One way to support the troops...

I went into a local US Post Office this morning and saw that the postal service has phone cards available for US troops in Iraq:

The rates:
100 min for $10
250 min for $20
450 min for $30

Has anyone taken advantage of this offer? It seems like a good deal since calls home from there are very expensive.

Might be a way for war-weary, emotionally-drained soldiers, like the one in the recent photo holding the dead Iraqi child, to talk to a warm and friendly voice from home.

Sometimes "mom" is the best therapist...

free phone calls for $300 billion bucks.

I mean, Bush doesn't even give them body armor; you'd think he could at least allow them to phone home for free (or maybe give them a certain number of free minutes a month)

How much money is missing in Iraq? 8 billion? You'd think some of that could buy them phone calls home.

Of all the things that could be done to support the pople over there, this is the one that really mystifies me. Why is there no free phone access for our guys?

Its cheap enough to route the phone call to your mortgage lender to some guy in India ...... why no phones for OUR OWN FUCKING SONS to call home?

The Disgrace of the Republicans in Power

Support the troops?

My Dying Ass ........

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Yes, of course, they knew that there's some chance they could go overseas. But who in their ever lovin' right mind would ever have believed we'd be where we are as a country? So, I can peel off a 10 from my life for those who have found themselves a prisoner of war albeit in uniform.

Only it will take courage to do it, besides how do we really know how all the troops feel. I'm sure that some of them are glad to be
there, they truly believe the propaganda, and in some cases I would be willing to bet that some enjoy killing and can justify it.

Like the Marine that killed a wounded, unarmed Iraqi in a mosque in Falluja, who it was determined shot in self defense. So, how exactly do you justify shooting a wounded, unarmed man and then claim self defense. I guess we'll never really know since the proceedings were closed.

Of course he was cleared by the general who led the siege, no conflict of interest there?

Now he knows he can get away with murder, literally, as long as his buddies cover his ass and testify that it was self defense.

At this point in time having the US military investigate itself, is like having Himmler investigate an SS man for brutality at a death camp.

That's not to say that I won't go to the Post Office and purchase a phone card, because it's not right to punish all of the troops for the actions of a few that think that Muslims are subhuman, but I have a very bad feeling that we, like the German people will suffer
the consequences for the crimes that the US military commits.

that had no serious crimes (rape, child molestation, murder, beatings) in the past 12 months. And that's not in a war zone of incredible stress, facing life and death every second of the day.

Troops who commit crimes, be it in Iraq, or back home, should be held accountable and punished. Period.

But to sit there and say or think or believe ALL troops commit crimes is...I don't even know the words.

Again, if a town of 150,000 has 3 or 4 murders in a year, does that make EVERY citizen in that town a murderer???

Who the bloody hell could seriously think that 18 and 19 and 20 year old KIDS who've probably never seen more than a bloody nose in their lifetimes can be sent to a war to kill people, to watch their friends die screaming, to see shit that most Americans will NEVER see and would puke their bloody guts out if they ever did see, "KNEW WHAT THEY WERE GETTING INTO"??? Kids don't know SHIT about ANYTHING until they're getting close to 30 and even then it's not a certainty.

And their remedy? 10-20 years in Leavenworth. Good bye family, friends, LIFE. Good luck ever getting any job more than pumping gas.

Or execution; that's still the penalty for desertion during wartime (unless you're a george w. bush).

Remedy...worse than the disease.

Too bad so many Americans didn't give a shit about the troops before the invasion;

"they knew what they were signing up for"

What, illegal invasion? They knew their president and CiC would spew a steaming pile of bullshit and this country was so stupid and so damn gullible and gung ho to send others to kill and die for lies???

I don't think so.

"soldiers kill, that's what they do".

Oh sure, all those 18-year old soldiers, they spent their entire childhoods doing nothing but. Good grief how can a supposedly 1st world nation be so damn incredibly STUPID.

*This is a rant in general, atreides1, not to you in particular!
:hug:

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You ever need defending, don't call us.

