Why can’t we talk about Why We Invaded Iraq?

1992 Wolfowitz with DOD says somebody should get Saddam

1994 Cheney says doing anything with Iraq militarily is a dumb idea

1992-1995 The unemployed gang write papers and give speeches about somebody deal with Saddam

1996 Pearle and the Gang publish publish more definitive report for another government that somebody should punish Saddam

1997 The Gang establishes PNAC (a phoney org at same address AEI offices) so that American Money and American Blood can be used to get Saddam

1998 The Gang goes to Clinton so that America will hit Saddam; Clinton shows them to door

2000 Bush gives campaign speeches saying that America should not give a didly about out countries and global politics

2001 Entire Gang is on White House payroll under Cheney

2000-2003 The Gang cheats, lies, brakes into foreign embassies, bribes others with money, forges documents and signatures, manipulates TV shows, scares us, starts a marketing campaign to sell an illegal occupation.

And we don’t know why we invaded Iraq
And we don’t care why we invaded Iraq
Congress does not ask why we invaded Iraq
Obama does not talk about why we invaded Iraq
You, your friends have no clue why we invaded Iraq
Media is forbidden to talk about why we invaded Iraq
Onpoint will lose sponsors if they discuss why we invaded Iraq

US Federal Attorneys were fired (Bush/Rove/Gonzales) and the Investigation committee (democrats) subpoenaed 24000 documents/eMails/minutes/notes in boxes, in order to find out why they were fired.

When it comes to Why We Invaded Iraq, can we ask for 1 sticky note saying:
“Hey Dicky, Glad that we are invading Iraq for xyz reason, although we lied to the world about the real motive.
Good Job
Bush”

Is this really too much to ask for?

My Banker is a Criminal

Got the statement yesterday. $15.00 FEE with not reason. Picked up the phone, and asked him the reason of the Fee/Deduction. The banker said, he cannot tell me the real reason.

He is in jail this morning.

Our Government (2000-2008) has deducted $15000 (conservative estimate for Invastion of Iraq) from your (and your kids’) bank account, and we are dumb enough to ask “Why”, under oath?

The three women on your show are all spouses of active duty servicemembers. They live on or near post and are part of a military community where deployment of family members is a reality shared by most of their neighbors and members of the community and where support systems are set up and supported by the commanding general and unit commanders. What is often more difficult is the situation of spouses of reservists. These spouses do not have the benefit of living on post or in a military community that is set up to understand their situation and where support is readily available.

Lazy and non – topical radio. This sounds like a soap – opera; Tom – how about some intelligent Somali pirate talk?

The previous administrations have kept us separated from the wars to keep public support.
The media will know be publicizing the sorrow’s of your losses that will effect America’s attitudes of war.
As mothers, spouses and family of service members you will receive emotional support wanted and unwanted.
The civilian soldier and the career soldier are intermingled in America’s minds.
Programs like this where you are putting yourselves out there to share your family stories are our connection but I am sure difficult for the three ladies on the air.
We try to remember to thank our soldiers but we need to remember to thank spouses and families.

I agree with Robert’s comment above. While sympathetic to these persons’ challenges and struggles, and their loss, why is there a whole hour being devoted to this? These womens’ sons and husbands entered the military of their own choice, and the illegal and immoral wars were started by the United States government. A program like this borders on glorifying war and the killing that these persons perform in the name of our government.

The previous posts from Lylya are the greatest validation of the work our military members do and what it means to be an American. In so many other countries Lylya’s voice would not be heard.

Let’s not forget that the Guard and Reserves have born a great burden in these wars. It is almost in every conversation I hear that my spouse, son, brother, uncle and cousins are only “Guard.” Their commitment, honor, pride and blood are the same as the full time military members.

Tom – My heart breaks for military families. A couple comments:
1. I’m reading Chris Hedges’ book – “War is a Force that Gives us Meaning”. A must read, revealing the “myths” we use to justify our going into war, and why we need to continue to fight.
2. “Heroes” are not only in the military. We elevate soldiers – and in so doing, attract others to make similar commitments. I have difficulty with the notion that veterans should be able to “walk on water”, as one of your callers said. Those struggling to maintain and sustain health care institutions to be able to take care of all the injured vets are “heroes” as well.

This war (these wars) have gone on a long time, and in spite of what Mr.Obama says, we don’t have much hope for it ending anytime soon. The terrorists who took down the towers …. won. They didn’t end anything. They added fuel to the fires of American self-righteousness, and we responded in kind.
It seems at times as if this world is tumbling toward annihilation; and with every passing day and every military injury or death, the scene of Mr. Bush on that aircraft carrier – landing the plane and addressing the troops – is more and more tragic.

Michelle maybe if more poeple were asking questions as
Lyla does , maybe our armed forces personel in all branches,active, reserve, and guard wouldn’t be repeatedly deployed in wars of less than questionable national security value. They’d be home with their families.

I am so tired of these sappy features on military families. It ignores virtually everything that is important about this topic. Here are some of my concerns:

1. There was no valid reason to start this war. While most of the blame goes to George Bush, he couldn’t have done it without these soldiers.

