrow.
I mean the ability to know these things is a valuable thing.
I wouldn’t waste this ability on ILP.

IMP: I hope when the troops come home, the democRATS treat the soldiers like they did after nam. except this time we won’t have to worry about a civil war in “iraq”…

K: You aren’t old enough to remember to that. I am, of course
in some places they were treated that bad, but it was rare and
wasn’t political, I.E. democrat or republican, it was more young vs
old. And people don’t blame the troops in the same way they did
back then, the blame is going exactly where it belongs. On the
inept leadership of bushco.

IPM: you forget that I am old enough to remember that and there is nothing done that isn’t political."

K: recall that I know how old you are. You aren’t even 40 yet.
Whereas I am old, actually my birthday is tomorrow. I turn
47. As for the troops, it was still a young vs old thing in regards
to how the troops were treated.

IMP: democRATS will bring it on themselves again, but this time they’ll reap what they sow in “spades”

K: I seriously doubt it. That is wishful thinking on your part.
Troops are dying for no good reason. I think its time we
end this madness and bring the troops home. How is that
against the troops? It isn’t. And troops know that.

“doubt it? keep deluding yourself. the troops know where their support lies… and it isn’t from the party whose hero “loathed” the military.”

K: Let us see. Bush had a dubious national guard duty.
Cheney had 3 student deferments and did not serve.
Rumsefield did not serve at all. And the GOP actions show
they couldn’t care less about the troops. Actions such as
making troops paying for their own armour, taking years
to get armour on vehicles in Iraq, making injured vets
pay for their own meals in hospitals, letting troops die for
corporate profits, and cutting vets benefits both during and after
service. I am sure you consider these actions decent and
honorable, but I don’t and I am sure the troops don’t.
And as far as hero’s goes, I notice not one single America
service person died in Kosovo. That makes him a hero to me.

Kropotkin

7

Not that I don’t have pity for any soldier, but all the guy did was talk about himself and the needs of his fellows. What should be important is the long-range mission in any war. He sounded like he was giving a negative review to a bad video game.

8

irrelevant shit about the republicans you hate…

but when the leftwing fuckwads spit on the soldiers, the fuckwads will DIE.

VIVA LA REVOLUTION!!!

-Imp

9

Imp,

Take it easy buddy…

To be honest I can’t tell which one of you is more jaded…

10

One little goof troop sais how tired the forces are,
and then IMP is like:
“NWO!!! W0000T!”
:laughing:

And then Adl is just like:
“Lets think in long term, you know, with our brain.”

And then, you see, Peter, is kinda like kodac film…

[* Dan boils kitty litter and coffie grinds *]

Calaforny Zirn! Alphalpha! Aphex Twin!~

The over-funded american military wont just flop like a soggy noodle. They are a “super-power”.

Lol, Jesus loves every american soldier, and he puts holy spirit into the beruls of all of the tanks. God used lightning bolts and zapped BinLadin + the AxisOfEvil.

Sadam Husane is in pergatory and people in Iraq now need to now give donations to the Catholic chruch before Sadam will ever bring peace and prosperity back to the land.

G O D
B L E S S
A M E R I C A

H O M E
O F
T H E
F R E E

(* eats a big chunk of apple pie *)

OOOH YEEEAH,
Corruption and debochery never tasted sweeter!

…What up with that hole in the pie?

(* Pukes *)
BUUUUAAAH!

wwwwooop wop wop wop.

[I am bullshit, hear me roar]

11

wow imp you totally showed them. your point here clearly proves that the iraq war is not pathetically unnacceptable, the troops arent as mad as the piece suggests and we should stay the course.

but WAIT! maybe someone doesnt agree that its a lie filled propaganda machine. maybe they can just completely dismiss this statement since it isnt backed up by any evidence that contradicts the evidence presented by the other side. and crazy bush haters might say things like “oh halliburton got a no bid contract to supply things, more expensively, that the military used to provide for itself” or “they fired the four star general who said we need more troops before the war started” that would suggest that the end result of what the soldier said is true regardless of any fabrication that the liars used to fully state it.

but they would be stupid for doing that wouldnt they. it would be their own stupid ignorant fault if they thought that the reason why you didnt provide supporting evidence was because there is none (which there probably is, the applicability of which, in this situation however, may be dubious. lets find out). and then they will reap their reward in the form of a dirty bomb that the terrorists sent to them as a direct result of us leaving iraq.

im dissapointed imp. wait, allow me to read your mind: you dont care that im dissapointed, and you dont care if anyone wrongly thinks your assertions have no evidence backing them up. why do you write things if you dont care what readers think of them?

who the hell ever said anything bad about the soldiers? even when it was the soldiers themselves torturing people, the fuckwads demanded accountability of the leaders. am i allowed to spit on the leaders? is that a violation of some kind of rule? shouldnt it be everyones duty to spit when they feel necessary?

what exactly are you talking about? you should write about three times as many words as you do, O apparently wise king of one liners.

12

what are you gonna steal money from the rich at gunpoint and give it to lazy failures? the repugnicants dont think veterans are worth it either, thats for sure.

13

what am I talking about? why only exactly that which the communist/socialist left wing hate preachers demand…

VIVA LA REVOLUTION!!!

