Email Conversation About the Right Wing & Iraq -

[Isome]

The Participants:

1. K — a twenty-something female, has a friend currently deployed somewhere near Iraq
   
2. D — a thirty-something female
   
3. AM — a forty something male, currently in Iraq as a civilian training Iraqi "security forces"

"K" sent the following article:

Jessica Lynch, Lt. Col. West: What's wrong with this picture?
townhall.com 11/16/03 .::.Mona Charen.::.

I sometimes wonder whether a nation that sends girls like Jessica Lynch into battle and punishes soldiers like Lt. Col. Allen West is quite in its right mind.

Why is Jessica Lynch's story worthy of a book, a TV movie and a waltz through celebrity central on ABC, NBC, CNN, etc.?

...Larry Flynt has (but does not plan to publish) pictures of Ms. Lynch cavorting topless with other American soldiers.

...West detained a local police officer who was said to be cooperating with the enemy. When the police officer failed to provide any information after initial questioning, West took charge of the interrogation himself ... He fired his pistol over the shoulder of the man to frighten him.

The policeman then revealed the names of several plotters, and the Army was able to foil a planned ambush of Americans. Immediately after the interrogation, West reported his conduct to his commanding officer.

Army prosecutors have reportedly offered West a choice: resign before he becomes eligible for a pension, or be charged with assault. The charge could carry a sentence of up to eight years. ...

Question: Does the Army want all of its soldiers to be Jessica Lynches?

...As a recent Atlantic Monthly article argues, our overall victory in the war on terror will depend, to some not insignificant extent, upon success at the "dark art of interrogation."

After all, when it comes to outright warfare, there is no power on earth that can touch us. ...If Turkey had permitted us to use her territory to launch a northern thrust, it would have taken even less time.

...there are some less-than-comfortable tactics that remain necessary. West employed one of them. He undoubtedly saved the lives of Americans. ...

"D" responded:

Just know the source of the information you're getting K. Townhall.com & Mona Charen (http://www.charen-watch.com/) are NOTORIOUS tools of the cheap labor conservative movement. Mona is one of those Ann Coulter types, and Ann doesn't even believe women should have the right to vote. Sure townhall now runs articles downplaying Jessica Lynch's war record.Initially, however, they perpetuated the myth that she was a female Rambo.

As for Mona's ridiculous question ("Does the Army want all of its soldiers to be Jessica Lynches?"), you need to consider the background information to put that non-sequitur, disguised as a question, into proper perspective.

• Jessica publicly blew this administration's lies out of the water. They said she had amnesia; she doesn't. They said she was a hero; she said she wasn't. They said she was brutalized by her captors; she said she wasn't, she was treated well.
  
• Not long after the WTC & Pentagon attacks in 2001, the United States government OPENLY extolled the virtues of torture and speculated which countries would allow us to ship our prisoners there so we could practice those "interrogation techniques".
  
  
  
  • Guantanamo Bay is seen as ideal because the prisoners held there are NOT classified as prisoners of war, so they're NOT covered under the Geneva Convention anyway.
  
  
• The entire Iraq war is wreaking havoc with the political future of this entire administration.




• The majority of allegedly "liberated" Iraqis are NOT happy, hence the increased amount of daily attacks and the increasing intensity of those attacks.



• Our national piggy bank is a veritable sieve because of the costs of this war, and we need our "allies" to step in so the money drain will stop.

The rest of the world is watching, and they're watching us closely. Consequently, the violation of that prisoner's rights, under the Geneva Convention— Article 13 explicitly states: prisoners of war must at all times be protected, particularly against acts of violence or intimidation— has generated a response designed to assuage our potential allies' concerns that we truly are a rogue nation, punchdrunk with military might. Don't get it twisted, the soldier was wrong to fire that gun, even if what he did isn't uncommon, and is less harmful than what a country we've deemed less civilized, and not entitled to self-rule, has done to our captured soldiers.

LTC West is merely cannon fodder; he's expendable on the battlefield and in the political arena. There's a saying in the military: shit rolls downhill. It simply means that the lower your rank, the more likely you will suffer when someone of higher rank needs a sacrificial lamb.

