Lies and Arrogance Killed My Nephew »
Posted by: populist 3 months, 1 week ago111 Comments Report this Story
Because of the arrogant, corrupt lies of George W. Bush and his neocon handlers my nephew is dead, and I am mad as hell. My nephew, my sister's son, died in Iraq a few days before this Memorial Day.
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PsychoHosebeast3 months, 1 week ago
Not to be unfeeling, but he signed up for it. It's the military. Your job is to follow orders and not think for yourself, even if your boss has plans diametrically opposed to yours. You aren't there for your pension, you're there for your country. Being a lifer, he had many opportunities not to re-up, he was only in his thirties, lots of people make career changes in their fifties for chrissakes. Yeah, Bush's policies are involved in his death--and so are the the bad life choices made by this guy's nephew.
It's the military. It's, in theory, a war. You don't like it, but you don't don't like it enough to resign your comission in protest...?
I wonder if Uncle felt this way when grunts serving under his nephew got killed?
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DRK13 months, 1 week ago
YOU-psychohosebeast-are disgusting. I spent 12 months in Vietnam--just 1 tour. If someone is physically disabled or having psychological problems-that person is a danger to himself and others. He had a commanding officer who was responsible for his welfare. I could not have made it another day in Nam.I don`t know how you do 15 month tours and 3 tours no less. I suppose you feel his widow should give some money back to the govt. since he didn`t finish his last tour. I`m so angry with your stupid ass statement that I can`t focus to write a coherent response but I think you get the message.
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djn3nunez33 months ago
"He wanted out of the army. But Jason was a victim of the liar's back-door draft.
The administration knows the war could not continue if the draft was reinstated, hence the criminally deceptive stop-loss program."
The criminally deceptive stop-loss program, which are apparently supported by PsychoHoseBeast, tax those who opt to serve beyond reasonable limits.
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hyperbola3 months ago
Well Psycho, your comment has been wrong ever since the Nuremburg trials of the Nazis. Soldiers have a DUTY to reject illegal orders and illegal wars. This soldier is one of the real american heroes.
Ehren Watada
On Saturday night, I was lucky enough to be at the Veterans for Peace National Convention. For that night, Lt. Ehren Watada was able to give the following speech, which I've just received permission to post here. The speech was met with a powerful, standing ovation from the vets who've been there.
Lt. Ehren Watada, for those who don't already know, became the first commissioned officer to publicly refuse deployment to the unlawful war and occupation in Iraq. While doing this on June 22, 2006, Watada said, "As the order to take part in an illegal act is ultimately unlawful as well, I must refuse that order."
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hyperbola3 months ago
Just as Watada took the stage and began to speak, over 50 members of Iraq Veterans Against the War filed in behind him. Watada, surprised by this and obviously taken aback by the symbolic act, turned back to the audience, took some deep breaths, then gave this speech: ....
http://www.truthout.org/article/dahr-jamail-ehr...
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BB643 months ago
As someone who served, I certainly understood the risks to serving my country. I was a Navy Seal before I served on BB64. I certainly sympathize with the family in their loss. One item that wasn't mentioned is that this is Mia Farrow's son. Perhaps someone else mentions this in other postings but this is an activist family to begin with. While their loss isn't less, the anger and claims made here are certainly exaggerated. In the accounts it seems we're to belive Sgt. Dene was the only soldier targeted by the IED's or experience a near miss.
It's too bad as peace activists rather than attacking the President, they look at the great task our people have done. We took a nation under Saddam's thumb and are helping them build a free Iraq. It's too bad we didn't do that in 1990.
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bubba23 months ago
We are "helping them build a 'free' Iraq"?
If THAT is why we are there, we have failed MISERABLY!
In Iraq today, there is little to NO clean water, sanitation, electricity, medical care, medical supplies, and over 50% unemployment. Children are working instead of going to school because their families are poor and need money (aside from the fact that many schools are closed or destroyed). Women's rights are also DESTROYED. Women cannot work for fear of death, and women are being kidnapped, raped, and murdered for not wearing a veil. The mortality rate of children under 5 years is the HIGHEST in the history of the country.
