My Iraq War Rant

[mikesilvia]

I have been in the U.S. military for 13 years now and have deployed in support of Northern Watch (overflight of Northern Iraq) 6 times, Allied Force (conflict against Serbia) and several other operations. I have been to Korea 5 times (once for a year) during some of the most tense moments on the peninsula. Also, I will likely go to Iraq or Afghanistan in the next 12 months. I have lived in or deployed to over 15 countries in my 13 years and feel I have seen the world.

Never in my life have I seen America so weak and of in danger of losing its place in the world. Never have I seen the media with such a grip on the minds of America. How can 40% of America consider Iraq their #1 concern in life? How can Iraq be more of a concern than their children, family members, their job, economy and other important factors in life? Could it be because we are hammered with negative news from Iraq on a daily basis from a biased media?

The TV is filled with hours of bad news from Iraq everyday. I have to hear how evil my President is by the idiot ladies on The View, David Letterman and how America is in illegal war. All of this from people who have never been to Iraq and likely have never left the U.S., but do it out of hatred of an idiot they did not vote for. 90% of these folks voted for Kerry and hate the President and in many ways the American people for voting for him. For they are smarter than everyone else!

There is a reason the President in the Commander in Chief of the military and the general population does not have a say in how the war in Iraq (or any conflict for that matter) is run.

Could you imagine a NFL football game being run where the fans decided on very play? There is a reason why the coaches pick the plays and run their team! They are the most knowledgeable and they are the expert. They are the most informed and have studied the other team. They run the practices and know how to win. There is a reason why coaches DESPISE the media. The media thinks they are smarter than the coaches and slam the coach on every bad decision.

Same goes for the military and the war in Iraq. I may sound rude, but the average US citizen is an idiot when it comes to Iraq. They have never been there, can't point out Iraq on a map and rely almost entirely on 3rd hand reporting that is almost always biased. Now take the President, his advisers and the generals. They are well informed and have access to information 99.99% of the U.S. population does NOT have access to. oh yeah, they are in Iraq and see what is going on EVERY day and don't use the media as their primary source of information. Let the coaches run the football game and let the President and U.S. military run the wars!

As a military officer, I can promise you if the War in Iraq was illegal you would not see soldiers re-enlisting at record rates and volunteering to go to Iraq for the 3rd and 4th time. The re-enlistment rate is higher in Iraq than in Hawaii right now! Military members would report all illegal activities. This is why we have trials every few months for soldiers that commit war crimes!

The other day I was reading through a book review section in a newspaper. Two of the books blasted the President and called the War in Iraq illegal. Who were the authors? The Editors in Chief of two major U.S. newspapers!

Each election year the New York Times does a survey of workers associated with the media. They are your editors, writers, publishers and other workers in the news. The NY Times asked a simple question; who did you vote for President? In 2000 and 2004, 9 to 1 people in the media voted for Al Gore and John Kerry respectively. In retrospect 51% of the American people voted for President Bush in the 2004 election EVEN after the Iraq war was unpopular. The media is so out of touch with the American people that they voted for President Kerry 40% more than the average American did (90% to 51%). Is there any any question why we have to see bad news from Iraq day in and day out? The media HATES this President, believes the war is illegal and the top editors write Anti-Bush/Anti-Iraq War books. Is there any question what stories they choose to print? Any question what stories they choose to write? There is a saying, "You will never hear about a plane talking off, but you will hear about the ones that crash." See my point? The news media makes billions on bad news and makes almost nothing off good news.

In my opinion America is at a cross roads. The average citizen has been brain washed into believing what the editors of the major newspapers believe; that the war in Iraq is illegal and President Bush is an idiot, evil tyrant that hates minorities.

What I suggest is Americans seek the truth. Talk to GIs that have returned from Iraq. I know about 30 guys who have been to Iraq or somewhere supporting the mission and they tell a very different story. Every single one of them says the same thing. They want to finish the mission and they believe what they are doing is important. If we just pull out and leave the Iraqis to their fate their will be millions of deaths and we will have to deal with a much bigger problem in the Middle East. Additionally, we will give the terrorists a victory over the most powerful country in the world.

In 1973, the U.S. made a HUGE mistake. Instead of just withdrawing from Vietnam we also cut off funding and arms to our allies. The result? Millions died in Vietnam and 1/5 of the Cambodian population was eliminated as they did not have the means to defend themselves. A weakened Nixon could do nothing when a Democratic controlled Senate decided to cut funding to both countries and ran. America lost its first war and everything went downhill from there. Sound anything like today?

