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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsDying While Defending This Country Is A Lost Cause And A Waste Anymore.
I believe that our troops are dying in vain in defense of the country the way it is now. We do not deserve our troops. I am a vet and if I had it to do over I would resist the draft or go to another country. Trump and traitorous GOP are now becoming our new normal based on projections on the next election.
What are we defending when we are stuck with a GOP and Trump who really have committed treason when you look at all the evidence.
The public seems to be OK with Trump's actions. I see no protests and still wide support of the public particularly the base. The GOP plans to scrap the VA, cut Tricare for veterans and retirees, and abolish the military retirement system and turn it into a 401K systems, turn military health care into a privatized voucher system etc etc etc.
And the public seems to be OK with trashing our vets. No one cares about our troops dying really. All vets are is a prop to be used and tossed like everything else.
bagelsforbreakfast
(1,427 posts)Not much of a rallying cry.
Orrex
(63,215 posts)edhopper
(33,587 posts)serve honorably and put their lives on the line.
I also think we do not treat our vets properly.
But there has been few if any times in my six decades where the military actions they have been part of have actually been about defending this country, Which is more the shame.
(I also don't think National Anthem protests have anything to do with the troops of vets)
roamer65
(36,745 posts)I agree with you.
TheMastersNemesis
(10,602 posts)I get the sense a lot of people support Trump on his actions. I see no backlash really. And I really do think that the public is ok that vets are on their own after they return. Disabled vets make good PR props. Other than than they are forgotten. Many disabled vets need extra ordinary care. Many need level of care equal to nursing home care. That means 24/7 care for the rest of their lives. And such care falls on the families.
Right now I am so disgusted with the public. I would not defend a conservative or GOPPER from a terrorist they way I feel right now. I know how badly Vietnam veterans and Iraq war veterans have been treated. And when I was working at a homeless shelter in Boulder, Colorado had many homeless veterans.
And I really do not pledge allegiance nor sing ant anthem anymore. And I will not fly the flag unless upside down.
Marengo
(3,477 posts)TheMastersNemesis
(10,602 posts)Marengo
(3,477 posts)TheMastersNemesis
(10,602 posts)I imagine you served in the military in a war zone like I did.
Marengo
(3,477 posts)Marengo
(3,477 posts)Effective and inspirational to remain and resist publicly, just as Eugene Debs and Muhammad Ali did for example.
ExciteBike66
(2,358 posts)Way to insult the guy. You must feel very brace this morning.
Marengo
(3,477 posts)Is more inspiring.
ExciteBike66
(2,358 posts)others who don't measure up to your "standard".
That said, I bet the Op would be much more useful to the resistance if he was in Canada vs if he was in jail (which is where you went if you dodged the draft).
Marengo
(3,477 posts)The front, so to speak.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)I'm waiting....I thought so As an AA, I am ashamed at this POS potus, #the blue falcon and the rest of the racist, worthless administration running this country.....into the ground. You're a marine. You stand by the #blue falcon?
Marengo
(3,477 posts)heaven05
(18,124 posts)I thought so.
Marengo
(3,477 posts)heaven05
(18,124 posts)you have no clue, I totally agree. The topic is self explanatory given all who have tried their damndest to explain the topic to you...alas, to no avail.
ChubbyStar
(3,191 posts)Marengo
(3,477 posts)ChubbyStar
(3,191 posts)That would be between me and that poster. Sorry you are out of the loop.
Marengo
(3,477 posts)Explain the meaning? Its interesting that you would refuse to initially.
ChubbyStar
(3,191 posts)Really?
Marengo
(3,477 posts)TheMastersNemesis
(10,602 posts)The idea of turning military veterans health care should be a NONSTARTER to ANY American. After battle and combat many wounded veterans end up with very mutilated bodies with huge physical and mental health issues. I lost a leg to staph and it is still a challenge every day even though my loss was not service related.
What about vets who lose multiple limbs and have metal in their bodies for life. What about PTSD which is a lifelong hugely disabling injury you fight every damned day? A privatized system will do nothing for these people.
The fact that the VA could be trashed and my fellow veterans would be abandoned should end political careers and even get these bastards truly tarred and feathered.
NONE OF THESE COWARDLY BASTARDS EVER SERVED.
lunasun
(21,646 posts)Yes you would think this would get those promoting it tarred and feathered, instead probably reelected. I don't understand the citizens supporting this or turning thier eyes the other way on vets
heaven05
(18,124 posts)especially "the cowardly bastards....."
Mariana
(14,858 posts)It's not really a matter of courage. We're talking about men the country wanted to force to kill, and perhaps to be killed by, people who were absolutely no threat whatsoever to this country. Why should anyone remain loyal to a country that does that? Why shouldn't men in that position decide to go live in a country that isn't so willing to sacrifice their lives for nothing? It seems like a very reasonable thing to do.
Marengo
(3,477 posts)Prosecution? If the goal is entirely self-preservation, flight certainly is reasonable. However, thats ultimately a selfish motive if a national resistance movement can benefit from remaining. A movement which, if successful, has the potential of forcing a policy change in which no one is subject to conscription.
Pope George Ringo II
(1,896 posts)Occupational hazard of an immigrant society. People fled Europe for New York, or China for San Francisco, then their descendants looked for greener pastures and settled the interior. Even those whose ancestors arrived involuntarily had their own Great Migration. "It's crappy here, we have to leave!" "It's okay here, but it's better over there!" For good and for ill, that's a big part of the story of this nation.
One of the sad parts of being American is moving on when it gets tough.
Va Lefty
(6,252 posts)TheMastersNemesis
(10,602 posts)What about the three white soldiers who died. Nothing being said about them.
