Dying Vet's letter to George Bush & Dick Cheney

[Alex_Spider]

I'm conflicted. On the one hand I was against the Iraq War, since the US went in for all the wrong reasons, but I'm all for ignoring the UN, plus Saddam was a war criminal and a mass murderer.

That's all understandable and good, but I would like the same "humanitarian" concern to apply to the warlords in Africa that enslave young children to fight other fractions or work under horrible conditions like modern slaves. I could mention other examples but you get my point.

And we have to ask ourselves. Was the war against Saddam worth the cost of innocent lives of Iraqi citizens and US soldiers that got killed all those years? Not to mention the ridiculous amount of money that went to support the "war on terror". In the end who profited from this massacre and what was accomplished? I can't say it is "Freedom and Democracy" that shined.

 

[Thundercrack85]

I can't really answer that. Saddam did murder a quarter of a million people. Who knows what more he would have done? And who would have followed him?

There is no easy answer. If they had gone into Iraq solely to dethrone a genocidal despot, then I would have fully supported it - which would of course never happen, since no one does that. If a despot should be sacked, it's just a happy coincidence.

That is one reason I hold back on criticizing the Iraqi war veterans. Many of them do actually believe they were bringing democracy to Iraq, and helping the Iraqi people. That wasn't what Bush was going for though.

It's easy to say, oh look at Iraq now, but people forget what Saddam did in his life time.

 

[Matt]

Interestingly, this story is SEVERAL months old. Tomas Young has been "dying on hospice," for several months (6+), claiming he is committing suicide by refusing feeding. Yet he is still alive. I do not disagree that Bush and Cheney have a lot to answer for, nor do I deny that Young is a hero. However, I am starting to think that this letter and his claim that he is "dying," is little more than a way to gain publicity for his documentary.

 

[chaseter]

This entire thread contains a lot of misinformation that talking heads parroted to hungry idealists.

 

[chaseter]

Do you realize that by calling my thread a garbage, you are offending the poor soldier who wrote this letter, along with the thousands other soldiers that got physically and emotionally wounded from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and they realized their true purpose in this dirty political-economic cheme.
There are many other soldiers like Thomas Young that share his thoughts in the letter which so easily you discarded. Do you consider them to be also "anti-American or anti-government with strong anarchist overtones? "

Now take away your narrow conservative view and the quit the name calling, because obviously you can't add anything to the thread nor to the society.

More soldiers died in Afghanistan under Obama's first 3 years in office than all of Bush's two terms. This soldier's letter should be to Washington that had a Congress full of Republicans and Democrats who voted yes for both wars, a past President and Vice President that were war mongers, a coalition of nations that all came to the same conclusion, and a current President that is either also a war monger or an inept dullard that sits on his thumbs while talking about hope and peace. But it's easier and more fun to call Bush and Cheney the Devil.

 

[Thundercrack85]

Hey, watch your mouth, that man has a Nobel Peace Prize! Which he got for... uh...

Well he gave one hell of a speech.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

More soldiers died in Afghanistan under Obama's first 3 years in office than all of Bush's two terms. This soldier's letter should be to Washington that had a Congress full of Republicans and Democrats who voted yes for both wars, a past President and Vice President that were war mongers, a coalition of nations that all came to the same conclusion, and a current President that is either also a war monger or an inept dullard that sits on his thumbs while talking about hope and peace. But it's easier and more fun to call Bush and Cheney the Devil.

Yeah except Iraq had nothing to do with 9-11.

Bush had lower casualties than Obama in Afghanistan?

What about in Iraq?

Kind of funny you're ignoring Iraq being that's the reason this veteran feels betrayed. He even states he would've gladly made the same sacrifices if his service was appropriately directed against the Taliban rather than Operation Halliburton in Bagdad.

 

[chaseter]

Oh look it continues. It's much easier just to blame Bush and Cheney amirite!? They are the only 2 people responsible. No one before or after should be included. RIGHT? Lets just beat down one instance when the exact same thing happened decades before this and still continues to this day. But...that's all Bush and Cheney's fault. Hey remember Cindy Sheehan? Of course not.

 

[chaseter]

Also, the thread author's first post with "**** you letter," shows how childish the mindset is of this entire conversation from the first post.

 

[Schlosser85]

Being a vet who's suspiciously taking forever to die doesn't make him right about everything.

That said, I do believe Bush and Cheney have far more to answer for than they unfortunately ever will. The sheer dumb****ery of their administration destroyed thousands of young Americans who served in an unnecessary armed conflict (in Iraq at least) that they pulled family strings to avoid in both of their youths.