2. I believe this war is hurting our national interests and making our nation less safe in the future. By sympathizing with these families, you tacitly endorse this.

3. The soldiers are volunteers in what is, in my mind, a dishonorable profession. They volunteer to kill people. Why should I support that?

4. There are so many single parent families who struggle every day, many of them without the hope of a returning parent. You suggest these military families somehow deserve more support, but I disagree. They chose this. And they have a built-in community and institution to support them, unlike many others. In some ways, they are better off.

5. Shows like this are just sound like propaganda to generate support for an unjust war. It’s unfortunate that the families are suffering. But there’s an easy fix to that — don’t enlist, and certainly don’t re-enlist. We would all be better off that way.

We owe it to our Heroes… let’s tell them Why We Really Invaded Iraq.

I talked to a rock solid (body/heart/soul) this past weekend. Asked him if he knows “Why”.

The only thing he kept said: “Don’t worry Mam. We will protect you. We will protect your Family.”
That was not the question.

Not only he does not have a clue; they are pre-programmed not to think and ask questions.

This is a Psychological Crime; only countries with poor education and with nationalistic dictatorial (faschist) regimes had this kind of “blind” faith for a cause.

We owe The Reason to our Military, at least.

To Micki Stone:
(There was no valid reason to start this war.)

Excuse Moi! There is a reason why I shower, there is a reason why I sit down, there is a reason for why you blink.

Would I ever ever post a chronological summary of events, if there were no reason.

Hint 1: Use Google
Hint 2: search HumanGenome.org …. why did we invade Iraq

You will see the reason; even though we are not allowed to discuss it here.

There is no draft. In my opinion It has become irresponsible to drag a family into the military lifestyle. New soldiers should be honorable and remain single, or resign from the military to start a family.
those that have families need to be supported until they can responsibly (to their families) resign.

This would send a message to those at the top that our nations priorities are. Families and not costly unending war.

As I listened to this discussion, one thing that struck me was the sense of isolation between the military community and the rest of the country. It is hard to see beyond that kind of barrier to see the very real support that does exist “outside”. I share the disdain for “yellow ribbon” patriots. I was an anti-war activist during the Viet Nam war, but I volunteered for an organization founded by returning vets to provide the services that the government failed to provide, to help them readjust to coming back, help them navigate the bureaucratic tangle of the VA, and deflect some of the ugliness of antiwar sentiment turned on the wrong targets.

The volunteer military grew out of that era: the idea was that a professional military would be more efficient, would provide a stable military, and eliminate what had become a very unpopular draft.

I thought it was a mistake then, and I think now that the volunteer military has been sorely misused, both in terms of the military and of our society. It should have formed the core of a peace-time military, which could then absorb and form the framework for incorporating draftees should large scale war break out. (The assumption, of course, was that any war would be a legal war, approved by Congress.)

The writers of our constitution made the president the commander-in-chief of the armed forces and assigned Congress the responsibility of declaring war for a reason, and that reason is to keep the military beholden to the democratic process of decision making, not a few in power with a standing army at their disposal.

Afghanistan was appropriate; Iraq was not– it was irrational at best. Before we went into this war, I knew that neither the returning soldiers nor their families would get the support they needed from the government. It wasn’t there for existing vets; how in the world could it accommodate the needs that a new war would generate? The cost in long term consequences for both the military, the families, and our country as a whole exceeded anything that most of us could have imagined.

You asked the question: what is the solution for what is happening to these military families? I think the answer is to bring back the draft, which would break down the isolation between the military and the rest of us, and make this war- any war- something that belongs to the entire country, not just a few in power with an army at hand, and the ability to manipulate the decision-making process.

I don’t like the draft, and I don’t like to think of the impact on young lives it would have. But without it, we are putting ALL that load on a few people, and failing as a society to fully support them. A draft, because it would ensure full discussion and consideration of any war, would help us return to the original intent of the constitution, wihtout removing the ability of the president to maintain a volunteer army to respond to immediate needs.

“3. The soldiers are volunteers in what is, in my mind, a dishonorable profession. They volunteer to kill people. Why should I support that?”

Miki Stone, you might want to climb down from that high horse if you pay taxes to Uncle Sam. We’re all complicit – each one of us.

We on the left get caught up in our ideological fervor that we start to de-humanize fellow humans and fellow Americans. The army is not there killing for fun. The army is there because our President and complicit Congress – including Democrats (this is so conveniently ignored) and Republicans – sent them there. In general, people don’t join the army because they’re itching to kill fellow-humans, they join because they want to serve and get an education and a living out of it.

How many of us did some research to find out how our Representative and Senator(s) voted on H.J. Res. 114 (Iraq war resolution) in 2002, and then didn’t vote for them in subsequent elections if they voted ‘Yes’ on the Iraq war resolution? Ultimately, if we are anti-war and that is the single-most important voting issue, then we need to vote for anti-war people (like Green Party and Ralph Nader), and not support those who are pro-war, like Hillary Clinton. Can’t get any simpler than that.

