Anyone Catch the Wounded Soldiers Press Conference?

[Bruzilla]

I was watching the news this morning, and they cut away to go to a live news conference that two of the soldiers wounded in the helicopter downing were giving over in Germany. Both soldiers were laying in hospital beds, and showed many obvious injuries.

The questions from the press started out focusing on what happened, and the soldiers related how horrifying the whole experience was. Then the questioning shifted to if they knew anyone on the helo who was killed, and one of the soldiers talked about how one of his friends died. Then the discussion turned to their injuries, and the soldiers stated how badly they were wounded.

The last question came from some reporter who asked if the soldiers thought they would be returned to their units and if so, how they felt about that possibility. After all of the negative questions that the press had been asking, about the experience, the loss of friends, the pain and suffering the men felt, I was very interested in hearing how these guys would respond to that question. Both of them said that they would return to their units, and that they felt that it was a good thing. One of the soldiers said that he felt we would be there for a long time, and that a lot of people in Iraq need our help. The other soldier said that his unit was like his family and that he wanted to return to them.

Nice try media folks, but no cigar.

 

[jlabsher]

Boy they train them army boys real good!

 

[tlatchaw]

Originally posted by jlabsher
Boy they train them army boys real good!

Are you implying that perhaps these soldiers are below average intelligence? Please clarify.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by jlabsher
Boy they train them army boys real good!

Yes, they do and I, for one, am grateful.

Our society is leaning toward "poor me" whining and getting away from loyalty and responsibility. I'm glad the military is still trying to instill that in their soldiers.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by http
This is not about politics.

Sure it is. The only reason you think the war is going badly is because of partisan politicians distorting and manufacturing propaganda.

When Clinton dropped the bomb on Iraq, the TV was filled with Democrats saying that Clinton was doing the right thing. When Bush dropped the bombs, those exact same Democrats were saying it was an unjust war and calling for Bush's head.

If that's not politics, what is?

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by http
I would like to talk about taking a bath but please - let's not bring water or soap into the discussion.

:shrug:

 

[Bruzilla]

How does one support the troops but not the war? The purpose of the troops is to wage war, so anything that you do to make the troops more comfortable, confident, or content provides direct aid to the war effort. It amazes me how messed up the thinking of some people is.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by http
And that is even Gdumbya's OWN FATHER, THE PRESIDENT warned never to occupy Baghdad. It will become our 2nd Vietnam he said.

Just because Big Daddy dropped the ball and wouldn't finish the job doesn't mean Dub has to. I think he's doing the right thing and I support complete overthrow of Hussein's regime. In fact, I'd like to see the US go after ALL the terrorist dictatorships in the world.

Maybe that's why ol' Bush Daddy didn't get re-elected?

Clinton did not invade Iraq. We actually sent very few troops into the country. Only enough to get soldiers around the borders away from Kuwait and establish the no-fly zone. 99% of the first Gulf war actually took place in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Israel, not Iraq.

Clinton dropped the bombs on Iraq because Hussein wasn't complying with the UN Resolutions he agreed to in the Gulf War. Then he dropped the ball, just like Daddy Bush.

I admire Dubya because he had the guts to stand up and do what needed to be done. He knew it was potential political suicide and he did it anyway. I give him lots of credit for courage where his father and Clinton had none.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by http
And what are you talking about anyways? Bush I started the Gulf War, not Clinton. It was 90-91. Clinton was 92-2000.

BUSH did NOT start the Gulf War. Hussein did that by invading Kuwait. The UN voted to go in and kick him out and the US (as usual) took the lead.

I'm talking about when Clinton dropped bombs on Baghdad during the impeachment hearings because Hussein kicked out the UN weapons inspectors. Everyone said it was a Wag the Dog scenario but that's one of the only things he ever did in office that I approved of.

 

[Kyle]

Right thing to do but I'm sure it was for less than honorable reasons...

Originally posted by vraiblonde
... Everyone said it was a Wag the Dog scenario but that's one of the only things he ever did in office that I approved of.

The odds were eventually with him... He couldn't possibly do the wrong thing EVERY time.

 

[tlatchaw]

Re: Right thing to do but I'm sure it was for less than honorable reasons...

Originally posted by Kyle
The odds were eventually with him... He couldn't possibly do the wrong thing EVERY time.

Yeah, even a broken clock is right twice a day.

 

[vraiblonde]

I'm not sure how I feel about closing our borders. On one hand, we should be tougher with immigration and visitors for our own safety. But I also feel sorry for people who come here, escaping from some hell hole. I think it would be a shame to penalize some Middle Eastern immigrant who's come here to build a life for the sins of his countrymen - the ones he was fleeing from in the first place.

There might be more terrorists in Frederick than in Iraq - who knows? But, as of this writing, they're not shooting at anyone. And we're not a country (any more) that rounds people up and puts them in concentration camps for what "might" be.

I think Saddam Hussein DID have a hand in 9-11. Al Qaeda had training camps in Iraq - I find it hard to believe Hussein didn't know about it and didn't fund them in some way.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by http
If you want to hit a major terrorist supporter, you need to start with Saudi Arabia. Then take out Canada, England and France

Don't tempt me.

Http, don't you remember the furor right after 9-11 when the libs thought Bush was going to start rounding people up? How about all the lawsuits from foreign Muslims who so much as had their baggage checked? How about all the attacks on Tom Ridge for the precautions he's taken?

