They Died in Vain; Deal With It

by Ray McGovern


Many of those preaching at American church services Sunday extolled as “heroes” the 30 American and 8 Afghan troops killed Saturday west of Kabul, when a helicopter on a night mission crashed, apparently after taking fire from Taliban forces. This week, the Fawning Corporate Media (FCM) can be expected to beat a steady drumbeat of “they shall not have died in vain.”

snip>
As in the past, churches across the country will keep praising the fallen troops for protecting “our way of life,” and few can demur, given the tragic circumstances.

But, sadly, such accolades are, at best, misguided — at worst, dishonest. Most preachers do not have a clue as to what U.S. forces are doing in Afghanistan and why. Many prefer not to think about it. There are some who do know better, but virtually all in that category eventually opt to punt.

Should we fault the preachers as they reach for words designed to give comfort to those in their congregations mourning the deaths of so many young troops? As hard as it might seem, I believe we can do no other than fault — and confront — them. However well meaning their intentions, their negligence and timidity in confronting basic war issues merely help to perpetuate unnecessary killing. It is high time to hold preachers accountable.

more at Common Dreams:
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2011/08/08-1


peace~

So didn't EVERY human that died in Iraq. A total useless waste. Nothing gained. Probably a million + dead or crippled for life.

At least there was SOME justification at the beginning of that campaign.

Back in 2001, my reaction was, "Fuck YEAH. Go get the fuckers."

Then everything went wrong.

the hijackers on the plane were not from Afghanistan - the entire Afghanistan conflict elevated the perpetrators to state status and made the conflict state to state -- It should have been handled as a police action....

Many, many more innocent civilians and US military have died than were killed in the trade center towers....

And the above excludes the notions that the entire September 11 event was an inside job. And there is much compelling evidence that supports those arguments.

:think:

:patriot:

n/t

Not forgetting them doesn't mean they didn't die in vain, it just means they died and are remembered!

If you die for nothing, you've died in vain! What did they die for?

They didn't die to keep us free, we still have the Patriot Act! What did they die for?

We still have warrantless wiretaps! What did they die for?

Predators are still launching missiles at villages, killing women and children! What did they die for?

We have religious fanatics who follow a cross that want to take over this country! What did they die for?

What did they die for?

there is something, an effect, but we don't own it and it most certainly is NOT for the LIES they were told. Or at least not for the lies that were told. Maybe for revealing the LYING to the rest of us, but we don't know that, only that the future will reveal WHAT exactly the effect of their sacrifice is, something we don't own and can't recognize? or nothing?

I'm still hoping for awareness, even if simply only never forgetting that they died in vain. We need to make an active personal commitment to never allow that forgetfulness to occur, in terms of our own lives, by keeping their stories alive to instruct future generations.

Sat Nam!

is given a mandatory quiz with questions like 'why is our military there, what are the goals, what is the human cost, the monetary cost, etc., etc., then a national two-hour news program deals with the answers, shows the gruesome pictures, the mental, physical injury stats, the decimated infrastructures ....... and everything possible is done to educate every tax-payer as to what they're really paying for. Wouldn't that be a kick in the ass wake-up call for millions of people!? I guess I like to dream.

No exemptions. No college deferments. No ROTC. No hiding in the national guard.

Every kid of age ... goes. And make the top age 40 or so.

The US would be much less willing to have war.

mandatory draft might be seen as a way to feed your family, and may not be seen as that much of a bad thing.

But the fact that the three historic peace denominations are the smallest in Christendom should give you some clue about the clout we enjoy in the larger body. Every now and then we get consulted for a statement to try to provide a little sense for the National Council of Churches, but we're largely ignored in the country where the true national religion is the High Church of Redemptive Violence, which confers automatic "hero" status on every uniformed decedent.

at his townhall. Just couldn't stop campaigning long enough to recognize something more sacred than any of us.

That's part of the trouble now, no one recognizes the holy any more, everything is for sale, put it on public display parade around in bathos, polute the private meaning of what happened to those persons and their loved ones.

I recced this because I understand the place in the soul from whence it comes but, I refuse to stay in that place. I refuse to believe that they died in vain bacause they did not LIVE in vain and it is the life that I celebrate and honor.

:hug:

~peace

I'd argue vigorously with this conclusion because it is just too depressing to accept at face value.

Unfortunately, after all these years, no such explanations have been offered. So I guess I have no choice but to agree that they did in fact die in vain.

And all the people who are calling for drastic actions in response to their deaths might just as well STFU because we can't do jack shit about it.

So I can only say if we want to avoid sad incidents like this in the future, don't start any wars we can't finish. And since we can't finish any of them, don't start.

... to which I respond, then I guess we're there until we fall as a nation. Might as well make 'em the 51st state.

freedom. Young men are propagandized to the point of being willing to die for our country. Politicians sacrifice nothing. They send our children to die then retire to a life of wealth on the tax payers dime. This is the system. It is also a fact that the majority of youth join the military as a last resort because they can't get a decent job or health care. I see this all the time in my community. I think that is why the government doesn't want people to make too much money because it would deplete the cannon fodder that is needed to fight profitable corporate wars..

The United States military acts to enforce the political will of the citizens of this nation. Never, under any circustances, will they die in vain. Their existence as a force is due to we the people and their orders come from we the people. Regardless of your personal political stance on individual actions carried out by our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and marines, they still carry out their duty with the expressed consent of you and I collectively as citizens of a constitutional republic with a civilian controlled military force. To say, ever, that they have died in vain is to spit on their service because they cannot die in vain. They can only be used vainly.

As much as I hate Shakespeare, he was right on this one:

But if the cause be not good, the king himself hath
a heavy reckoning to make, when all those legs and
arms and heads, chopped off in battle, shall join
together at the latter day and cry all 'We died at
such a place;' some swearing, some crying for a
surgeon, some upon their wives left poor behind
them, some upon the debts they owe, some upon their
children rawly left. I am afeard there are few die
well that die in a battle; for how can they
charitably dispose of any thing, when blood is their
argument? Now, if these men do not die well, it
will be a black matter for the king that led them to
it; whom to disobey were against all proportion of
subjection.


We, are the king.

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Nice one, nice one. Tell us some bar jokes now.

The US military does exactly what it's corporate masters tell it to do and nothing more. It is a destroyed institution that is now the MICs bitch.

Start a war? Sure no problem where to. Commit war crimes? Sure no problem where to. Torture people past the point of no return? Sure no problem where to. Kill women and children and call it collateral damage?? Sure no problem boss, where to? :eyes:

No one should not be treating the death of any member of the military as a way to score political points.

They sign up for a position that they know might get them killed. They go where our government sends them. And we are the government.

if that political will can change, when will the change in will be manifest...might the manifestation of the change in will come after an election in which less than half of those who vote but who manage to win by just more than a half count as 'political will.'

Ultimately, I agree...the Commander in Chief himself confronted with the limbs and lives lost will have to reconcile his own conscience with the vanity of war.

The fact that people still volunteer to serve amazes me.

They're rarely used for anything good. What a colossal effing waste of lives and money the U.S. military is.

Who knew full well what they signed up for. Especially those who do extra volunteering and work their butts off to get into elite units.

Scratch away the propaganda and Win a Nazi.

The wars have helped Wall St and day traders. They died to protect future profit margins.

It does a disservice to real heroic soldiers and public servants to say every soldier is a hero...

Not yet...




peace~

...those facts. The wars in Afghanistan and Iraq were based on lies and rumor.