The dilemma lies in whether you, as a citizen of this nation, want our troops subjected to the same treatment? We cannot hold the moral highground, while indulging in immoral behavior and using moral relativism as justification. You get me?

Most importantly, abiding by the Geneva Convention has NOTHING to do with Jessica Lynch, what happened to her, or being like her.. Mona Charen is trying to make a connection where none exists, in an effort to smear Jessica and appear supportive of active duty U.S. servicemen. Don't be fooled... puhleeze, don't be fooled!! Cheap labor conservatives aren't supportive of anyone who works for a living, at least not those who make less money than they do.

To put it bluntly, Mona Charen's an infected cunt and townhall.com is a rabid right wing rag! Neither is worthy of consideration. Too much exposure to either of them will result in an irreversible loss of brain cells. Be afraid, be very afraid.

"AM" responded:

As Dustin Hoffman in Justice for All said, " ... there is something wrong here!"

The frustration being felt by some of my fellows and that we hear from the joes and jills is very high. These RAGHEADS (deal w/ it), didn't have the cajones to get rid of the Batthists themselves; we did and now they are the key to ending this "occupation".

Intelligence is needed from people who want to help themselves? Or we leave (democrates win the white house) and SODOMY (or Shia Islamists) walks back indomy!

Letsroll, "AM"

"D" replies:

They didn't want to get rid of the Baathists, or they would have. Besides which, the U.S. put the Baathists in power in the first place.

We wanted the OIL, and the joes & jills will stay there until we get to OUR oil that just so happens to be under THEIR sand. Deal with that.

"AM" responds:

Who put the Bathist & Sodomy Insane in charge. Was it a CIA plot? Oh so you know they didn't want to get rid of the Bathist! Tell that to the Iraqis, I know. How many do you know? Oh that's right you've never been to the middle east or spent time w/ Iraqis who fled to the west and live in the west, Dearborn/Detroit or still live here. Go poll those folks and leave the lefty websites for a minute.

We pay for every drop of oil that is imported, no matter who's sand it's under. And our oil that we will pay for, keeps you, me and everyone else in the west enjoying our standard of living. I don't see the naysayers going back to nature and wanting to live like the Iraqis (who pay less than $0.20 / liter) live! Or even volunteering to pay about $1.00/liter = @$4.00 per gallon like they do in Europe (Japan is even higher)!

Show me the guru who can say that NOW, the US will get cheaper or more oil because we conquered these goat-smellin', camel jockeys! It would have been cheaper for the rich ruling class (DEMS perspective on Bush, Chaney et all) to do like the French and just buy the oil and not go to war.

Deal w/ dat! -SMOOCHES-

Letsroll, "AM"

"D" replies:

Suddenly you're an expert on ME, its politics & history? How did that happen? Because you're over there? So, you've met Iraqis who are happy the U.S. has invaded the country. Out of the millions of Iraqis, you've met how many... hundreds, thousands? Oh' wow... that's so unimpressive. Too bad you can't take off your kevlar and go meet the rest of them who ARE NOT happy. I'm sure they'd take the time off from planning mayhem to speak frankly with ya'. In the meantime, while you're with those Iraqis who are so happy to see you, don't forget to call them diaperheads and camel jockeys... It'll go a long way toward helping them understand you're there to LIBERATE them!

It doesn't take a "lefty" website to learn the truth, rightwing news shows say the same thing. Then there's the Freedom of Information Act that will fill in some blanks, if you're willing to think critically. And, there's also a Mr. Morris (formerly of the NSC) who has come out to tell the truth about the U.S. involvement in Iraqi politics.

Yeah... we're dependent on foreign oil. Most Americans are ignorant of what comprises our "standard of living", and then there are those who practice conscientious ignorance and don't care who we fuck over to maintain our "standard of living"... that would be you. Take your head out of the.... uhhhh, sand for a moment and you'll find a vocal contingency of Americans who eschew our dependence on foreign oil, and are indeed advocating alternative fuels. But, as long as big business lobbyists continue to hold such sway over our political process, people like you will continue to practice conscientious ignorance. It's easier, we understand.

The truth of the matter is the country is in chaos and will be for years to come because of the invasion. Deal with that while you're there... and don't forget to duck!

...it's all in luuuuuvvvv!!