Excellent article in the New York Times by a vet pointing out

[Akamai]

some of the REAL costs and folly of war.

On this Fourth of July, while American violence continues to rain down on Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen, as we continue to support violent regimes in Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Equatorial Guinea and elsewhere by buying oil that we then burn and dump into the atmosphere, precipitously heating the planet, and amid a crucial presidential election, we should ask ourselves what we’re really celebrating with our bottle rockets and sparklers.

— Roy Scranton: ‘Star Wars’ and the fantasy of American violence

Very insightful and sobering presentation that should be read by everyone who celebrates mindless military action.

A particularly good insight is that about military cheerleaders who think they have a better view of reality than the protesters and others opposed to war.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/opinion/sunday/star-wars-and-the-fantasy-of-american-violence.html?_r=0

[pangaia]

1. It is the blind leading the blind to mutual destruction.

Or perhaps, the not so blind.

[Martin Eden]

2. It's good to know that some of our soldiers have learned the important lessons of war ...

... even if our politicians haven't.

K&R

[bvar22]

3. From the article linked in the OP:

"Looking out over Baghdad on the Fourth of July, I saw the truth that story obscured and inverted: I was the faceless storm trooper, and the scrappy rebels were the Iraqis."

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/opinion/sunday/star-wars-and-the-fantasy-of-american-violence.html?_r=0

I had the same epiphany watching the movie Terminator. In scenes from the future, the ruins of the cities were patrolled by Drones who fired high tech weapons at "The Resistance" fighting back from the rubble with antiquated weapons.