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Below is an updated list of excerpted letters published in Stars & Stripes from Sept. 20 to the present, letters which are either critical of the Bush administration in general, of the wars he has started/policies he promotes, or critical of anyone affiliated with the GOP. Prior lists can be found below. Note to the GOP: The military does not support you because you do not support the military. Note to Americans: Support the troops--vote Democrat!http://journals.democraticunderground.com/lebkuchen/5">List #2: July '06 - Sept. 18, '06 http://www.dailykos.com/story/2005/12/18/45138/421">List #1: Aug. '02 - June '06 http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=41153">Bush, Republicans failed/Sad 'State' of cartoon affairs/Inferior body armor for Army, Oct. 31, 2006 When Americans see the new Republican political campaign fear ad that shows a picture of bin Laden, it should remind all Americans of Bush’s and the Republicans’ failure to accomplish the one mission that all Americans came together to ask of them: “Get bin Laden.” ... Carl Moore, who pens the “State of the Union” cartoon, really outdid himself with his moronic and disgusting portrayal of President Clinton on the Oct. 24 Opinion page. ... I simply do not understand the Army’s (and military’s) giving fat government body armor contracts to provide me and my soldiers with inferior body armor. http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=41143">Time to vote for Democrats, Oct. 30, 2006 Kevin Tillman’s commemorating the birthday of his brother Pat on Nov. 6 is a withering excoriation of Bush’s policies of pre-emptive strike, kidnapping, torture, war profiteering, subverting the Bill of Rights/Constitution/Geneva Conventions and suspending habeas corpus. Tillman reminds readers that the U.S. is still a democracy, and that change can still take place within our government, starting the day after Pat Tillman’s birthday, Election Day.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=41087">Print all political views, Oct. 28, 2006
Dr. Laura Schlesinger recently commented on her radio show that the Democrats should shut up about former Rep. Mark Foley’s escapades and should be more concentrated on trying to get North Korea to stop nuclear testing. This is a sad commentary of a doctor who is supposed to help people, including those who are victims of pedophilia. Moreover, she forgets that Republicans have lost credibility worldwide, which is why they have to consistently convey their failed policy to the North Koreans and Iranians that “if you take one more step, I’ll, I’ll … (add punishment here)” and then do nothing.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=41056">No place for religion, Oct. 27, 2006
In reference to “Military chaplains divided over speech issue” (article, Los Angeles Times, Oct. 15 Stripes), I not only feel that the restrictions are a necessary step, but that prayer and any other religious tenet should be removed from any military ceremony, period.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=41030">Clay column a learning tool, Oct. 26, 2006
One of the people in my office (Office of the Army Surgeon General) forwarded http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=39832&archive=true">“My respect for ‘quiet clay’ is loud and clear” (column, Sept. 26) to the office. Perhaps one could call it horrifying, but it’s not the column that’s horrifying — it’s what it describes. Perhaps if more such columns were printed, more people would realize how horrifying war is — and work harder to avoid getting into wars. The folks in the White House should receive a copy of it.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40995">Pay raises and presidents, Oct. 25, 2006
The bottom line is Democratic presidents have a higher rate of military pay raises than Republican presidents, with Carter having the highest overall average.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40968">Constitutional couch potatoes, Oct. 24, 2006
On Oct. 17, 135 years to the day after the last American president (Ulysses S. Grant) suspended habeas corpus, President Bush signed into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006. At its worst, the legislation allows President Bush or Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to declare anyone — U.S. citizen or not — an enemy combatant, lock them up and throw away the key without a chance to prove their innocence in a court of law. In other words, everything the Founding Fathers fought the British Empire to free themselves of was reversed and nullified with the stroke of a pen, all under the guise of the war on terror.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40950">GOP-military disinformation, Oct. 23, 2006
There are a lot of conservatives in uniform. However, as the number of veterans running as Democrats this year has proven, there are a lot of Democrats in uniform, too. It strikes me that our pay raises are more affected by the forces of supply and demand rather than the “patriotism/support the military” attitudes of either party. Voting based on who can give the biggest pay raise contradicts our mentality of “service before self.”
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40856">GOP's attacks omit facts, Oct. 19, 2006
Moderates are (finally) beginning to realize that their Republican Party, the party that used to stand for strong defense and fiscal responsibility, has been hijacked by the extreme right wing led by Ann Coulter, Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and Rep. Katherine Harris of Florida.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40802">Better use of $200 million?, Oct. 17, 2006
“The fruit of a $200 million-a-year contract” (“Army adopts ‘Army Strong’ slogan,” The Associated Press, Oct. 11). Are you kidding me? It sickens me to think our government is spending this absurd amount of our tax dollars on a slogan that a handful of our underpaid servicemembers could have come up with. I’m positive that that money could have gone to better use (i.e., perhaps adding to this, ahem, 2.2 percent pay raise?)
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40730">Congress takes care of self, Oct. 14, 2006
Now the question I beg to ask is this? Who are you going to vote for in the next election? The Democrats who have been stellar proponents of fiscal responsibility or Republicans who spend like crazy on everything except a decent military pay raise and a decent cost of living wage?