Bush's "policies" (not letting the military DO its job properly, along with the BILLIONS wasted via no-bid, no-oversight contracts for work which has proved to be shoddy or unfinished) have resulted in the near destruction of Iraq.
That must be a different definition of "freedom" than what I was taught.
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bubba23 months, 1 week ago
Did you read the story?
"During his three 15-month tours in Iraq, exposure to roadside bombs and other job-related injuries caused Jason to be hospitalized several times for concussion and internal bleeding and other injuries. Recently, Jason's condition was such that the Department of Defense flew him from Iraq to Dover Air Force Base for surgery. He was released from the hospital into the loving arms of the government who sent him directly back into Iraq. He was put on active duty while he was still on a liquid diet, unable to eat solid food because of a throat hemorrhage due to a botched surgery at a military hospital."
"After his second tour Jason returned home with severe mental and physical issues. He was certainly in no condition to be pressed into a third tour. He wanted out of the army. But Jason was a victim of the liar's back-door draft." [stop-loss].
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bubba23 months, 1 week ago
"Because of Bush's abusive stop-loss policy, Jason had been sent into an unwanted third tour of duty. He was a father of three and could not afford to lose his pension. Some "volunteer Army". "
Jason was a career soldier and had joined up long before the Iraq war started. Once you are "in", you can't just "get out". There is no answer to "stop loss" except to go or to go AWOL.
And, apparently Jason could not AFFORD to get out if/when he had a chance (after the Iraq 'war' started).
And, the military has declared that Jason died of "natural causes". WTF???
Jason should have NEVER been sent back to duty when he was clearly NOT well! That, in itself, is unconscionable.
Jason's family has EVERY RIGHT to be angry, and I agree with them in their anger.
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jordan113 months ago
I stand by their anger as well. I'm so sorry for them, but that doesn't sound like enough. I wish I could give them enough.
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libsRfunny3 months ago
His father says otherwise ...
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...
"He volunteered for every war there was while he was in, whether it was Haiti, Serbia, Bosnia," Deane said. "He was a terrific father and a great son. He loved the Army. He was a warrior."
"He says he was going to retire," Deane said. "I don't know that he would have if he found a base he liked."
Dene served two tours in Iraq, Deane said, training soldiers about to deploy there in between. Deane said his son had "near-misses" with improvised explosive devices during the second tour.
"He's another casualty of war, regardless of whether he died in combat," Deane said. "He thought the war was just and right, but didn't think we were fighting it correctly. He thought we needed more help there."
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ML2007Comment removed: User banned.
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MajJohn3 months, 1 week ago
Leave it up to populist to dig up something tragic to make his political rhetoric something more than the ranting it usually is. Every loss of life is tragic to someone and brings pain. To use what happened to go off on a vilification of Bush tangent cheapens the dedication of this soldier.
And so we make our assumptions, with our apparently this and that. Let us honor this vet and do what we can to see that such things not happen again. To that end I'd support an investigation if even 1/2 of what is believed to be true is true.
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bubba23 months, 1 week ago
Populist didn't write the article - he didn't even comment on it. ALL Populist did was POST the article.
The Uncle of the dead soldier wrote the article.
If anyone is "going off on a vilification of Bush tangent", it is the Uncle of the dead soldier.
There are very FEW "assumptions" since it is the FAMILY of Jason that wrote this story, and I would guess that if ANYONE knows Jason's story, it is his family.
And that uncle has a right to be angry. Jason was on his THIRD tour of duty, and that one thanks to "stop-loss" so he didn't have much choice.
Jason should NOT have been sent back into combat because he was NOT well - that is malpractice and malfeasance. And the military is saying that Jason died of "natural causes". Bullsh!t ...
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tanglang3 months ago
"He volunteered for every war there was while he was in, whether it was Haiti, Serbia, Bosnia," Deane said. "He was a terrific father and a great son. He loved the Army. He was a warrior."