Thanks so much for caring.

We'll care back at you the same amount.

-US Military active duty army soldier, who thought he'd signed up years ago to defend Americans and America, but found himself sent to a bullshit war that too many Americans didn't care enough about the troops to stop.

And now I hear the same Americans whom I swore to defend with my life and my limbs say "I have no reason to support the troops".

Thanks again, fellow American.

****

The soldier who replied to you, just so you know; he had a "choice"; he could go to Iraq and try to safeguard his men and the people of Iraq...or he could go to military prison. I suspect most Americans know what happens at military prisons to soldiers deemed to be "cowards". Abu Ghraib ring a bell?

He was the only combat-seasoned soldier in his entire unit. So he made the "choice" to go to a dirty illegal war and try to protect his men and the Iraqis.

He felt "least amount of harm" could be attempted were he there, and if he was not there his men would die, and Iraqis would die.

Some of his men did die, and some Iraqis died, too. But maybe a few less died because this soldier made the choice to go, and to do what he could for "least amount of harm".

You can support the soldiers without supporting bush. They are two separate entities, as every soldier is a separate entity -and human being- from each other.

NO SOLDIER "knew" when they signed up that they'd be sent to an illegal war, and backdoor drafted for a politician's pile of bullshit.

Too bad more Americans didn't bother trying to stop bush & his shit.
Too bad the soldiers are supposed to know better than any other American, such as all the politicians who voted yes for bush's IWR and all the US citizens who rahrahrah'd for this invasion.
Too bad too many American citizens think US military soldiers aren't actually citizens or human beings just like every other American.

us ONE single effective suggestion?

What WILL stop bush is our military growing some balls and refusing to be whores for the Military Industrial Machine. THEY are part of the problem.

If they all up and quit, stopped slaughtering and torturing, what could the PNAC do? NOTHING. They'd be rendered powerless.

THAT'S what will stop bush.

But I didn't need "defending." See, I prefer to put my faith and trust in God. For real. I don't trust the weapons or machinations of fallible human beings for my protection or well being, because as a Christian I'm supposed to have changed my life and act in a way contrary to the way the world works.

The world would have me believe that my safety is only protected by the might of my nation's defense and military system. I reject that utterly. I know that will probably make you feel bad, especially if you consider yourself to be a Christian. But following the example of Jesus, I do not believe in our national religion of redemptive violence.

However, as Jesus also said, God sends the rain to water the fields of the just and the unjust. Likewise, we his followers are to be kind to all as God is kind. So I pay my taxes, which are then diverted from programs I support and care about, to fund the American wehrmacht, which in its indiscriminate fury kills and maims our nation's alleged enemies as well as thousands and thousands of people who never meant me any harm, who have no effective means to defend themselves, and who can't get away from the bullets and the bombs.

So, thank you very much for defending me. You may stop now, as far as I'm concerned.

He's a friend of ours. A deeply angry friend. Who's going thru a divorce after he came back recently from Iraq (he's 3rd Cav) to find his wife had cleared out every penny and left with another man.

See, HE HAS TO, like all US soldiers, put his faith and trust in the AMERICAN PEOPLE.

We, ALL Americans, failed every one of our fellow Americans who are soldiers.

He can't "stop now". How very easy for YOU to say. He can go die for bush's bullshit war that the AMERICAN PEOPLE FAILED to prevent happening...or he can go to Leavenworth and rot for 10 or 15 or 20 years. Or executed.

It's bloody bad enough, and criminal enough, that these soldiers are being forced thru this crap by bush; it's infinitely worse to then have to suffer through crap from people who so cavalierly say "You may stop now".

And hopefully you and yours will never, ever know what he feels like, being betrayed on all sides.

Pardon me, but you don't know me and mine at all. I'll decline to parade my personal story just to "earn" humanity in your eyes. Our nation talks a good game on "freedom" and "rights" and "liberty," but fails where it counts most: When someone actually exercises those rights or enjoys that freedom or liberty. Then the words come out: Either little ones like "betrayal" or "cavalier" or much bigger ones like "treason."

