As a matter of record, Bush and his cabal of warhawk neocons have served very little time in the military. They are what can be referred to as "chickenhawks." Why AWOL Bush couldn't even manage to show up for the National Guard duty that he used to get out of the Vietnam War draft. Nor will you find any of the fortunate sons of the rich and the powerful volunteering for military duty today; yet these same chickenhawks have no problem sending poor boys to serve as cannon fodder for their oil wars in the Middle East.

Thus, it's not surprising that despite their propaganda about “supporting the troops,” the chickenhawks don’t have a great record of supplying the troops in the field - nor helping them when they return maimed and traumatized.

Here research psychologist Andrew Weaver and former CIA analyst Ray McGovern discuss the plight of Iraq War veterans.

Published on Sunday, February 4, 2007 by the Baltimore Sun
Troops Return to Painful Wait for Needed Help

It is not surprising to find that an assessment of more than 220,000 military personnel returning from Iraq published in the April Journal of the American Medical Association found that nearly one in five has significant mental health problems. Repeated tours of duty increase the risk of post-traumatic stress disorder by 50 percent.

At the same time, we are hearing disturbing news reports that these traumatized soldiers are not receiving the mental heath care they urgently require. Last month, National Public Radio journalist Daniel Zwerdling did an extensive story on the military's treatment of personnel returning from Iraq who suffer from emotional problems, including PTSD.

Veterans coming home stated that their superiors have harassed and punished them for seeking help for psychological problems triggered by their service in Iraq. Several of the soldiers' supervisors acknowledged the callous treatment.

A recent national study by the Government Accountability Office found that most of the troops who show signs of PTSD were not referred to mental health professionals, despite Pentagon claims, in NPR's report, "that providing support to soldiers with emotional problems is a top priority" and "that resources are being made available to returning veterans."

http://www.consortiumnews.com/2007/020507a.html

Kaf,

There are pills out there to calm people who hate someone so much! Hating Bush and thinking about Iraq 8 hours a day can only cause problems in your life.

Sen. McCain's son is a Marine and served in Iraq and he has been the most vocal supporter of sending more troops. Also, he served in Vietnam and was a POW for years. Is he a "Chickenhawk"? Or is it guys like John Kerry who commit war crimes and Bill Clinton who flee to Canada that are the only ones who can speak? There are several Republicans with their sons in Iraq at this moment and your blind hatred and choosing to read ONLY anti-Bush propaganda has blinded you to 50% of the world opinion. Remember that Bush was re-elected with 51% of the vote almost 2 years AFTER the Iraq war? Something that Bill Clinton couldn't do.

So, President Bush breaking budget records year after year on military spending and he is not supporting the troops? You slam him for spending too much and you slam him for not spending enough. Which one is it? What party is calling for cutting funding to the troops in Iraq this year? I will give you a hint it is not the Republican party.

Sounds like a problem within the Army and not with the President. Is Bush now to blame for every supervisor that doesn't send a soldier to mental health? Is he also to blame for every drunk GI that rapes or beats up a Korean? How about the price of nails going up at Bob's discount store?

This is not journalism, but left wing propaganda. I am still waiting for you to post something that didn't come from Michael Moore's website, Ihatebush.com, impeachbush.com or other radical websites.

__________________
Visit USFK Classifieds, the FREE classifieds in Korea!

Here, the simple facts speak for themselves. While the rich and powerful Republican war hawks like to talk a big talk about going to war, it's not them nor their "fortunate sons" whom you'll find doing any real time in the military. They are the ones with "connections" who manage to find a way out of serving. Instead, they would rather find poor boys, desperate to earn a living, to pump up with their war propaganda about "serving their country," which in reality has meant serving the interests of corporate and political power.

Democrats, on the other hand, have a much more impressive record. Maybe it's because they actually know what war means that they are usually more hesitant to send poor boys to fight for corporate war profiteering, such as was the case in the most recent illegal attack on the sovereign country of Iraq, murdering approximately 100,000 Iraqi civilians in their "shock and awe" form of state-sponsored terrorism. And the others they killed with their "precision" (NOT) bombing experiments and depleted uranium bullets were merely Iraqi patriots fighting against the attack of a foreign invader.

