Shame on US: Blistering Guest Globe Op-Ed on Bush and War

[Justice]

To the president from a father: Shame on us

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2004/05/19/to_the_president_from_a_father_shame_on_us/

By David F. D'Alessandro | May 19, 2004

"FOR TWO GUYS about the same age, George W. Bush and I do not have much in common. There are, however, two realities we do share: His daughter Barbara and my son Michael both attend Yale. And neither one is about to join the United States armed forces in Iraq. Why not?


Because they don't have to, they don't want to, and George W. and I won't let them.

One of those "flaming liberals" for which Massachusetts is famous asked me, "Why are people not taking to the streets every day protesting the Iraq war like we did in the '60s?" As I thought about it, the answer is simple. The Iraq war is not being fought, for the most part, by the children of the affluent or even affluent-hopefuls. And that is because it's not being fought by the conscripted."

D'Alessandro is chairman of John Hancock. He was also the first major busines leader in Boston to call on Cardinal Law to resign.

[boobooday]

1. This is an amazing and powerful piece

Especially when I got to the end and found out who the guy is. Courageous and true.

http://www.wgoeshome.com

[David Dunham]

2. Excellent article

[Killarney]

3. Wow. Great editorial!

[NMDemDist2]

4. kick n/t

[Bandit]

5. "And that is because it's not being fought by the conscripted."

That is the key. It is the only reason I would ever favor a draft. It would mean that the common American Parent would face sending their child off to war and that ain't easy. People would then stand up and ask the questions that need asking and if not satisfied they would be in the streets. There is no more powerful force than love for one's child. That is why Bush* will not favor a draft. He is smart enough to know the country would revolt if their kid were to be sent to Iraq.

[Warpy]

8. That didn't happen in Vietnam

..until the war dead really began to pile up and up. Of course, the generation sending their conscripted sons to die in Vietnam was the promilitary WWII generation, for whom military service had been as much an honor as a duty. However, that mindset still prevails in rural and small town America, the areas that supply us with our volunteer forces.

Remember how popular it was to invade Iraq, how easy it was to lie to Middle America to do so? It's incredibly easy to lie a population into sacrificing their sons on the altar of corporate greed. All you have to do is convince them that there is some sort of a threat, even an ideological one, and they'll fall for it.

A conscripted military right now would provide Bush with enough "recycled hillbillies" and "useless eaters" to wage war on Syria and Iran, both of which would be about as winnable as Iraq is proving to be. The Big Lie technique would easily sell the war to their parents.

For these reasons and a few others, I'm totally opposed to military conscription as national policy unless this country is physically under attack. The imperial military we have today is bad enough.

[Bandit]

9. Why do you think they did away with the draft?

Americans were out in the streets. As early as 1966 Americans were mobilizing and students were burning draft cards. There were students from mighty influential families that were in those protests. By the early seventies it wasn't just students. It was because of such unrest that the draft was eliminated. Don't fool yourself into thinking it was because the Government wanted to protect us. It was because they wanted to protect themselves. They knew as they do now that a professional Military would not stir the masses. These people volunteered. Bush* knows that and would not allow a draft except in the very last months of his presidency.

[ewagner]

6. This deserves to be read

widely ....

When the so-called "Captains of Industry" start questioning the war, the administration is in deep trouble.

[Atman]

7. Fantastic. A must-read!

If that doesn't hit you, nothing will.