Not to mention God only knows how many Iraqi civilians, because nobody seems to give them a second (or first) thought.

 

[Alex_Spider]

Oh look it continues. It's much easier just to blame Bush and Cheney amirite!? They are the only 2 people responsible. No one before or after should be included. RIGHT? Lets just beat down one instance when the exact same thing happened decades before this and still continues to this day. But...that's all Bush and Cheney's fault. Hey remember Cindy Sheehan? Of course not.

This letter was headed towards Bush and Chaney since this soldier took part in a war that was orchestrated during their regime. He didn't went to war during the Clinton, or Obama presidency. That is not that other administrations that came before or after are not to be blamed for bad policies and injustice.

Also, the thread author's first post with "**** you letter," shows how childish the mindset is of this entire conversation from the first post.

Um, I was just copy/pasting what the original link had. I didn't make this whole "****" up myself.

Being a vet who's suspiciously taking forever to die doesn't make him right about everything.

That said, I do believe Bush and Cheney have far more to answer for than they unfortunately ever will. The sheer dumb****ery of their administration destroyed thousands of young Americans who served in an unnecessary armed conflict (in Iraq at least) that they pulled family strings to avoid in both of their youths.

Not to mention God only knows how many Iraqi civilians, because nobody seems to give them a second (or first) thought.

Honestly this is a very sane synopsis of what happened in reality.

Here's an updated link with more personal stuff about Young and his condition and extra info on senators that voted against the war in Iraq.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/30/tomas-young_n_3362063.html

 

[Webfoot Hero]

Do you realize that by calling my thread a garbage, you are offending the poor soldier who wrote this letter, along with the thousands other soldiers that got physically and emotionally wounded from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and they realized their true purpose in this dirty political-economic cheme.
There are many other soldiers like Thomas Young that share his thoughts in the letter which so easily you discarded. Do you consider them to be also "anti-American or anti-government with strong anarchist overtones? "

Now take away your narrow conservative view and the quit the name calling, because obviously you can't add anything to the thread nor to the society.

As for Bush being heartless to veterans, he always made it a point to send hand-written letters to each of the injured soldiers and the families of those killed. Plus, he made it a point to meet with them all, if they wanted, to thank them for their service. He kept it quiet since it's not something he felt needed to be in the public eye since they were personal for those he visited. He even visited those that were injured at the Fort Hood shootings although he was no longer President. People want to make him a horrible man, but the truth is that he's really not a monster people make him out to be. Seems you just cherry picked this one soldier (to fit your narrative and political persuasion) out of many who have actually come out in support of the mission they were assigned and served in, including some of my friends and relatives that were over there. Mistakes were made but those always seem so obvious once there is some hindsight. I didn't always agree with the man or his decisions, but I still respect him a whole lot more than a lot of other politicians.

Right back at you with your narrow liberal view. Plus, since you don't know me (and I don't care for you to), I've been contributing to society well enough to get by and not create problems that others have to clean up after.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

That's cute.

We're narrow minded when you're the one who called criticism of the Iraq War or President Bush ”anti-American”.

Pot meet kettle.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Oh look it continues. It's much easier just to blame Bush and Cheney amirite!? They are the only 2 people responsible. No one before or after should be included. RIGHT? Lets just beat down one instance when the exact same thing happened decades before this and still continues to this day. But...that's all Bush and Cheney's fault. Hey remember Cindy Sheehan? Of course not.

Yes the Bush Administration was responsible for the ”pre-emptive” Iraq War.

and again, this veteran clearly states he had no qualms about fighting a war against the Taliban IN AFGHANISTAN. In fact, he joined the military for that very purpose. It's the Iraq War he feels was a waste and unjust.

If President Obama started an unnecessary 10 year conflict that cost thousands of lives and over a trillion dollars there would be hundreds of letters like this directed toward him. No one is unfairly targeting Bush and Cheney. It would be unfair if they got a free pass.

 

[JJJ's Ulcer]

Oh look it continues. It's much easier just to blame Bush and Cheney amirite!? They are the only 2 people responsible. No one before or after should be included. RIGHT? Lets just beat down one instance when the exact same thing happened decades before this and still continues to this day. But...that's all Bush and Cheney's fault. Hey remember Cindy Sheehan? Of course not.

Cindy .... Sheehan?! What the hell does she have to do with anything? She didn't ask the US congress for a war authorization and make a speech to the UN about yellow cake uranium. She didn't stand on an aircraft carrier and announce "mission accomplished" or have to explain the prisoner abuses at Abu Gharib. And while there's a Bush doctrine, I've yet to hear of the Sheehan doctrine. In fact she's completely irrelevant, save for the fact she had a son who died in the war. So what in god's name are you babbling about? Because it looks like you're seriously implying she's one of the architects of the war, in which case I can only tolerate so much facepalm.