I prefer this viewpoint. It's from his father. Someone who was no doubt closer to him.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/arti...
"I guess it was pretty stressful for him, but he never complained," Deane said. "I didn't even know he had any of that stuff before his death."
And this is probably my favorite quote.
"He thought the war was just and right, but didn't think we were fighting it correctly. He thought we needed more help there."
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MRCOFFEECAKE3 months ago
So you can say that they've stopped over extending the time soldiers are supposed to be on duty?
Don't you understand that those hard and fast terms were put in place for damn good reasons?
Don't you understand that we are trying to stretch the physical and mental vitality of our military in manners that are bordering cruelty?
Do your investigation..What will YOU do as a result of finding the military was once again unfairly stressed?
We know the answer: NOTHING (as usual)
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GHOSTWHOWALKS3 months ago
Which troops would that be? The sicko's allowed in because they are the bottom of the barrel? How about the ones who sent money too campaigns to get out from under Le Muffette's lies.
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MRCOFFEECAKE3 months ago
"Troops" are not policy makers and we don't fight wars and
get people killed just to please the troops and keep them busy.
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coolrayfruge3 months ago
I'm sick of this slogan "Freedom isn't free.
Corperate America's slogan.
Its like saying we don't have a right to freedom,that we have to pay them for it.
******!
Freedom is something we fight for.
No man has a right to put a price tag on Freedom.
We all had love ones who served and sacrificed their lives to preserve freedom for us.
We honor them by fighting against those who want to put a price tag on it and control it.
Cause its not for sale.
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Mdiar3 months ago
I always interpreted the slogan "Freedom isn't free" as a way of saying that its NOT free. You have to be willing to fight for it, to die for it, or it will eventually go away. The cost isn't one of dollars, its one of blood, sweat, tears and life. Or that's how the slogan was taught to me, not even taught so much as the first time I saw it, it was accompanied by pictures of soldiers in World War 2.
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Charlson3 months ago
But this war in Iraq has nothing to do with our freedoms and it's costs. It has everything to do with government lies and corporate greed. Our troops aren't defending our freedoms just like in Vietnam. Our freedoms were never threatened by Nam or Iraq. Our only threat, besides the terrorists, are from within our government and their symbiotic relationship with corporations.
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CRYMTYPHON3 months ago
'Freedom isn't free'.
That's no slogan;
It's a fact of life.
It is built into the universe like E=M*(C*C).
What the creatures who quote it easily forget, is that the price for freedom must be paid by EVERYONE.
If you are not a soldier you still have to pay; you may have to speak up to a crowd and say 'this is wrong'; you may have to protest a government that waves the flag to hide the corpses; you surely will have to do exactly what a soldier CANNOT, that is, question the mission and make sure it is a valid one, not a political marketing ploy.
"Freedom isn't free" doesn't mean, God bless the boys across the world; it means, what must I do and say to protect my people from the depradations of wolves with flags?
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jordan113 months ago
No, freedom is not free. And that doesn't just mean fighting in wars. Freedom requires the vigilance of our citizens, including the willingness to be informed. This occupation gave a face to a so called 'war on terrorism'. Bush wouldn't have been able to claim war powers without it. Otherwise, we'd be fighting terrorism as we should have done all along, through the use of intelligence & our allies. But then, bush couldn't have these undo 'powers' he has grabbed.
Our freedom has been eroded by this man, & Americans are denying it. No, freedom isn't free. And until we're willing to fight for it, right here at home, we'll lose it.
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MRCOFFEECAKE3 months ago
Not supposed to be for sale, but apparently Bush has decided that our troops are fighting for someone over there..
It certainly isn't for anyone over here!
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tchef3 months ago
Another tragic death cause by this war based on lies.
Everyone who still defends this President and this war should have to explain to this family exactly what this soldier died for.
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newbie04203 months ago
My explanation:
He died in the hopes that one day, not only Iraq, but the rest of the Middle East will be a peaceful region, free of terrorists who would like nothing more to kill as many Jews and Americans as possible.
That men like Saddam should never rule again.