I am 100% for pulling out of Iraq, but I am for doing it the right way. The President made a LOT of mistakes in Iraq, but that does not mean Iraq is a lost cause. Stop letting the hatred of the media for our President blind your judgement. At one time President Lincoln was our most unpopular President in America. He got us involved in a very unpopular war where 100s of thousands of American lives were lost. The media despised him. President Lincoln stayed the course and payed the ultimate price. He was so unpopular that he was assassinated. Now is his considered one of the best Presidents ever.

Let the smart people run the war and inform yourself with UNBIASED information.

Mike

[NiteWolf777]

my biase against the war is based more or less on personal feelings...I have 3 cousins that have all done at least 1 tour in Iraq....one just got home from his second tour in the army, a second one is getting ready to leave in may for his 3rd trip to the sandbox for the army, and the last one is medically discharged from the Marine Corps after all hell broke loose over in Fallujah in 04. The only person he's really been able to speak to about what happened to him is my father, who's a Vietnam Vet and understands. I don't like how we got involved in Iraq....be it faulty intelligence or flat out lies from the President. First it was to find the weapons...found none...then bring democracy to the people. That's not going to happen without a lot more bloodshed. Anyone that has knowledge of political and religious history knows that bloodshed has been a fact of life in the middle east between differing religions and religious sects for hundreds of years. A piece of paper is not going to make everyone drop their rifles and IUD's and play nice. That being said...I do not blame the soldiers over there, they are just doing the best they can with the equipement(however faulty it may be) and the manpower(lack thereof) that is given to them. Same goes for the commanding officers. What I do blame, is the President for making the same mistakes Johnson and Nixon did in Vietnam: Not letting the commanders with experience fight the war the way that it should be, and not puttin in enough troops and proper equipment to accomplish the mission. Instead, he has our military leadership tryin to fight this war with one hand tied behind their back and another tied around the twins. This is the price we pay for electing someone with no real military experience and then having said person thrust into the position of directing what in reality is WW III on multiple fronts. He lacks the experience to lead the military in the right direction and the God given common sense to let the generals lead since he doesn't know how to. Back when the other site was up, I made a prediction that this war was gonna be this generation's Vietnam....20,000+ casualties so far, over 3,000 dead American soldiers and counting. How many more have to be maimed for life or give the ultimate sacrifice until someone decides to actually fight this war to win instead of fighting to line the pockets of special interest groups.

[chljoe]

Okay, we get it, you are in love with Bush and the print media is Satan's spawn. I can find military guys who are not in favor of the war and would not want to go back just like you can find the one's that are. Lots of fun, big deal.

[mikesilvia]

NiteWolf777,

First off, if you read all of President Bush's speeches leading up to the war and during, he NEVER said WMD was the only reason for going in there. That is what the media focused on. I have gone back and read most of his speeches and he talked about Iraq breaking 20+ Un rsolutions, in 1998 Clinton setting US policy for regime change in Iraq, Iraq being a threat to their neigbors and many other reasons. Even in front of the UN, Colin Powell talked about these same things, but the media again focused on the WMD.

What I do blame, is the President for making the same mistakes Johnson and Nixon did in Vietnam: Not letting the commanders with experience fight the war the way that it should be, and not puttin in enough troops and proper equipment to accomplish the mission.

i disagree with this. First off, Nixen got us out of the war and inherited Vietnam. He drew down the troops and eventually pulled us out of JFK and Johnson's war.

This is the price we pay for electing someone with no real military experience and then having said person thrust into the position of directing what in reality is WW III on multiple fronts.

FDR is considered the greatest US wartime President and had no military experience except being Sec of the Navy, which is a civilian position. Bill Clinton had so experience either and led us into Bosnia.

I don't get your point anyway since President Bush was in the military for several years. Are you saying military combat?

Back when the other site was up, I made a prediction that this war was gonna be this generation's Vietnam....20,000+ casualties so far, over 3,000 dead American soldiers and counting.

Well over 58,000 Americans died and 153,000+ wounded in Vietnam. The South Korea military lost 5,000+ men in Vietnam fighting along side us. How is the causualty count even close? Additionally, a large percentage of people that went to Vietnam were drafted. No one has been drafted and sent to Iraq. I don't see any simularities between the two wars and see Iraq more like the Korean War. In Iraq we are helping a government against terrorists and radical Islam much like protecting South Korea against Communism.

instead of fighting to line the pockets of special interest groups.

