Commander-in-Chief Obama

Just saw an interesting story on President Obama's upcoming meeting with military commanders at the Pentagon.

From the AP:

Iraq is stable enough to allow the roughly 22,000 U.S. Marines there to withdraw, the service's top general said Friday.

"The time is right for Marines in general terms to leave Iraq," said Marine Corps Commandant James Conway.

The Marine Corps can't fight in both Iraq and Afghanistan, he said, because it does not have enough combat support troops and equipment to divide between the missions.

"Anything that you put into Afghanistan must necessarily come as a reduction of Marine forces in Iraq," he told reporters. "When the door slams on the Marines in Iraq, let all the Marines be on the other side of the door."

Conway has been pushing for a large deployment of Marines to Afghanistan for months. No decisions have been made on the size of the force that would be sent.

More interestingly, was this observation:

Conway said that Obama's willingness to meet with his military chiefs at the Pentagon instead of the White House amounts to a gesture of respect to the commanders.

"It is great symbology; he's on our turf," he said. "More importantly, he gets to meet and shake hands with hundreds of people in all the services."

President Obama continually impresses me with his collaborative nature, political maturity, and his respectful demeanor.

Yellow College Republicans

I came across this video of College Republicans attending some sort of conference in DC, where they were fortunate enough to hear Tom Delay (aka "Hot Tub Tom") former Congressional Member and Campaign Finance & Ethics Violator. I realized that within 10 seconds, that this was really a showcase of the most pathetic excuse for college students. For some reason, they are able to successfully come across as a joke, with just enough earnestness to give one a creepy feeling. I found these students to be the typical "chickenhawk" Republicans who are able to spout the usual Republican Talking Points, without really knowing what they are talking about.




In any case, an intrepid individual took it on his own to interview these College Republicans to get an idea of what their views were on the key political issues of our day, in particular the War in Iraq. What ensued was almost as funny as something you might see on "The Daily Show". Unsurprisingly, many stated that the war in Iraq as a good thing, a necessary evil. Why? Because we are "taking the fight" over to them.

That's it - that's their reason. Put aside the fact that they are completely, and utterly dead wrong, what makes them total losers, is the fact that they are such war hawks, but when asked about future plans to join the military, not a single one has any plans to serve in the military. No National Guard service, no ROTC, nada, zip.

Funny enough, they all have excuses for why they can't serve. Some gave the excuse that they couldn't join the military because they were in college. Many gave the ever popular reason - debilitating health issues like trick knee or flat foot; otherwise you know it, they would be there on the front lines fighting. What's wrong with these Republican offsprings?? Why are they all so defective? One sad individual even alluded to mental problems not allowing him to join the military. The most pathetic was a fat kid who admitted he couldn't handle the physical requirements.

Above all else, this is something I don't understand, if there is a justification for war, why do we not have more people serving in the military? The percentage of the able population serving is at a ridiculously low level. Why isn't there more outrage and disgust about the lack of sacrifice on the part of the American public to do their part and pay for this war. Why is it that the American public has lost interest in hearing about the war in Iraq and Afghanistan? I'm pretty certain that Paris Hilton is getting more coverage than the events in Iraq.

This is what I find concerning - these morons are the future who may potentially be in a position to influence the direction of the country by their votes, or even more frightening be in a position to determine policy like Dick Cheney or Paul Wolfowitz. They have no clue what War means. To them it's just a video game like Halo3 or potentially a war movie like "Top Gun", where the hero always gets the girl and defeats the bad guys, all while some over the top, testosterone pumped, cheesy rock music plays in the background.

No one has any sense of reality or acknowledgment of the ugly side of war, and most disappointing is how the topic of Iraq is handled like a football rally - usually with words and cheering about "winning" and "Victory". Exactly what did we win? What defines victory? Who did we defeat??

I do not profess to know what the soldiers, who have returned or are still serving, are feeling. Quite honestly if you haven't walked a mile in someone's shoe, you will never know their experience. But what's tragic is that these "College Republicans" don't even consider for a second, the ugly side of war; the potential mental challenges, confusion, death, anger, fear, and guilt that many of the returning soldiers coming back from Iraq or Afghanistan may be grappling with.

Ironically, Chickenhawk Republicans may say they support the troops, but just try to bring up the topic about raising taxes to fund the war effort; funds that would improve the Veterans Hospital, the GI Bill, and to ensure that the troops have the right supplies to do the job they need. Any mention of taxes, and immediately arguments come up about how taxes kill the economy and that big government is not the solution. They will point to the fact that tax hikes are not needed, that all that is needed is to cut the wasteful spending such as earmarks on Bear DNA studies or cut spending on welfare or unemployment. Or better yet, kick out all the illegal immigrants, and for sure we will be able to find the savings to fund the war. What they refuse to acknowledge is that the Iraq War has cost us over $3 trillion dollars, earmarks account for $12 to $18 billion dollars of the annual budget - you do the math.

If they had any smidgen of intelligence in their pea sized brains, they might eventually consider the horrors and sacrifices war brings. If they were truly living out the "christian" values that they believed in, they wouldn't deny the tragedy in the hundreds of thousands of civilians who have died in Iraq. Yet their attitude, along with many of the right wing republican base seem to marginalize the growing number Iraqi civilians who have died during this war as a nuisance. From their point of view, they are thinking "Why should we care about some dead Iraqis? They are all towel wearing muslims aren't they? All Muslims are terrorists aren't they?".

At least this is what's being said at McCain/Palin Rallies.

If they truly did have any capability for rational thought or open minds, then they would certainly be much more circumspect about the idiotic nonsense they are taught to spout. The unfortunate fact is they have been brainwashed by Republican talking points and Fox News, to the extent that they are now incapable of questioning or reasoning with any modicum of intelligence. Personally, it seems an education is being wasted on these characters.

Section 60

There is a new documentary out by HBO, which I think is a must see for anyone who thinks that the Iraq War was a good thing, or as Joe the Plumber puts it "taking the fight to them".

"Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery" called "the saddest acre in America," Section 60 of Arlington National Cemetery is a burial ground for U.S. military personnel killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, a place that epitomizes the honor of service and the cost of war. The third in a trilogy of Iraq-related HBO documentaries (following the Emmy®-winning "Baghdad ER" and the Emmy® nominated "Alive Day Memories: Home from Iraq") from Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill, the moving verité special SECTION 60: ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY commemorates the lives of the deceased and the mourning of their survivors.

"Section 60: Arlington National Cemetery" provides rare, intimate glimpses of the loss, love and pride felt by Section 60 visitors, underscoring the human toll exacted by the military conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, while honoring those who sacrificed their lives for their country. Jon Alpert and Matthew O'Neill capture the sights and sounds of this quiet pocket of Arlington National Cemetery, where families and friends grieve, honor, remember and find comfort and community with others who share profound loss. A reverent snapshot of the ever-expanding Section 60, the film comprises vignettes shot from early morning to sundown. Mourners ranging from young widows and family members to fiances and fellow soldiers visit Section 60 to try and connect in spiritual and physical ways with the loved ones they've lost. The parents of a Muslim serviceman tell how they moved to the U.S. 25 years earlier to pursue the freedoms for which their son died. A group of mourners mark the anniversary of a soldier's death by playing a patriotic country ballad on a boom box. A father camps out on his son's grave with a quilt, a bottle of bourbon, and one of two "Iraqi freedom cigars" his son had sent from Iraq, with the promise to smoke it on his return. The sister of a fallen soldier calls Section 60 "one of the most honorable places in America."

Anyone watching this should ensure they have a box of tissues on hand. It is a very heartbreaking documentary.