Yes, Democrats too voted to give Bush the power to prosecute that illegal war, but they were conned, just as were the American people (with lots of war propaganda help from a more than willing corporate media) and as were those who thought they were "serving their country" when they prosecuted the illegal war of aggression and crimes against the peace.

Nevertheless, the record speaks for itself concerning warmongering Republican "chickenhawks."

Prominent Democrats who served:

*Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) -- rifle platoon and company commander with the Fifth Marine Regiment in the An Hoa Basin west of Danang; was awarded the Navy Cross, the Silver Star Medal, two Bronze Star Medals, and two Purple Hearts.
*Representative Tim Walz, D-MN - Twenty-four years of service in the Army National Guard, retiring in 2005.
*Representative Joe Sestak, D-PA - 31 years of service in the Navy, rising to the rank of Vice Admiral.
*Representative Chris Carney, D-PA - Lieutenant Commander in the United States Naval Reserve, Carney served multiple tours overseas and was activated for Operation Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, and Southern Watch.
*Representative Patrick Murphy, D-PA - extensive career in the U.S. Army from 1993-2004; earned Bronze Star and Presidential Unit Citation.
*Representative Phil Hare, D-IL - Served in the United States Army Reserve for six years.
*Representative Jack Murtha (D-PA) - distinguished 37-year career in the U.S. Marine Corps, Bronze Star and two Purple Hearts, retired from the Marine Corps Reserve as a colonel in 1990.
*Former House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt - Missouri Air National Guard, 1965-71.
*Representative David Bonior - Staff Sgt., United States Air Force 1968-72
*Former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle - 1st Lt., U.S. Air Force SAC 1969-72
*Former Vice President Al Gore - enlisted August 1969; sent to Vietnam January 1971 as an army journalist, assigned to the 20th Engineer Brigade headquartered at Bien Hoa, an airbase twenty miles northeast of Saigon. More facts about Gore's Service
*Former Senator Bob Kerrey... Democrat... Lt. j.g., U.S. Navy 1966-69; Medal of Honor, Vietnam
*Senator Daniel Inouye, US Army 1943-'47; Medal of Honor, World War Two
*Senator John Kerry, Lt., U.S. Navy 1966-70; Silver Star, Bronze Star with Combat V, and three awards of the Purple Heart for his service in combat
*Representative Charles Rangel, Staff Sgt., U.S. Army 1948-52; Bronze Star, Korea
*Former Senator Max Cleland, Captain, U.S. Army 1965-68; Silver Star & Bronze Star, Vietnam
*Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) - U.S. Army, 1951-1953.
*Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA) - Lt., U.S. Navy, 1962-67; Naval Reserve, 1968-74.
*Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) - U.S. Army Ranger, 1971-1979; Captain, Army Reserve 1979-91
*Former Senator Fritz Hollings (D-SC) - served as a U.S. Army officer in World War II, receiving the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons.
*Representative Leonard Boswell (D-IA) - Lt. Col., U.S. Army 1956-76; two tours in Vietnam, two Distinguished Flying Crosses as a helicopter pilot, two Bronze Stars, and the Soldier's Medal.
*Former Representative "Pete" Peterson, Air Force Captain, POW, Ambassador to Viet Nam, and recipient of the Purple Heart, the Silver Star and the Legion of Merit.
*Rep. Mike Thompson, D-CA: Staff sergeant/platoon leader with the 173rd Airborne Brigade, U.S. Army; was wounded and received a Purple Heart.
*Bill McBride, Democratic Candidate for Florida Governor - volunteered and served as a U.S. Marine in Vietnam; awarded Bronze Star with a combat "V."
*Gray Davis, former California Governor, Army Captain in Vietnam; received Bronze Star.
*Pete Stark, D-CA, served in the Air Force 1955-57
*Wesley Clark, Democratic Presidential Candidate - 38-year career of public service in the Army, culminating as Supreme Allied Commander of NATO.

