Saletan (Slate): Do As I Say (Bush and the N. Guard - Must Read)

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The Guard's primary purpose has traditionally been homeland security. "When you become a member of the Guard, you serve where you live," says the Guard's recruitment Web site. "You can join a unit right in your hometown or wherever you want to live." According to the site, "Initially, soldiers can serve for as little as three years," and since "you'll normally train part-time … you can go to college or work full-time." There's just one hitch: "During national emergencies, however, the President reserves the right to mobilize the National Guard, putting them in federal duty status."

That's the language Bush has invoked to mobilize half the Guard's 450,000 troops. On Sept. 14, 2001, he proclaimed that "a national emergency exists by reason of the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center … and the Pentagon, and the continuing and immediate threat of further attacks on the United States." He authorized the Secretary of Defense to put the Guard and Reserves on active duty "to respond to the continuing and immediate threat of further terrorist attacks on the United States." Based on this authorization, the Army has sent thousands of guardsmen overseas and has instituted a "stop-loss" policy that prevents them from being released when their active duty commitments expire.

But these Guard troops aren't being sent to fight the people who attacked the United States in September 2001. They're being sent to—and locked in—Iraq. Some 40,000 members of the Guard are in Iraq today—six times the number of guardsmen sent to Vietnam. Already, more Guard troops have died in Iraq than in Vietnam.

What does Iraq have to do with the "national emergency" declared by Bush in 2001? Nothing. The 9/11 commission found "no evidence" of "a collaborative operational relationship" between Iraq and al-Qaida. Four days ago, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell reaffirmed, "I have no indication that there was a direct connection between the terrorists who perpetrated these crimes against us on the 11th of September, 2001, and the Iraqi regime."

more...

http://slate.msn.com/id/2106833/

Giving Kerry the silent treatment, is the peer pressure so great? I can imagine an Officer applauding Kerry ending his career. I know large segments of the Guard are unhappy with Bush, all the military branches must know this guy is a fucking moron.

Thanks for a great post.

and was stunned to read that the Guard troops gave Bush standing ovations when he told them "you're fighting terrorist enemies in Iraq" and that the war was "necessary to defend America." However, when Kerry told them, "Many of you have been on the ground for far too long, much longer than was expected or promised", and said further, "To take you out of your communities is to take down our critical first line of defense. That's no way to protect America", his response was silence. I shook my head when I read that.

I liked Saletan's closing statement:

"Those brave, loyal, hookwinked guardsmen. They think Bush is one of them. They don't understand the the only presidential candidate who's done the job they doing now--risking life and shedding blood-is the guy on the other side."

It does make ya wonder!

BUSH MUST GO!!

Gee, I wonder why the guardsmen are hoodwinked? Could it be the so called liberal media again failing miserably to inform people of basic facts?

don't have the minimal attention span and minimal interest required to read a little more widely than the mainstream media, we are well and truly fucked.

You can only be hoodwinked if no facts can be found anywhere, and that is not the case. There are dozens of books by REPUBLICANS and GENERALS, for God's sake, that tell you the horrible facts about this administration's lies, and the people (and their families) being put in harm's way can't pick them up and read for themselves???

These people are sticking their fingers in their ears and hollering "la la la la la" -- the facts are all around them, if they would just look. Hell, their lib friends have been trying to enlighten them for years, and they won't even listen to THEM.

convinced by recruiters to sign up to have a job. The ones I've known have been bright who wanted to get money for their education and so signed up to serve.

How could Kerry have been met with silence? :crazy:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x73958

Interesting remark about Kerry's silent treatment here.

Please continue discussion here:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x73958