Michigan's Iraq casualties now number more than 100 as this map so graphically indicates. All those lives lost for what? Lies.The public wants our troops home and the president claims he has a "timeline for Iraq," but this rhetoric is not accompanied by any change in strategy. The Bush administration has not imposed any consequences and there's been no mention of a drawdown of troops.
In the meantime, the war and all these senseless casualties are taking a backseat to campaigning. Here in Michigan, Dick DeVos keeps steering the discussion to jobs and the economy because he wants to deflect attention away from the fact that his brother-in-law Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater USA, a private security firm currently working in Iraq, is a war profiteer, and DeVos and his family are major supporters of Republican causes. Contrast that with Gov. Granholm who has worked [pdf file] to protect our soldiers' pay, ensure jobs for veterans, protect the parental rights of service women and men, and provide financial assistance to families of soldiers suffering financial hardships.
No, DeVos and the Republicans don't want to discuss the Iraq war because then the public might hear something like this:
An Iraq vet's thoughts on 100 dead Michigan troops.
Supporting the troops is not having a yellow-magnet ribbon on your car. It’s calling your congressman and complaining to them about why they decided to cut VA or TRICARE benefits for Soldiers. It’s making sure that they only go to war because it’s absolutely necessary, and when they do you complain to everyone if they aren’t given the resources to do the job! It’s taking care of the vets when they get home, and making sure they don’t end up broke and homeless. As of this writing over 500 OEF and OIF vets are homeless. Where is the outrage over this? Where are Hannity and Limbaugh, telling our Government to get their shit together and do something to help them? The only conclusion I can come up with is that they just don’t care. While they say “support our troops” they really mean “use our troops as an excuse to further our agenda.”Click on the link and read the entire post. This is reality. This is what the Republicans have done to our country and our children.
Supporting the troops is NOT about defending a political stance or an ideology.
Update: Several veterans left notable comments at the link above that deserve your attention too.
6 comments:
Thanks for sharing this Kathy, more people need to read this and be aware.
Keep up the great work!
Hi Kathy, an article appears on CNN.com today that I thought would add to this post. Poll: Most Americans say no one winning in Iraq
You'd think that at some point Bush and company are going to have to start listening. Why do I get the feeling that, if it does happen, it won't be until after election time.
Doesn't George Bush's "timeline for Iraq" sound suspiciously like Rep. Murtha's comments from some 18 months ago?
What a pathetic, transparent attempt this was for Bush to backtrack from his "stay the course" mantra/policy of the last five years.
Who knew? All along, it was George Bush who was the real "cut-an-run" surrender monkey. He was just waiting to spring this new policy on America in the weeks before this mid-term election.
No doubt his "supporters" are peeing in their pants over this relevation.
Even for this administration, the sheer hypocrisy of this "timetable" announcement 2 weeks before the election is stunning. And I agree with you, Kathy, it's just another empty promise.
LL, thanks for the kind words.
Mike, I missed that poll. Thanks for the link. I believe it's because a majority of Americans say we aren't winning in Iraq that Bush appears to be listening - but listening and acting are two different things. IMHO he's just going through the motions because the GOP is worried about losing their control.
Midwestern, you're right about Murtha. As I recall, Bush and the GOP ridiculed and chastized him for being weak on terror. They sure are adept at twisting words and ideas around to suit themselves without the slightest regard for human life.
Abi, I like your term "empty promise." That defines Bush's legacy as much as anything.
What a surprise~! Not a single marker on Lake Macatawa!
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