 

[chaseter]

My point with Cindy Sheehan was to show you how political lackeys use vulnerable people to attack their opponents then dump them into the garbage when they are no longer needed. No one is going to remember this poor kid in a year. This thread is a political jab is it not? Going to war in Iraq wasn't the decision of just 2 people.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

My point with Cindy Sheehan was to show you how political lackeys use vulnerable people to attack their opponents then dump them into the garbage when they are no longer needed. No one is going to remember this poor kid in a year. This thread is a political jab is it not? Going to war in Iraq wasn't the decision of just 2 people.

Well Bush gets credit for the decision since it was his administration who pushed for the Iraq invasion and green lit the operation. If his administration were completely against an Iraq invasion, it would not have happened. It's that simple. The buck stops with them.

and most things, including this veteran's letter won't make it into the history books, that doesn't make them pointless.

Who knows? The letter might've struck a cord with the next president of the United States. Or maybe it simply helped a veteran with a similar POV get through the day instead of blowing his brains out. Either way, it's not pointless.

 

[Harley2004]

Well said by this guy. The tragedy of what America did in preemptively invading a country that did absolutely nothing to it still effects foreign policy around the world.

 

[Alex_Spider]

As for Bush being heartless to veterans, he always made it a point to send hand-written letters to each of the injured soldiers and the families of those killed. Plus, he made it a point to meet with them all, if they wanted, to thank them for their service. He kept it quiet since it's not something he felt needed to be in the public eye since they were personal for those he visited. He even visited those that were injured at the Fort Hood shootings although he was no longer President. People want to make him a horrible man, but the truth is that he's really not a monster people make him out to be.

Oh, come on don't bring in those kind "gestures" that Bush did as an evidence of how good man he is. Presidents do this things all the time for public relations. They have others writing their speeches, letters to families or soldiers or pre staged meetings etc.
I don't believe he is "Evil" necessarily, just of a very low intelligence, that was put in a very high position to serve an agenda.

 

[Webfoot Hero]

Oh, come on don't bring in those kind "gestures" that Bush did as an evidence of how good man he is. Presidents do this things all the time for public relations. They have others writing their speeches, letters to families or soldiers or pre staged meetings etc.
I don't believe he is "Evil" necessarily, just of a very low intelligence, that was put in a very high position to serve an agenda.

If you don't want to believe he was sincere about the things he's done and just want to continue railing on the man, then I think my conversation is done with you.

 

[Alex_Spider]

If you don't want to believe he was sincere about the things he's done and just want to continue railing on the man, then I think my conversation is done with you.

Actually I think the vast majority of presidents and politicians are not sincere with their actions. Not just Bush. I am sorry but that's how the real world operates. I would have to be naive to believe otherwise.

 

[chaseter]

Well said by this guy. The tragedy of what America did in preemptively invading a country that did absolutely nothing to it still effects foreign policy around the world.

More than America invaded.............

 

[Alex_Spider]

Female War Veteran Violently Arrested For Playing Banjo In The Wrong Place At Syria War Protest (Video)

="http://beforeitsnews.com/new-worl...ong-place-at-syria-war-protest-video-106.html

[YT]HOxwdVbfm_8&[/YT]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HOxwdVbfm_8&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Funny how the US government boasts about bringing democracy in other countries through bombing and destruction and it prosecutes and arresting violently its own citizens that are protesting peacfuly. Truly a sad day for democracy.

 

[Venom75]

I remember watching a documentary a weeks ago called America vs. Iraq. In it,one of Saddam's closest advisors said that he did have weapons of mass destruction,but with the threat of American invasion,Saddam ordered then destroyed. Truthfully,I support Bush. It wasn't always that way. With time and hindsight I've really come to respect the man and his presidency. Now,by no means was he a truly great president and he did make alot of mistakes in his two terms,but I don't think he,or anyone in his administration,lied or made up information about Iraq. Now,with Cheney,I can understand a bit of the hate. He seems a little shady to me and I absolutely despise Halliburton. But I think President Bush is a good man.

 

[Comics N' Toons]

It just seems most of the stuff he posts is either anti-American or, what I should have stated more precisely earlier, anti-government garbage that has strong anarchist overtones to them.

If subversiveness and descent against a corrupt American government is being anti-American, then I guess I'm anti-American.

Nationalism is naive and ridiculous anyway.