Prominent Republicans:

*Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-KY - did not serve
*Senate Assistant Minority Leader Trent Lott, R-MI - avoided the draft, did not serve.
*Senate Republican Conference Chairman Jon Kyl, R-AZ - did not serve.
*National Republican Senatorial Committee Chair John Ensign, R-NV - did not serve.
*House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-OH - did not serve.
*House Minority Whip Roy Blunt, R-MO - did not serve.
*House Republican Conerence Chair Adam Putnam, R-FL - did not serve.
*House Republican Policy Committee Thaddeus McCotter, R-MI - did not serve.
*National Republican Congressional Committee Chair Tom Cole, R-OK - did not serve.
*Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani - did not serve.
*Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney - did not serve in the military but did serve the Mormon Church on a 30-month mission to France.
*Senator John McCain - McCain's naval honors include the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Legion of Merit, Purple Heart and Distinguished Flying Cross. Why did the Bush campaign smear him so in 2000? At least Senators Cleland (D-GA), Kerry (D-MA), Kerrey (D-NE), Robb (D-VA) and Hagel (R-NE) defended him.
*Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert - avoided the draft, did not serve.
*Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey - avoided the draft, did not serve.
*Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay - avoided the draft, did not serve. "So many minority youths had volunteered ... that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like himself."
*Former House Majority Whip Roy Blunt - did not serve
*IFormer Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist - did not serve. (An impressive medical resume, but not such a friend to cats in Boston.)
* Rick Santorum, R-PA, formerly third ranking Republican in the Senate - did not serve.
*George Felix Allen, former Republican Senator from Virginia - a supporter of Nixon and the Vietnam war, did not serve.
*Former Secretary of Defense Don Rumsfeld - served in the U.S. Navy (1954-57) as an aviator and flight instructor. Served as President Reagan's Special Envoy to the Middle East and met with Saddam Hussein twice in 1983 and 1984.
*GW Bush - decided that a six-year Nat'l Guard commitment really means four years. There is still no evidence that Bush even reported one time to the National Guard during Vietnam. Still says that he's "been to war." Huh?
*VP Cheney - several deferments, the last by marriage (in his own words, "had other priorities than military service")
*Former Att'y Gen. John Ashcroft - did not serve; received seven deferment to teach business ed at SW Missouri State
*Jeb Bush, Florida Governor - did not serve.
*Karl Rove - avoided the draft, did not serve, too busy being a Republican.
*Former Speaker Newt Gingrich - avoided the draft, did not serve
*Former President Ronald Reagan - due to poor eyesight, served in a noncombat role making movies for the Army in southern California during WWII. He later seems to have confused his role as an actor playing a tail gunner with the real thing.
*"B-1" Bob Dornan - avoided Korean War combat duty by enrolling in college acting classes (Orange County Weekly article). Enlisted only after the fighting was over in Korea.
*Phil Gramm - avoided the draft, did not serve, four (?) student deferments
*Former Senator Bob Dole - an honorable man. http://www.bobdole.org/bio/wwII.php
*Chuck Hagel - two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star, Vietnam. http://www.senate.gov/~hagel/Information/bio.htm
*Duke Cunningham - nominated for the Medal of Honor, received the Navy Cross, two Silver Stars, fifteen Air Medals, the Purple Heart, and several other decorations Recently entered plea bargain on felony charges of bribery, etc. etc.
*Senator Jeff Sessions U.S. Army Reserves, 1973-1986
*Colin Powell. What are we to make of Powell? On the one hand, a long career as a military manager. On the other hand, accused of covering up the My Lai massacre. Back on that first hand, one of the seemingly sane voices in this administration when it comes to Iraq (or at least he used to be). On the other hand, a clear hypocrite ("I am angry that so many of the sons of the powerful and well-placed... managed to wangle slots in Reserve and National Guard units...")
*Representative Wayne Gilchrest (R-MD), served in USMC in Vietnam; wounded in action.

