On this date, 28 October 2010, for the first time in the history of TUAK, I removed a comment. I've pulled spam before, but that doesn't count. I've been called names before: Those comments are still here. There have been comments with which I very seriously disagreed: Those comments are still here. Either I don't care, or I think it's kinda funny.
But this is still my blog, and I still get to decide what words appear on it, and some guy I never heard of posted something I just don't want to be associated with. It had to do with yesterday's Afghanistan post. I'm not even sure I understood what he was getting at, but I looked at it from a couple of different directions and decided I couldn't find an interpretation I didn't find offensive. So it's gone.
But it leaves me thinking maybe I should clarify something. I've often said things here that were critical of this country's foreign policy, particularly military policy. Sometimes that gets the goat of a passing conservative, and that's fine. But I want to be clear on something. I'm not in favor of any of the country's current military adventures, but this should not be taken as meaning that I wish harm to American soldiers. I don't believe I've ever said any such thing here. I consider them misled and misused, but I don't wish them harm. So if something I said here gives you the impression that's my opinion, don't post comments agreeing with me. Okay?
Comments regarding politicians and/or bureaucrats and anything having to do with ropes and lampposts, of course, remain completely welcome.
That's all I wanted to say.
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8 comments:
One of the ugliest "conservative" sins is the drive to equate disgust with military adventurism with disdain for the men and women we pay to defend us.
I hated having to deal with that during my Examiner run. Somehow--despite knowing full well that idiots provocateur are out there and workin' hard--it still felt belittling to the column to have to do it.
"But I want to be clear on something. I'm not in favor of any of the country's current military adventures, but this should not be taken as meaning that I wish harm to American soldiers. I don't believe I've ever said any such thing here. I consider them misled and misused, but I don't wish them harm."
Amen to that.
I have no problem deep-sixing offensive comments. And boy do I get a lot of 'em... Delete away, it's your blog. Now how 'bout we get us some rope, find a politician/bureaucrat, and a nice street lined with lamp posts ; )
Hmmm. If the cause is unjust, it logically follows that the people fighting for the unjust cause are committing injustices by the very fact that they are fighting for an unjust cause. I've never mastered the art of Doublethink, though.
Unless, of course, the Germans in WWII were OK because they were "just following orders" as they invaded Poland, France, the Netherlands, and the Sudeten, because they were sent there by "Germany" to "protect Germany." I think they were sent by politicians. As Hermann Goering said, "Naturally the common people don't want war: Neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders [politicians] of the country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders." In other words, it's really individual politicians who send soldiers to kill people overseas, not some vague, nebulous collective entity with a will of its own, like "the people." "The will of the people" is a line you hear in Commie countries. (And always spewed by politicans.) A damned shame to hear average Americans spouting that mindrot. "They're heroes because 'we' sent them." No, "we" didn't send them. Nor would they have ever have gone over there without having been sent and funded by politicians, and you know that is a fact.
Are American soldiers rounding up Jews and incinerating them? No. But they are invading other countries, and if doing that is unjust, then they're no better than the average German soldier in WWII, who was also not rounding up Jews and incinerating them.
There has to be a middle ground between wishing harm on anyone, and recognizing that people in other countries have the right to defend themselves from unjust invaders. It takes logic to come to that understanding, however. Logic up.
I think your "logic" is flawed. As I remember on 9/11 we were sitting here in American when "we" were attacked. The attackers and those who supported the attackers and supported the many, many previous attacks (not to mention the attacks since then) live in those countries you say we are invading. So rather then torture logic maybe it would make more sense to stop double speaking. Instead of broad generalities what specific contry was invaded and were we wrong in believing that someone in that country attacked us?
I wasn't attacked on 9/11, and the terrorists weren't trying to attack me. They were striking out at the Federal State and its policies in the only way they know how. Were their means immoral? Yes. One may not attack innocent civilians. Have you ever bothered to ask yourself the question: Why did they attack "us" to begin with? Did you believe Bush when he said, "they hate Americans ("us") because we're "free?" As former CIA Bin Laden Unit Chief Michael Scheuer said, Bin Laden attacked for precisely the reason he said he attacked: the United State (not a typo) military/political presence in the Middle East.
"Countries" don't attack people. States, (comprised of individuals,) and individuals, attack people. "Afghanistan" did not attack "us." Nothing wrong with finding those responsible and killing them. Problem is, they can't do it, and their actions will only foster more hatred against the United State, and unfortunately, that hatred will again probably get taken out upon people who have nothing to do with the State or its policies. Leading to more interventionism and more hate. Good luck with staying that course.
And the funny thing? Besides Afghanistan, "we" didn't attack the "country" that attacked "us." The majority of 9/11 hijackers were Saudis. Didn't I see Bush holding hands with the Saudi king? Pretty sure I did.
No one in Iraq was involved in 9/11. There was no terrorist plot out of Iraq. The plan to invade Iraq was made before 9/11 ever happened, and 9/11 made a great excuse for "the people" to slurp down.
Furthermore, there is absolutely nothing that any soldier 4,000 miles away can do to prevent a handful of determined terrorists from slipping across the porous borders with a few thousand dollars and making 9/11 look like a picnic. That is a fact. The largest military couldn't do a thing to protect anyone on 9/11. Nor would it be able to protect anyone again.
So, feel free to trust the politicians, who have lots to gain and nothing to lose by sending your gullible, hormone-pumped kids to die overseas to line their pockets and keep them in the style to which they've become accustomed. Believe the politicians when they tell you that you are "under attack," as Goering said. War is the health of the State, and the ruin of the people. But you keep on believing in American Exceptionalism. Keep believing that the United State can do wrong, but not the people who do what the United State tell them to do.
Nerd solution to nasty comments:
http://xkcd.com/810/
-S
"Eric Blair" (It takes a rare thief to steal another man's name...),
"So, feel free to trust the politicians, who have lots to gain and nothing to lose by sending your gullible, hormone-pumped kids to die overseas to line their pockets and keep them in the style to which they've become accustomed. Believe the politicians when they tell you that you are "under attack," as Goering said. War is the health of the State, and the ruin of the people. But you keep on believing in American Exceptionalism. Keep believing that the United State can do wrong, but not the people who do what the United State tell them to do."
TL;DR version: "Why don't you stupid, cousin-humping rednecks agree with me?"
You sure are one tone-deaf sumbitch.
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