MineralMan
(146,317 posts)Really, the US isn't under military attack from anyone. Instead, our military personnel are tasked with fighting about things that may or may not be worthwhile fighting over.
During the Vietnam War, I opted to enlist in the USAF rather than waiting to be drafted. I figured that would remove the possibility that I'd be shooting at someone with whom I had no conflict. That was my choice. As it turned out, my four years were well-spent and helped me settle my young self down and find a clear direction.
I'm deeply disturbed by our current military position with regard to the world. I don't know what I'd do now if I were a young guy and there was still a draft in place.
heaven05
(18,124 posts)Last edited Tue Oct 24, 2017, 08:21 PM - Edit history (1)
an imperialist power now. Every since 2004 in this latest era...Vietnam was no fucking "domino" in that goddamn theory of kissingers. Korea was to help an ally. After that, I just can't see anything good.....we are the 21st century Roman empire less, less 1500 years, the decline is in view here if we continue to allow POS like this potus and his administration to corrode the experiment in democracy this country WAS.
Caliman73
(11,738 posts)Think back to what Smedley Butler wrote about in "War is a Racket". He was a Marine general fighting to quell rebellions in Central America for United Fruit company in the 1900's. We took on the teetering Spanish Empire in 1900 and acquired the Philippines, Guam, Puerto Rico, and other territories, then spent years crushing native rebellions.
After WWII we were one of the only countries that had not sustained damage to our infrastructure and so we were able to spread out and place military installations all over the globe. Now, anytime anyone wants to pull back a bit, they are labelled as wanting to weaken America and leave us vulnerable. Democrats are called weak, when Democratic Presidents have been CIC in most of the major military conflicts in the 20th and 21st centuries.
The problem with America is that reality is one way, but we often choose to blind ourselves or see it only through lenses which make our intentions pure and innocent. Meanwhile we send poor and middle class people to fight and die so that we might have access to oil, or mineral wealth, or to keep shipping lanes under our control.
elehhhhna
(32,076 posts)ClarendonDem
(720 posts)That the American soldiers who died in Afghanistan died in defense of this country. Osama bin Laden was clearly a threat to the safety of Americans, and had been for long years before 9/11.
elehhhhna
(32,076 posts)And virtually all the hijackers, money, and bin Laden himself came from Saudi let's not forget that
ClarendonDem
(720 posts)Caliman73
(11,738 posts)They had grown tired of him bringing attention. From what I remember, Bush said "No".
HopeAgain
(4,407 posts)We could have taken out Al-Quada camps with missiles and we got Bin Laden in Pakistan. One of our stupider wars.
KPN
(15,646 posts)Excellent question. Thank you for that!
Pope George Ringo II
(1,896 posts)Some other stuff gets arguable, but I'll say those casualties shouldn't be in dispute here.
KPN
(15,646 posts)legitimate response to al Qaeda.
A lot of our conflicts otherwise are a result of empire.
Permanut
(5,612 posts)By just the luck of the draw, Navy sent me to a tin can out of Norfolk, Virginia, never went within ten thousand miles of Vietnam. I was drafted, served with many others who were reluctant to participate in the invasion of a third world country.
ALL of the men I served with served honorably, and with great courage. That said, I also knew guys who resisted the draft, burned their draft cards or left the country. They did NOT do those things out of a lack of courage; on the contrary, I admired their strength of character to stand up to an administration that was sending young people to die for politics, not in defending the country.
I'm with MastersNemesis on this one.
ck4829
(35,077 posts)Not Ruth
(3,613 posts)lindysalsagal
(20,692 posts)These are the united states of russia.
And there is no loss you can suffer that will be enough for Putin.
alarimer
(16,245 posts)50% or more are racist, ignorant pieces of shit. We have NEVER once lived up to our ideas. There is no sense in fighting for oil companies and authoritarians who literally could not care less about the people serving. Why bother at all?
Marengo
(3,477 posts)liquid diamond
(1,917 posts)think back to WWII black servicemen and women. They suffered despicable discrimination by whites and their fellow soldiers. I wonder why the hell they would serve such a country that hates them. Makes no sense at all.
Pope George Ringo II
(1,896 posts)"If we can just prove our loyalty with our blood, that will earn us the respect and equality we deserve." I'm not commenting on how well it worked, but the desire to be the next Gunga Din has been frighteningly consistent.
HughBeaumont
(24,461 posts)This was an IQ and Character Test. The United States failed BOTH.
It's bad enough we tossed this country away to the corporations sometime around Nixon.
Now we're not even smart enough to recognize the repeated failure of trying to "run thuh gubmit as a bizness".
TarponSnook
(36 posts)I was unable to contain my most disgusting reaction to seeing this coward and draft dodging dumb fuck moron of a shit head pResident when honoring a Vietnam Medal of Honor recipient. DTRUMPF is not only a treasonous MF but also a COWARD! Sen McCain is a true hero and so are our Men in Uniform who have died in foreign soils to defend our freedom. DTRUMPF soils the Office of the President of the USA!
jalan48
(13,870 posts)WinkyDink
(51,311 posts)Lint Head
(15,064 posts)Our freedom was fought and won during the Revolutionary War. WWII was to keep Europe free and keep Nazis from invading and attacking our country.
We need a standing military for defense and it should be use sparingly.
If anything, the constant use of the military is draining funds that could be used right here for The People.
Initech
(100,081 posts)Rather than taking the US down with them. Fuck them. The Kochs, Mercers, Waltons, should be considered enemies of the state. They do not represent the interests of the US.
KPN
(15,646 posts)DavidDvorkin
(19,479 posts)Read Wilfrid Owen's great poem from World War One:
http://www.warpoetry.co.uk/owen1.html