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40689">Military earned larger raise, Oct. 12, 2006
I wish to make an inquiry into the $20 million Congress has laid aside in the military spending bill to spend on the “party” they want to throw when this thing in Afghanistan and Iraq is finally over (“Congress sets aside $20M for victory party,” Oct. 5, European and Mideast editions). My question is, “Am I going to get an invitation to this party?”
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40132&archive=true">Stop-loss v. reenlistment, Oct. 10, 2006
We consider many pros and cons at re-enlistment time, and from my experience stop loss is one of the major negatives we consider. It is a breach of our contracts, and while they have the power to enforce it, is it really wise to do so? I haven’t met one single soldier who is happy about it. Neither are their families. So how can anyone say it does not affect morale?
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40067&archive=true">Don't rely on human ingenuity, Oct. 7, 2006
To suggest that we will be able to burn oil for as long as we wish is to ignore the damage of continuing to burn oil at any rate: poisoning of the air, the warming of the globe, the pollution of the ground. There is also damage caused by the technological advances in agriculture in the pollution by runoff, unknown harm from bio-engineered foods, and an increasing number of pests and bacteria immune to our pesticides and medicines.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40046&archive=true">Paltry pay raise crashes party, Oct. 6, 2006
Who are the biggest backers of this war in Iraq? Republicans, that’s who. Who tells us to stay the course? Republicans again. Who lobbied for the paltry 2.2 percent pay raise? The president, who also is the commander in chief. And who controls Congress? Bingo. If you said the Republicans, you get a Bronze Star.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=39998&archive=true">Quiet clay should be read/Quiet clay a reality check|Quiet clay hits home, Oct. 5, 2006
It is ironic that printing “quiet clay” shocked people, yet these types of events are happening every day in Iraq. How can the fact that someone would retell this story be more horrifying than the fact that the events are reality? Yes, it would be a painful piece to read for families of fallen soldiers, but most news from Iraq would be. That should not cause us to obscure or sugarcoat the reality of what is happening to our soldiers.
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In response to the woman who wrote http://stripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=40445">“‘Quiet clay’ column horrifying,” well, that was her reality check. Let me be the first to welcome her back to the real world most of us live in. Perhaps next time, before people are so quick to argue on the side of such a “noble” war or vote right-wing warmongers into power, they will reflect on the “horror” of that column and make a more informed decision.
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My son is in Ramadi, Iraq. He has told us worse than what this young man has described. The only ones who would find it disturbing are the ones who do not care, the ones who do not have loved ones in these wars, who turn their heads and look the other way.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=39975&archive=true">It's really about peak oil, Oct. 4, 2006
Peak oil dominates U.S. foreign policy. China and the U.S. have been playing the global game of Monopoly for oil assets for years. China has been concentrating in Asia, Africa and South America, and the U.S. in the Middle East and Canada. Now, why do you think we are in Iraq?
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=39974&archive=true">Don't withhold evidence, Oct. 3, 2006
“Senate will take up interrogation debate” (article, The Associated Press, Sept. 16) said that President Bush was trying to get a bill passed that would withhold evidence from the court and deny the methods of interrogation from being questioned during trials of suspected terrorists. I find it appalling that the thought even crossed the president’s mind. He wanted us to help Iraq become a “beacon of democracy” to the rest of the Middle East. How can you expect democracy to spread when you’re choking it in your own country?
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=39937&archive=true">Tough to maintain standards, Oct. 2, 2006
OK, this may be the Army’s best enlistment year since 1997, but think about the number of standards that have been lowered or tricks pulled out of a hat in order to make this happen. For instance...$20,000 enlistment bonuses/re-enlistment bonuses? You didn’t see this in 1997.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=39858&archive=true">Victim of good 'ole boy system, Sept. 28, 2006
Here we have instances of an NCO constantly asking the young specialist for sex, which she constantly refused until he showed up drunk and accosted her in the shower in the middle of the night. Then she was browbeaten into a sexual relationship with another NCO. When she tried to report it, she was either called a liar or the offending NCO was sent to another unit — on to fresh hunting ground, I guess. These NCOs seem to be able to get away with murder. That they are all in a military police unit is not lost on me either. She ran away because she was facing a second deployment with these men; with supervisors like them, who needs an enemy.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=39719&archive=true">Using weapons on US mobs, Sept. 22, 2006
I was shocked by “Air Force: Test nonlethal weapons on U.S. mobs” (The Associated Press, Sept. 14). The Air Force wants to test nonlethal munitions on mobs of American citizens so the international press doesn’t make us look bad? Last time I checked, we’re supposed to defend American citizens, not test our weapons on them in order to save some public relations.
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=39669&archive=true">Our leaders our naked!/Poor planning in the trenches, Sept. 20, 2006
President Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, et al., you are all naked!
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Now, as Iraqi and American forces prepare to launch the greatest trench-building effort since World War I, it has become obvious that “cut and run” simply does not compare to “shovel and throw.” |
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