Troops AWOL, suicides, injuried, mental scars, and a war without end.

Botany

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Mar-19-05 10:33 AM
Original message

Troops AWOL, suicides, injuried, mental scars, and a war without end.

*'s war and it's costs.

"How long? How long must this go on?"
Sunday Bloody Sunday, U2

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763,1441289,00.html?gusrc=rss

You will not see this in our "Poodle Press."

:cry:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

concord

(296 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Mar-19-05 11:37 AM
Response to Original message

1. Thank you for this

I'm passing it on to an audience replete with folks who were cheering for war two years ago.

I wonder what sort of response I'll get this time. Two years ago, I was called "a lover of Hussein" for my dissent.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

concord

(296 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Mar-19-05 04:12 PM
Response to Reply #1

5. "I wonder what sort of response I'll get this time. "

My post was pulled within 1.5 hrs. No notice, no discussion, just gone. In a forum where once I was able to voice dissent and argue a position, now I am quietly silenced.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

mainer

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Mar-19-05 12:23 PM
Response to Original message

2. This month's HARPER'S MAGAZINE talks about this

A very good article about soldiers desperate to go AWOL but not knowing how to go about it. It also talks about the horrible dehumanizing effects of boot camp.

And it gives a few tips about what the best way is to get out of serving.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

gold_bug

(485 posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Mar-19-05 02:14 PM
Response to Original message

3. kick

Last year the Pentagon admitted that 5,500 of its forces had gone awol...

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Viva_La_Revolution

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Mar-19-05 02:48 PM
Response to Original message

4. Kick

My protest sign for today

5,500 AWOL
last year.

Ask
WHY!

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

kineneb

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Mar-19-05 05:03 PM
Response to Original message

6. an old song lyric says it all

Johnny goes off to wear "...a red felt coat, a big tall hat, with a musket at your shoulder..."

And returns to:

They said he was a hero and not to grieve
Over two wooden pegs and empty sleeves,
They carried him home and set him down
With a military pension and a medal from the crown.
You haven't an arm, you haven't a leg,
The enemy nearly slew you,
You'll have to go out on the streets to beg,
Oh poor Johnny what have they done to you.

(from "Fighting for Strangers"
Traditional, adapted by Steeleye Span)

Why must history keep repeating itsself?

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

LibertyorDeath

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Sat Mar-19-05 05:24 PM
Response to Original message

7. Kick

"A large man in his uniform, with blue eyes and a southern drawl, the 40-year-old is every inch the soldier. He has spent nearly 10 years in the army, signing up for a second stint in 2000 because he felt he had not done his duty to his country. The war did away with that feeling, with the sergeant horrified by Iraqi civilian deaths and the behaviour of the young menhe commanded, who he said treated war like bumping off targets in a video game."

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Wilms

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-21-05 05:29 AM
Response to Original message

8. kick n/t

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Jacobin

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-21-05 06:58 AM
Response to Original message

9. But, it's not like Vietnam, so stop saying that

:eyes:

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

katinmn

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-21-05 07:49 AM
Response to Original message

10. Thank goodness we have the Guardian.

thanks for the post

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Benbow

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-21-05 12:47 PM
Response to Original message

11. Iraq in figures: the toll of the conflict so far

Printed at the end of that article in the Guardian.

1,512 US troops killed in Iraq
1,157 US troops killed in combat
355 US non-combat deaths
11,285 US troops wounded
86 UK troops killed in Iraq
35 UK troops killed in combat
91 troops from other states killed
17,053-19,422 estimated number of civilian casualties since the war started, according to Iraq Body Count
257 number of non-Iraqi civilians killed (30 of whom were British)
189 number of foreign nationals kidnapped since October 2003
47 number still captive
170,000 number of coalition troops in March 2003
175,000 number of coalition troops in Iraq in March 2005
45,000 number of British troops in March 2003
8,930 number of UK troops in Iraq in March 2005
30 number of countries identified as members of the coalition backing the war in March 2003
38 number of countries which have provided troops in Iraq at some point
24 number of states currently providing troops in Iraq
5 number of countries currently planning to withdraw troops from Iraq
18,000 latest estimate of strength of insurgency
1,000 estimated number of foreign fighters involved in the insurgency

It is getting worse, not better. Iraq is not, as President Bush likes to think, an "ally" in the war against terror. And, to judge from other discussions on DU, as we speak your President is even now planning to reintroduce the draft within 75 days AND bomb either another country - like Iran - or bomb Iraq a bit more. A lot more Americans are going to die, leaving widows and orphans and parents in unbearable pain: for what? Democrats, sorry to be rude but please find your backbone.

It concerns me that anything is possible, now, with your present completely insane administration. President Bush may be planning to bomb the UK, for all I know, so as to have more cannon fodder (the citizens of occupied UK) at his disposal.

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

Wilms

(1000+ posts) Send PM | Profile | Ignore

Mon Mar-21-05 01:42 PM
Response to Original message

12. kick n/t

Printer Friendly | Permalink | | Top

DU AdBot (1000+ posts)

Mon May 06th 2024, 10:53 PM
Response to Original message

Advertisements [?]

Top

Powered by DCForum+ Version 1.1 Copyright 1997-2002 DCScripts.com
Software has been extensively modified by the DU administrators

Important Notices: By participating on this discussion board, visitors agree to abide by the rules outlined on our Rules page. Messages posted on the Democratic Underground Discussion Forums are the opinions of the individuals who post them, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Democratic Underground, LLC.