Can you imagine what would happen if Bush decided to deport even so much as illegal immigrants, let alone "students" on expired visas? Hell, California is trying to get them all driver's licenses.

 

[Bruzilla]

Hey http... where did you find the quote of Bush Sr. saying we should never go into Iraq? I remember in his memoirs he said that going into Iraq in 1992 would have fractured the alliance, and he thought it would turn all of the Arab countries against us. He never said we should never go into Iraq, just that 1992 wasn't the time to do it.

Was he right? I think that going into Iraq in 1992 would have been the wrong thing to do because we had no UN mandate to do it, Turkey and Iran would likely have come crashing through the borders, and yes... things would have been a mess.

As for the other part, did the Arab countries turn against us? Who was an ally to us before we went in who's not now? Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, etc., all seem to still be with us. Iran, Syria, Jordan, and the like were never with us to begin with. I think you need to find a better spokesman for not going into Iraq.

As for what servicepeople think about their lot in life, I couldn't care less if they are unhappy. They aren't trained and paid to be happy. They are trained and paid to fight, and if necessary, die. I say that as someone who wore the uniform for ten years, knowing full well that I could get killed at anytime in a job where I never made more than $25k a year, was forced to live in crappy surroundings, and had to be away from my family for six months at a time. That's why I'm a civilian now.

If there are troops that aren't happy, tough. They can get out as soon as their service obligation is over and they have paid us back on our investment in them. What I do object to is some folks in the media trying to hold the whiners up as examples of the military as a whole.

 

[SamSpade]

Holding up the whiners? Heck, sometimes they just put words in their mouth.

I still can't believe, back in March and April, reporters asking the families of soldiers who were against the war, questions like "do you think this war is worth the deaths of so many innocent Iraqis?" "do you think we should have just gone straight to Baghdad as was planned, instead of waiting all this time?". What's a person to answer, especially one who has already declared they're against the war?

"SURE it's worth their deaths. Kill em all and let Allah sort 'em out!"

"Yeah I read the battle plan just like you did. At this rate we'll NEVER take Baghdad!!"

What a load of crap. I got tired of listening to such loaded questions. It was clear enough how the *reporter* felt about the war but I didn't "learn" a damned thing. This is *news*?

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by SamSpade
I got tired of listening to such loaded questions.

Not only loaded questions but selective use of responses. If you use the media as a guide, NO ONE ANYWHERE supports the war (except for 70% of Zogby poll respondents).

 

[tlatchaw]

Originally posted by http


I guarantee you there are more terrorists in Frederick, Maryland than Iraq, and its been pretty much proven already.

Ahhh! What is Frederick but Prince Frederick or Lexington Park in another county?

That's it! I'm gonna start gunnin' fer furriners! Anybody that doesn't look or act just like me must be Al Quaida. Oh wait, there I go with Mr. Dean's southern stereotype.

So how would you recommend we take care of the terrorist threat, http? I presume your comments about deporting people and closing the borders were made in jest. If we have reason to believe that one of these terrorist masterminds is located someplace, should we NOT go after them just because it might mean we have to attack Syria? Or Mexico? Or Laos?

Seems to me we need to walk a fine line between our freedoms and our security. The fact that we debate whether or not we're over the line indicates to me that we're close.

 

[SamSpade]

Don't count on much. Too many people disagreeing with him. He's gone for now.

I'm amused by the sentiment that was against our going in because we had no UN mandate but decries the fact that we didn't ignore the UN in '91 and just roll into Baghdad. That we had no UN backing going into this war, but now that we DO it is irrelevant. Can someone PLEASE tell me, honestly, why they are against the war in Iraq without piling on crap about how they hate Bush, or Rumsfeld, or Cheney, or oil companies or the Yankees or any of a host of completely irrelevant reasons? Devolving the discussion into character assasination is avoiding the subject.

It's like people who say they hate the Yankees. Why, I ask? Because they win too much. Sorry, NOT an answer. It is stupid to hate a team for being successful at what they do. Because of Steinbrenner. Ok, getting better but not an answer. Because they ruin the sport for everyone by dominating it with the overwhelming amount of money they have that other teams don't. Ok, there's an answer - one I don't agree with, but it's an answer.

You know, most liberals I know hate Ashcroft. Most have no idea why but one once told me "because I'm *supposed* to I guess". Some actually say "oh it's because of the Patriot Act" but then spout lots of stuff about the Patriot Act which is easily debunked by a casual perusal at DOJ's web site.

Come one - give me a damned REASON to be against this war.

 

[jlabsher]

A great nation doesn't invade another soverign nation unprovoked.

Is that a good enough reason? Just like beating up another kid because he "reportedly" did something bad to another kid in the class, even though you have no proof.

Not the right thing to do, at least thats what I was always taught.

As for as daddy Bush, read the Andy Rooney thread.

 

[vraiblonde]

Originally posted by http
Not to mention Gdumbya tried to convince us the we were invading Iraq for WMDs. Remember that crap?!?!?!?!?!?!?

Why do you think it's crap when we know for a fact that he has/had them? Do you think news reports of him gassing the Kurds are all made up by Bush supporters? Do you think reports on finding weapons parts are fictional? Do you think Bill Clinton lied when told Larry King that Saddam CERTAINLY has WMD and now it's just a matter of finding them?

Is everyone in the world a liar except Saddam Hussein?