The one thing that you and alot of military service members seemed to forget that not everybody can even be in the service. I am a Marine and we don't send our troops to be "cannon fodder". War of attrition is not in our vocabulary. In the truest sense a soldier is supposed to be the modern warrior. The call to battle and the sense of peace in the field can't be learned but is an inate trait within only a few. Just by giving a gun and a uniform does not make a warrior. Now what you are saying is that you want these spoiled, sheltered sons of politicians and the rich to go to battle? If the warrior spirit is in them, they will answer the call and once answered they will die trying to protect their brother beside them. Can that be said of one who would be forced to enlist as a politician's way of showing that he supports the war? I think not...I would rather take the poor bastard sons of America that volunteer and answer the call to fight along side of me because I can count on him when it counts.

Another thing to note is that you don't seem to support the war in Iraq but yet you would want the politicians to support it??????? Which is it? Do you think they should support the war in Iraq or not to? As far as I can see, you have not even touched the fact of the War on Terror in Afganastan either. The whole purpose of this war was to fight Terrorism, namely al Queda, and muslim extreamists. Was not the Iraqi gov't funding them?

You talk of fighting Iraqi patriots and that they were fight to keep out the invaders. Let's put it this way...you can call them what ever you want, but the fact still reamains that they see themselves as professional soldiers as I am. Do you think they harbor any hatred against another soldier for snuffing thier light from this world? Maybe, Maybe Not. I am a professional soldier, I hold no malcontent knowing that somebody either better or luckier sent me to the "after-life".

It is interesting that you would say that the precision guided bombs and missels are not accurtate??? Did you know that there is usually a small ground force near the site controlling it? Did you know that these men sneak into enemy held territory to put a laser designator on these targets after watching the target? Do you realize that if these men get caught, they will never be recognized as the heros they are and that their deaths would be covered up and the real stories held in secrecy? I have been there, I have been to the frontlines and beyond. I have seen the horrible after effects of a battle. You attest to my brother's sacrifices and fighting abllities to government sanctioned "terrorism". You might as well have spit on every serviceman's graves with that. I do not hold any malcontent against you and this is only my opinion...please remember that. The number of innocents that died in the ensuing battles are hard felt even for the foreign soldier (in this case us). There is nothing worse than killing an innocent on the battlefield, but you have to remember.......to have a battle there must be an opposing side. Who, Kaf, do you think that is? Your so called Patriots would be killing their own people but the "left wing propaganda" leave this out. Why are these people in these hot-zones anyway? They have been warned and they have knowledge of the situation, but why are they still there? If a battle was in an American city, all non-combatants would be evacuaded. Why then, is there non-combatants in the Iraqi cities? It's called battle tactics. The Iraqi military use their own people in these cities to confuse their opponents, gather information on U.S. Forces and to move their men around without being detected. So who is using who as "cannon fodder"? By all accounts, American Service Members are kind at heart and will still do the right thing. Since we were young, it is ingrained in all of us to fight for Liberty and the unaliable rights of man and protect those that cannont protect themselves. I have seen noblity and kindness which most will go through life without ever seeing that gift. The happiness and gratitude of the Iraqis that support our troops says one thing....we did and are doing the right thing.

The politicians may have a second agenda, but one thing to know is that we are doing the right thing, that no matter what people from the outside of the military family veiws things, that WE, the fighters and warriors of freedom and liberty, have been given the oppurtinity to serve the betterment of man, protect those that cannot protect themselves, and through the ugliness of war, bring a measure of peace. There is no higher calling. To give the benefit of the doubt to the politicions, I'm sure that to the ones that have served before and served during war, they understand. They also realize if not us, then who will stop terrorism?

Very well put, I stand beside you 100%!!! I'm sure countless others do too!

Very nice Archangle! Don't expect a well thought out response like yours. If you do get a response it will be cut and paste and from terrible looking websites that have no credit.