What special interest groups?

Mike

[mikesilvia]

Okay, we get it, you are in love with Bush and the print media is Satan's spawn.

Any real point?

I can find military guys who are not in favor of the war and would not want to go back just like you can find the one's that are. Lots of fun, big deal.

Well, since the military voted for Bush more than 3 to 1 AFTER the Iraq war started, I can find more people in the military for Bush than against him (3 to 1 in fact). In my unit alone 30 out of 35 voted for Bush. Also, if you read my post you will see the re-enlistment rate in Iraq is higher than in Hawaii. Why is that? Because they want to finish the job and leave the correct way. The men and women fighting in Iraq love their country and want to see their country win, not lose. The problem with the media is that they would love to see America lose, along with a small minority of Democrats.

Again, I ask, where do you get your information about Iraq from? Most likely from the media who voted for Kerry 9 to 1. Do you feel you are getting unbiased reporting from editors that are writing anti-war/anti-Bush books? Seek the truth.

Mike

[chljoe]

That was a valid point. You hate the media and love Bush. Pretty clear don't you think. Your hate-filled posts about the media get tiresome and old. Don't tell me not to click on them because I do it to see if anyone has anything to contribute.

Never said they didn't love their country. ™™™™ you rag on Kerry like he is a bad guy. With all your ravings about the military you think you would respect the man. Kerry didn't have a clear plan on much and agreed with Bush on a lot of aspects during their debates.

Bush is a good politician but other than that, he is a bumbling ™™™™™™bag when it comes to running the country, handling the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the budget, the borders.

[mikesilvia]

That was a valid point. You hate the media and love Bush. Pretty clear don't you think. Your hate-filled posts about the media get tiresome and old. Don't tell me not to click on them because I do it to see if anyone has anything to contribute.

My hate filled posts? I think I post without hate and present facts. I don't sit up up night and hate the media. They are in the business of making money and that is what they do. Only fools think journalists are impartial and don't care about money.

If my posts get old and tiresome then don't read them. Simple, huh?

Never said they didn't love their country. ™™™™ you rag on Kerry like he is a bad guy. With all your ravings about the military you think you would respect the man. Kerry didn't have a clear plan on much and agreed with Bush on a lot of aspects during their debates.

Am I "ragging" on Kerry? Are you even reading my posts? I said the media voted for Keryy and never ragged on him in this thread. Care to point it out?

Bush is a good politician but other than that, he is a bumbling ™™™™™™bag when it comes to running the country, handling the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the budget, the borders.

I know! I hate the lowest unemplyment and best economy since Ronald Reagon! The truth is the country is in great shape considering 9-11 and that we are fighting 2 wars. Care to show me how the economy is bad? I agree with you on the border, he should be MUCH tougher.

Mike

[chljoe]

Let's see, we inherited a surplus, which is now gone into an obscene debt.

[mikesilvia]

Let's see, we inherited a surplus, which is now gone into an obscene debt.

WROOOONGGGG!! You have listened to the "evil" media TOO much. Spending less than you take in is great, but then Turing around and borrowing almost $2 trillion is what Clinton did.

President Clinton increased the National Debt by 40%. This increase happened even though we were in a very prosperous time. We have NEVER decreased the National Debt by any 1 year period. Bold and Red are the Clinton years. He went from $4 trillion in debt to $5.6 trillion or a $1.6 trillion/40% increase!!!

09/29/2006 $8,506,973,899,215.23

09/30/2005 $7,932,709,661,723.50
09/30/2004 $7,379,052,696,330.32
09/30/2003 $6,783,231,062,743.62
09/30/2002 $6,228,235,965,597.16
09/28/2001 $5,807,463,412,200.06
09/29/2000 $5,674,178,209,886.86
09/30/1999 $5,656,270,901,615.43
09/30/1998 $5,526,193,008,897.62
09/30/1997 $5,413,146,011,397.34
09/30/1996 $5,224,810,939,135.73
09/29/1995 $4,973,982,900,709.39
09/30/1994 $4,692,749,910,013.32
09/30/1993 $4,411,488,883,139.38
09/30/1992 $4,064,620,655,521.66
09/30/1991 $3,665,303,351,697.03
09/28/1990 $3,233,313,451,777.25
09/29/1989 $2,857,430,960,187.32
09/30/1988 $2,602,337,712,041.16
09/30/1987 $2,350,276,890,953.00
Bureau of the Public Debt : The Debt To the Penny

[chljoe]

Would you stop with the media thing.