-Imp

14

yes very relevant. but isnt this just free speech? is it really ‘assault’ as in causing fear due to the appearance of impending physical harm? is there a separate crime for disrespecting the holy ones? like abridging freedom of speech in order to stop ‘a clear and present danger’ like that commie they busted back in the day.

is that the answer to the question or a random statement not made in response to anything in particular?

15

is that the answer to the question or a random statement not made in response to anything in particular?
[/quote]

the answer to your question which started “your point here clearly proves that the iraq war is not pathetically unnacceptable, the troops arent as mad as the piece suggests and we should stay the course.”

-Imp

16

but the fact that it might be ‘merely’ a charicature of an attitude that we all know actually does exist does not change all of the things that i sarcastically said it changed.

changing the belief in those things, either among us or our impressionable readers, is the only reason why i can imagine you starting to talk about the fact that it mght be a lie. since you didnt follow through and completely talk about those things, i really have to wonder why you wanted to point out that its a left wing source.

i mean the specific instance of lying doesnt negate the points, but the negation of the points is the only reason why anybody should be pointing out lies. why are you talking if you dont care about negating the point(s). or even proving that its actually a biased left wing source, or describing the degree of bias.

the point is not that the daily kos is pure truth. the point is that the iraq war is pathetically unnacceptable, the troops are as mad as the piece suggests and we shouldnt stay the course. the validity of these statements does not rest on the exact truthness of the article. why talk about something that isnt the point?

17

the point was founded on a lie, there is no point.

-Imp

18

imp your just saying opinions. if i wanted to know what the neocons thought, i would just have to think of which opinion is evil and wrong, you dont have to point it out. pointing out what evidence supports your wrong opinion could be very enlightening, though. [size=75](lets see if this parenthetical statement here prevents you from quoting me out of context)[/size]

halliburton (you may have heard of them) got a no-bid contract to provide services that the military traditionally provided for itself. i am appalled at the idea of spending thousands of dollars without shopping around the slightest bit (iraq cost how much?). ive heard it said that things are overpriced, like a $20 soda 6 pack.

hummers are notoriously under-armored, my mom actually wrote a report for the cia about this exact problem twenty years ago. european armored vehicles are superior in every way except for the fact that they arent produced by somebody who bribes american politicans.

my beliefs are founded on these two facts. what facts do you have that counteract them? do you understand that this is the only question that matters? first you answer this question, then, to further destroy my silly opinions, you also point out that the story on which this thread is based is also a lie. without answering the question in this paragraph, there is no reason why anybody would listen to you except for other right wingers who want to say ‘hey look another right winger’

why do you write things if you dont care about what people think about them? i mean i can understand a one liner in a thread that isnt directly related to the point of the thread, but the one liner youve said here should have been an actual post. you shouldnt have a one liner that says “no i completely disagree in every way”. i dont understand the point of writing that, except to display that somebody on the board isnt left wing, which actually, i suppose is worthwhile.

19

I suppose so…

-Imp

20

Future Man:
the point is that the iraq war is pathetically unacceptable,

IMP: “in your opinion and that of a few fringe lefties”

K: I love the internet. You can find anything there
including polls which say that its not just
fringe lefties who oppose the war.

CBS news poll feb 22-26 1,018 adults…
Do you approve of the way bush is handling
the situation with Iraq?
All adult: 65% disapprove 30% approve
Republicans 34 % disapprove 61% approve
Demo’s 86% disapprove 10% approve

Next question is "do you think the result of the war was
worth of the loss of America life and other costs of
the attacking Iraq, or not.

2/22-26/06 worth it 29% not worth it 63%

next question was: DO you think removing saddam
from power was worth the loss of American life and other
cost of attacking Iraq, or not.

2/22-26/06 worth it 41% not worth it 53%

Next was: Looking back, you think the U.S did the right thing
in taking military action against Iraq, should the U.S. have stayed out?

2/22-26/06 did the right thing 41% should have stayed out 54%

And in case you wonder CNN/USA POLL agree with the general idea
In view of developments since we first sent our troops to Iraq, to you
think the U.S. made a mistake sending troops to Iraq, or not.

2/9-12/06 Made a mistake 55 % Did not make a mistake 42%
unsure 3%

Next question: Do you favor or oppose the U.S. war with Iraq?

2/9-12/06 favor 40% oppose 56% unsure 4%

PEW research for the people

Do you approve or disapprove of the way bush is handling
the situation in Iraq?

2/1-5/06 Approve 38% disapprove 57%
Do you think the U.S. made the right decision or the
wrong decision in using military force against Iraq?

right decision 51 % wrong decision 44 %

How well is the U.S. military effort Iraq going?

2/1-5/06 51% say very well or fairly well
46%say not too well or not at all well

ABC news/Washington post poll
Do you approve or disapprove of the way bush is
handling the situation in Iraq?
1/23-26/06 Approve 39% disapprove 60%

It is quite clear from the polling that a substantial
portion of the country thinks the war is
going badly and that bush is not doing a good job.

IMP:"the point was founded on a lie, there is no point. "

K: How do you know? You have no
basis upon which to make your statement.
It is a guess, nothing more.

Kropotkin