__________________
Visit USFK Classifieds, the FREE classifieds in Korea!

It's always interesting to see someone elses creativity or their lack of....I just hope that maybe people reading it will help them "broaden" their way of thinking.

__________________
"The Korean Kid"

I don't support this illegal war to be fought by anyone. I was merely pointing out the hypocrisy of the rich and powerful who advocate and prosecute illegal wars of aggression that are fought by "others."

As for those in the Iraqi military hiding among civilian populaton, I would imagine that the Iraqi citizens considered it an honor to aid and harbor their soldiers who were being pursued by a much more powerful foreign invader.

There's absolutely no way you can justify this illegal invasion and subsequent occupation of the sovereign country of Iraq. The majority of the American people know that now just as do most Iraqis who want the American yankees out of their country. They're not as stupid as some Americans. They know fully well why Bush and Cheny Oil invaded their country. So, when are you going to wake up and smell the coffee that your Bushie pimp has cheated and lied to you? Don't be a war whore fighting for corporate interests. You should have more dignity than that.

Just try to imagine if the U.S. were invaded by a much more powerful adversary. There would be American citizens who would aid and harbor members of the military that were being chased down by the foreign invader.

So, it's not just a simple matter of "using citizens as shields." That's merely American propaganda that perpetrated by their ally and lapdog - the corporate media.

I'm guessing that attention to detail is not one of your stronger points. I would kindly like to point out that what I said was not from propoganda but from seeing it first hand. I don't need to look at other people's opinioanated, narrow minded web-sites or other types of media to form my own opinion of things through first hand experience and observations.

A professional soldier does not hide behind the innocent but are infront of the them to protect and defend. As far as the Iraqi people being honored??? Let me ask you a question...if America was being attacked and being chased by a superior force, would you want them in your home knowing that if they tracked them there, your whole family would be slaughtered in the skrimish at your place of residence? From your responses I would think not. I would think that you would look down at them for running in the face of the enemy and putting non-combatants in harms way.

There is one interesting note about America though, any invading force would not be just fighting just the military, don't forget the gangs, country folk (fiercly loyal) and not to mention every gun owner across America. Even though people, like yourself, may not agree with the current governing body, they still love their country no matter what and fight for it no matter the cost. THAT'S what makes our country great. No matter what type of pessimistic remarks are slung out into the media, no other country is as Patriotic as Americans.

..."So, it's not just a simple matter of "using citizens as shields." That's merely American propaganda that perpetrated by their ally and lapdog - the corporate media."...

It's very interesting that you say that since all the points in your arguments all come from "American propagand that('s) perpertrated by" people who have not gone there. Everybody knows bad news sells, so the "corporate media" tells stories of the "horrors" that happen in Iraq. Where do you think the opinions and biased stated "facts" from your web-sites comes from, look at the whole picture, not just what you want to see for a change. It might surprise you.

I understand what I fight for, a higher calling that people like you just don't understand. I would be happy living in peace, raising a family and teaching my children as I watch them grow into adulthood. I am not a war whore, if I was, I would probably be in the brig for beating anti-military groupies in a drunken rage since I like to fight so much. That would never happen. I am a professional, if I can help people enjoy the same freedoms that I have and people like you take for granted, then I am willing to sacrifice my life so that others may taste that freedom. If you call that being a war whore, then I suggest you search your heart and soul and see what you are willing to sacrifice for the betterment of your fellow man. If all you can sacrifice is your time and petty words, then you don't even rate to even be on this web-site, and your hipocracy knows no bounds.

Sooooo.......

Get off the band-wagon, go to Iraq, and (with an open mind) experience the things that myself and others on this Thread have already seen. Then you can come back and try to continue this conversation. Right now all I see from you is alot of plagerism, ignorance, and lack of experience. No matter how many larger words you use to sound like an expert on this particular subject, unless you get down and dirty and experience it first hand, you will always come off as actually knowing very little. Or you can just move to Iraq, since you like it so much and try to help the people instead of just talking about it.

Your choice my friend, and choice is a freedom that we defend...just a reminder.

__________________
"The Korean Kid"