I don't "cavalierly" say that your friend should quit the military; I say it in all seriousness and earnestness. He's been sold a bill of goods under the guise of redemptive violence, and there's only one way out, and that's to stop participating in it.

Military people have been "forced thru this crap" for generations in every country, it's nothing new. While it's easy to blame Bush (and I'm not absolving him from any portion of the blame that should attach to him) in this particular instance, there's only one person who can extricate your friend from the situation in which he finds himself. At this point, the price is going to be high, no doubt, but what is his alternative? To stay in a system that's ruining his life and killing him day by day and inch by inch, robbing him of his dignity and self respect, or to opt out?

Do you really think US soldiers can JUST QUIT???

Good grief.

10-20 YEARS in PRISON.

You don't have a clue.

And as I said, hopefully you & yours never will.

Have a nice day.

I fully understand that prison could be in his future. But what is his alternative? Does he feel that he has to stay with the military, even though its ruined his marriage, cost him every dime, and now seems to be ruining his physical and mental health?

Does he plan to stay with the military until the corrupt system he is in finally does kill him, or the extremity of his situation causes him to do something he would never do otherwise in a million years -- harming himself or others? How sure are you (and he) that he's proof against his circumstances?

Please, please, please, if you have a better clue about this, I'd love to hear it. But from the information you've provided, this man is in Hell. He needs to get out, just as surely as if he was in a burning building, no matter what affinity or love he has for the building.

It's rude of me to say, but you are making me ill.

Edit; I hope you'll forgive my poor manners, I meant the discussion is making me ill; I can't discuss this any more right now. I understand you mean well.

Regards.

is how 15 to 20 years in a military prison (where, as LynntheDem said, he will be known as a coward)... how is that sentence going to be less of a hell than what he is currently facing right now? At least his contract will probably end within the next 4 years - maybe a less, maybe a little longer - but it's not 20 years.

himself.

We all make choices.

Push some dope or something in exchange for food.

What countries don't have extradition treaties with the US? Those nations he wouldn't have to hide, right?

Mexico. It's a great place!

My husband served in Iraq when he had no desire to go there, too. He's been in the military for 10 years and he'd be pretty pissed to read what the other poster had to say.

No one is attacking us; no one plans to.

You can walk away. You make the choice to stay.

I have to believe that there could be some there who don't want to be, even if they started out on their mission by choice. With more recent revelations that Bush lied (sure, we all on DU knew it from the outset, but it was a truth that was buried in American Pravda), some soldiers might (finally) be feeling betrayed by this Administration. Supporting these troops, like a phonecard home, could help these soldiers adjust to the reality of the situation.

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they are making the best of a tough situation and calling home is one of their few luxuries

let's give the wingnutters more ammo.

They will demonize us no matter what we do. Screw them.

I say "whatever" not because of what the morans would think, but because there is a right thing and a wrong thing to do, morally. Because we are liberals; generous, compassionate, giving, charitable.

If we stopped giving a damn about "what would the wingnuts think" and just be true to what liberals say we stand for, the wingnuts would be finished.

Just imo.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3603338

goodboy had some hateful note put on his windshield about his anti-war stickers on his car. He is going to auction the note off on ebay and give the proceeds to operation uplink, which buys phone cards for the troops.

Good work, goodboy!

So "Operation Uplink" might also be a source for phonecards?

1996.

www.operationuplink.org

than just bidding, help create a title for the ebay listing

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3603338

:)

on edit:
Operation Uplink, VFW National Headquarters
406 W 34th Street, Suite 718
Kansas City, MO 64111.

I think I pass right by here going to and from work!

I believe its nationwide. Between this offer and "LinkUp" as described by the DUer above, I'll be sending some donation next Friday (payday). Whether of not they chose to be there or want to be there, I think this is a good way to "support the troops."

At this point, it's a matter of all concerned, military and civilian alike, to get out of this mess the best way possible. And, above all, to hold the Bush Administration responsible for its lies and deceit...