That an act like 9/11 would never happen again.
That freedom would be had by all people of this world.
That women would have a voice.
That gays would no longer be sought out and killed by their governemnt.
That girls that are raped wouldn't be stoned to death for being promiscuous.
That as the greatest nation on the planet, it is our duty to help spread this freedom, especially to those that have no way to fight for it themselves.
Are these things that only Iraq had problems with? No
But it is my hopes that it will spread from Iraq through the rest of the ME.
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MRCOFFEECAKE3 months ago
Yeah Dorothy, and the tinman will get a heart, the lion some courage, and you and the scarecrow will get a brain!! NOT!!
According to your "logic" Iran, Yemen, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Jordan, Quatar, Chad, Somalia, Haiti, Darfur and
Burma are next on the list, because none of those things are happening there now..
Do you think we can straighten out OUR country first?
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djn3nunez33 months ago
Newbie.
Perhaps the US shouldn't support dictators like Saddam. But we do.
Iraq was not involved in 9-11. But I bet we've created quite a few new terrorist hell bent on hurting and/or killing Americans.
See our Declaration of Independence for the duty of the citizens to throw off despotic forms of government.
Women in Iraq had the greatest of freedoms of all arab nations.
Not sure how gays were treated in Iraq, but the Bush administration treats them how?
Radical Islam was not welcome in Iraq and was not present under Saddam.
Nothing in our constitution declares that spreading our way of life is our duty. You want to spread freedom to other countries around the world, feel free to head on out and join their cause.
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AbuAmirah3 months ago
Your argument is freaking hollow. 1) As long as Saddam was killing who we told him to kill he was cool. 2) Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11. 9-11 was the culmination of failed American policies in that region 3) White man's burden is dead. Its not for us to decide if this country or that country should have freedom. Its up to a particular country's people to make that decision. 4) There are many Muslim country's where women have a voice 5) Until America's track record on Gays improve, get off us 6) Girls getting stoned, for being raped, only happens in 3 nut job countries, and most of the sane Muslim world doesn't condone that type of behavior. As the so called greatest nation on earth, right now that is, it is not our reponsibility to interfere in the interal workings of another country. Besides, the people of North Korea are in greater need of freedom. Did we not help them because 1) their military is better trained or 2) they have no natural resources for us to exploit?
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tchef3 months ago
I read the comments I still feel that his death as well as all the wounding of our troops in Iraq were unnecessary. Our President lead us to war with Iraq under false pretenses. He know full well what he was doing. He had the intelligence and the experience of people like his father and Colin Powell to tell him exactly what would happen if we invaded and it has come to pass. We should have finished the job in Afghanistan and stayed out of Iraq. It was no threat to us.
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pongping3 months ago
Napoleon wanted to cross that very wide and deep ditch over there. He ordered his brave men to charge. He ordered them to keep charging. They did not complain. They did their duty. Soon there was no ditch!
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salarysleuth3 months ago
If you're seeing this article as a piece of political propaganda, then I think you're really missing the point. Sure, if you wanted, I'm sure a "leftist" could use this to their advantage. Just as someone in opposition can point out how much pride this man took in his job, service, and country. This truly is a tragedy, of multiple circumstances, and I think one thing that people should take from this is the common practice now of the "stop-loss", which really needs to be revealed for what it is... an alternative form of draft. Because of this program, and contractors (like Blackwater), we are able to go on fighting this war. Not to mention that the deaths of contractors doesn't get included in the toll of troops injured or killed in combat. All I have to say.
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abntv3 months ago
This letter is nothing but a hate Bush political statement. It has nothing to do with the death of his nephew.
If you want the real story read the link that tanglang reffered to
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THOMNH623 months ago
I am sure that the parents of the young men killed in black hawk down, and the Bosnia conflicts were also upset with the government. It is a fact that during the Bill Clinton administration we lost more soldiers than we have during the past 8 yrs. The loss of life during war time is nothing to politicize and should be honored for what it is, bravery and honor to their country. They were not drafted the had the cou