“5. Shows like this are just sound like propaganda to generate support for an unjust war. It’s unfortunate that the families are suffering. But there’s an easy fix to that — don’t enlist, and certainly don’t re-enlist. We would all be better off that way.”

Miki Stone, I’m not an apologist for US military or US hegemony, but do you really think we live in a world where we can simply disband our military? I have nothing against a peaceful, military-free world, but I’m curious to hear your views on this, and how pragmatic your views are in the world we live in today.

One of your guests made a comment that continues to go unheeded by all Americans, our government and, especially, the military. It was the reference to all those Americans that have died in non-combat related support of the combat troops.

During the Vietnam war, my uncles brother (Ernest and Eunice Sage, Niobrara, Nebraska) lost three of his boys one night. Their destroyer was running screen for an Australian aircraft carrier in a zip zag pattern. The destroyer the three boys were on mistakenly turned in front of the carrier. The bow of the destroyer was cut off, where all three of them were sleeping.

While in Washington DC on business a number of years ago, I went to the Vietnam War Monument to see their names. They weren’t there. Only the names of those killed in “combat”. Nor was the name of another childhood friend who drowned trying to save a pilot off the coast of Vietnam.

If I had my way about it, wars would be made obsolete. However, as long as we have people in the world who want to do us harm, we need to have a strong military to protect us! If we send them to war, we should honor all that die, not just those that died in combat! Dead is dead!

(1) As the sister of a thrice-deployed, Purple-Heart decorated Marine captain, I, too, share distain for the yellow-ribbon “patriots” who throw rose-filled parades on a soldier/marine’s homecoming but turn their backs on them + their families when real life at home resumes.

The military draws largely on the lower socioeconomic classes in America. A disproportionate number join because they have no other means to a college education, or health insurance–things that should be basic rights in a wealthy + ostensibly civilized nation like the US.

So while yes, enlisting is a technically voluntary action, perhaps these people would have chosen other paths in life if given the same childhood opportunities that the child of an investment banker is given.

I have given up hope that the American public would bother to remember in their daily lives that we are, in fact, a nation at war. Or that they would register on a regular basis the ongoing nightmare the families of deployed military endure.

But perhaps those fierce yellow-ribbon “patriots” could show their support in a more meaningful way–To name a few: By offering a veteran or his spouse/widow a job. Or on national level, by contributing tax money to a national education fund for children of deceased military members. Or asking Congress to raise military pay. Or voting for policies that ensure that veterans + their families do not go without health insurance if they are discharged due to injuries sustained in service [or for policies that ensure that all Americans have health insurance so they do not have to risk their lives by enlisting in the military to obtain it].

(2) Kudos to the Veterans Administration, which has stepped up its efforts at identifying, studying and treating post-traumatic stress disorder in returning vets. For those who are not aware, the VA is entirely separate from the Dept of Defense, and the military does NOT have access to VA records. Am mentioning this because the military’s notorious intolerance of mental health issues poses a significant barrier to returning marines/soldiers obtaining much-needed mental health services, for fear they will mortgage their careers.

I listened to today’s program about the long and sad story of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the effects on veterans and their families. But I did not hear the answer that would have prevented these insane adventures. The Constitution gives Congress the only authority to declare war, and that must be a war on another country, NOT on a vague concept such as “terrorism.” The many, many problems for the troops, and their families, could have been avoided if President Bush had obeyed the Constitution, which he had taken an oath to do.

Remember the New Jersey Girls?
They did not take NO for an answer for the establishment of 9/11 (mis-investigation) Commission.

Why can’t a few brave Military Wives or Mothers or Female Soldiers take up this issue of “Why did we invade Iraq?” and hit Obama and Eric Holder with that question, until we drag the Clowns of 2000-2008 on public hearing “under Oath” to testify about the Real Motive.

Trust me, it can be done!!!
TV Stations will have to air public outcry

If any volunteers? Please send me a note
Lilya@EconoGreenProducts.org

The war broke up my entire family. I am a peace activist military mom, and was shunned by my son and his wife for just being FOR peace. I stayed with them for awhile last summer and saw all the perks they get that I don’t. They take these perks for granted and have no clue what civilian life is like, and if you can’t get a life in this economy, many military people will belittle you. My son thinks military people are beyond Godly. We have made them think they are the biggest heroes in America. And while they don’t have cherry lives and may end up dead, they are NOT the only ones in America who keep America going. There are many who put their lives on the line every day to keep America safe and support its people. I am a nurse, so I can say this. What about the police officers and firefighters and the many others who keep America alive? A draft would put things into perspective, and while I don’t want a draft, it may be what we need. There isn’t much support right now for some of us who have PTSD as our kids go into an illegal and immoral war for 15 months at a crack. There isn’t support for a military parent who saw Vietnam and learned that peace might still be the answer and then loses an entire family for being a “traitor” to America. Whew…Bush and all who bought into this: Thanks a lot for all the propaganda and brainwashing. Do I get anything for my PTSD and loss of family?