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LDS veteran makes film about his march for troop withdrawal
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I want the troops home as much as anybody; war is a horrible thing, but to just yank the troops now would be the biggest mistake since going half-heartedly into Vietnam.
Fatal casualties in Iraq are low, about 1% of the force. Total deaths of all active duty soldiers are DOWN now from ten years ago, since there were more people being killed then in accidents, in training and in vehicles, than are now killed by hostile fire.
The last year has demonstrated that the situation is improving. Al Quaida's forces in Iraq are losing ground. Pulling out now would be the stupidest thing any Army has ever done. Like Vietnam, it would result in millions of Iraqis becoming refugees in the US overnight. If you think the US is burdened by illegal immigration of Catholics, how about assimilating six million Sunni and Shiite Muslims? Iraq could become a chaos of invasion from Turkey in the north and Iran in the south, with Al Quaida in Baghdad, making Darfur look like a picnic.
Meanwhile Bush's war creates the very enemies we have to destroy. Every time we kill an innocent bystander, arrest the head of a family, or injure a child, we make these people hate America forever. Thus the "war on terror" perpetuates itself -- a war without end because WE REFUSE TO END IT.
I love my country. I fear my government.
Wake up, America. Wake up, Latter-day Saints. The Constitution is hanging by a thread.
Should the article have read "censured", instead of "censored by his superiors"?
-Jerry
"The only people benefitting from the Iraq war are the private contractors who supply weapons and material. This is what Eisenhower warned us about -- a military/industrial complex that runs our foreign policy.
I love my country. I fear my government."
No good man or woman enjoys war, but there are times when just people are "fighting for a better cause", i.e., the defense of liberty, families, and the right to worship God individually as each sees fit. Simply being anti-war at all costs is naive and unwise in the extremely dangerous world we live in today! The kind of peace we ought to strive for comes only by conquering evil and selfishness in our on hearts with God's help.
Mr. Thompson was a military journalist who wrote articles for a small newsletter type paper. It was more like a high school newspaper than a real serious publication. He interviewed "thousands" of soldiers in a 1-year tour? That's quite a pace. (5.5 a day for 2000 interviews in a year)
The fact is that there is a not-so-silent minority of soldiers that protest the war. The majority of those who have served are proud of that service and simply go about their lives. It is irksome to have that service questioned.
While I have had some terrible experiences (especially in 2003 when I was part of the push to Baghdad), I have the ability to stand back and see that my own personal bad experiences are not the only factors at work.
Thompson knows how to work the media.
Remember that Saddam Hussein admitted in an interview before his execution that he intentionally created the impression that he had a secret weapons program--even kicking out UN inspectors--because he feared an attack from Iran. And his false data misled the CIA plus Britain, France and Russia. President Clinton fired a thousand cruise missiles at Baghdad to persuade Saddam to reopen to inspectors. Saddam said he planned to wear out the UN sanctions, which he was close to doing, and then resume his weapons program.
Invading Iraq persuaded Libya and Iran to halt nuclear weapons development threatening the US and Europe. Bush persuaded those nations that the US would not tolerate them having nuclear weapons. There is much less risk today of a terrorist nuke vaporizing Washington, because we invaded Iraq.
We did NOT go honorably to Iraq; Saddam was NOT our enemy. Osama Bin Laden, the criminal who attacked America and killed Americans on American soil is still at large, and LAUGHING at us from Pakistan - not Iraq!
So to say we need to stay and finish is just wrong! Finish what: our attack of peole who did NOT attack us? Finish our destruction of their way of life to make George Bush feel more like a man? What are we finishing?
If we must send troops to war to die for something, send them to Pakistan to bring Osama Bin Laden to the justice HE deserves. There was no moral or logical reason to have attacked Iraq to begin with!
During my time in the Air Force, our motto was "Peace is Our Profession". We need to remember that as Latter-Day-Saints - we believe in peace.
As well, to the bleeding heart liberal that is all upset that the U.S. has 700 (and counting) military bases around the world. Your ignorance of what this world is all about is astounding. Do take some time to meditate further on your lack of experience in "real" life.
I support All U.S. Military bases wherever they may be on the globe. I know their purpose and what we as a nation stand for.
Would our presence in Iraq pull the extremists other places? They were going there one way or another.
President Kimball called many people locally, a bunch of �sleeping giants.� When you have the power to support the true cause of freedom, and not some pretentious made up freedom that liberals seem to invent with ease, then you are �about the Lord�s work.�
Of late, the U.S. was referred to by its allies as a Hyper Power. I know what its mission is, and what purposes are being brought to bear.
The big difference between the Lamanite War recounted in the book of Alma and the Iraq War is that THE LAMANITES INVADED NEPHITE LANDS. The Nephites were fighting a purely defensive battle against an aggressive neighbor.
In Iraq, the tables have been turned. WE are the aggressors. WE invaded their country based on, at best, flawed intelligence. WE are the ones responsible for the deaths of half a million Iraqis and the displacement of 4 million more.
Are you LDS? Have you read D&C 98? Are you aware of the Lord's condemnation of preemptive attacks, and his requirement that we bear repeated offense BEFORE we go out to battle -- and then only at His command?
Your comments about me attack my character rather than deal with my arguments. For your education, I'm a political conservative and registered Republican. I just don't follow the insane, suicidal neoconservative delusion that has infected the party.
Here's my recommended reading list for you. Please read these important books before spewing your jingoistic politics:
* Blowback, by Chalmers Johnson
* Imperial Hubris, by Michael Scheuer
* The End of America, by Naomi Wolf
* A Nation of Sheep, by Andrew Napolitano
America CAN be a great country, but not as long as we think we're morally superior to everyone else and can enforce our will militarily without causing great anger and violent response.
In any case, the scriptures are a guide, the Spirit guides even further; if this were not the case, Nephi never would have taken Laban�s life. Your interpretation of the "letter of the law" is not only untimely but incorrect in this instance.
For you to presume we should not have taken Iraq in inconsistent with what was needed at the time, and from a (narrow) point of view as yourself, not having all the cards on the table, and certainly - your not - being the President at the time of the Offensive, you have judged without all of the facts of the situation in your favor.
For you to presume that you had all the facts would mean You were in the Presidents Cabinet at the time of the Offensive. For you to assume you Now have all of the facts in relation to the Event would be preposterous, your presuming that you now have All of the Cards and All of the facts of the situation, in some hind site 20/20 interpretation of what you see before you, and nothing else.
I have 14 years of military service. In any event, I joined the LDS Church while on active duty with the U.S. Military.
I�m fairly sure My Education outweighs yours by Many Fold. In any event (whether it does or not), you are relying on Only book knowledge to get you through a 9/11 Event that you were not in charge of taking Offensive Action against, as well as the Narrow view of a Journalism (which is not conservative).
An independent journalist will only see a Narrow portion of the Event. He will not see the politics (and especially in this case) that brought the Event to bear in Iraq. There is much more Military Action needed on Other Soil as we speak, that I Fully Support 100%, even when others, like yourself will never be able to have an opportunity to see a Greater Picture, or being able to see the Forest for the Trees.
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God Bless.