2
POPSBush & McCain Support the Troops by Saying...F**k 'em!
President Bush and Presidential wannabe Senator McCain are always bragging about how they support the troops and honour their service. Oh yeah! This sounds great, but when it comes to actually doing something good and fair for them when they return from the firing line, they say fuck 'em. No money for their education or other benefits. After all, if we make it too good, they will wanna leave the service rather than remain canon fodder indefinitely. Neither of these political pieces of fecal matter stop to think about how increased and improved GI benefits will bring additional people into the service that will more than make up for those who might leave after three years. All they care about is having enough bodies willing to be shot up in Iraq so they can maintain their illegal and tragic war. These war criminals should hang their heads in shame as should anyone who would consider voting for McCain after seeing what a hypocrite he really and truly is.
0
POPSPetraeus to Head Centcom This scares me a bit. Fallon is leaving because of his differences with Bush on his Iran policies. Bush and his neo-cons, including Republican candidate McCain are proponents of military action against Iran. Petraeus also agrees with a tough Iran policy. It is too convenient for my comfort to know that months before Bush is finally to leave office, he is ridding himself of a general who does not favour his Iran policy with one who does. To me this stinks of the probability of war with Iran before the end of the Bush administration, and passing it on to the next president to deal with.
2
POPSRigged Trials at Gitmo This is but a very brief clip of a fascinating and very important article just released on the Nation Web site. Please, read the entire piece, and learn how the guy running the trials at Gitmo is demanding there be NO acquittals.....period. The situation gets dirtier and dirtier every day. I can't wait until Jan 20, 2009.
4
POPSBlackwater Doesn't Give A Damn About Rules It seems as if Blackwater is out of control. The answer to no laws in either the U.S. or Iraq. Paul Bremer made certain of that when he was Viceroy. He left Blackwater and other military contractors immune to Iraqi law, and also released them from any requirement to follow the military rules of engagement. Our soldiers who are paid a small fraction of what these professional killers are paid, and yet must follow all law to the letter or face court martial. These contractors are paid thousands of dollars a week and are given essentially a free hand. I know Republicans like to privatize as much as possible, but this is just ridiculous.
2
POPSWill Obama Make A Difference Where it Counts? I was reluctant to clip this piece because, in a sense, it is not really fair to pin this attitude squarely on the shoulders of Senator Obama, since every other candidate for president expresses a similar point-of-view. But I am concerned overall, that our basic policy towards Israel is unquestioning loyalty and support of a financial, political and military kind. While I do support Israel's right to exist in peace with its neighbours, I do not believe that everything Israel does is fine, and that their actions against the Palestinians are at times brutal and unfeeling. It does not seem to me that the U.S. can be considered a legitimate, unbiased participant in peace talks, if at the same time they are pouring millions of dollars into Israel's military as well as its ability to continue its occupation of the Palestinians. AIPAC has far too much influence on American politicians as does not speak for the majority of U.S. Jews.
8
POPSAnother Insightful Perspective By Bill Maher Bill Maher creates an interesting analogy between Bush's manipulation of the Iraq war and Ken Lay's similar tactics at Enron. My clips do not do the piece justice, and I urge all of you to read the entire commentary.
2
POPSIs Katie Just Another White House Echo Chamber? Katie's first report on Face th Nation really pissed me off. She made the same ridiculously misleading remarks as Congressman Mike Pence made when he went on a military escorted tour or the market place. At least she had the good sense to mention that she realizes she is being taken to see what the government wants her to see. But I can only hope that this week, while she is there, she will make her own way into the areas that the government does not lead her. However, if all she does is report on a showcase report under government auspices, I will have no choice but to realize that Ms. Couric is nothing but a happy talk morning person who is totally out of her league. Let's hope she can do the country, women and the citizens of the U.S. proud, but actually reporting the truth without government guidance.
4
POPSGuard Troops in Puerto Rico Wants the War to End The Governor of Puerto Rico gets a standing O from military service people at the mention of ending the Iraq war. 7 soldiers publish an OPED in the New York Times last week explaining why staying in Iraq is a mistake. Petitions are signed by soldiers serving in Iraq asking for troop withdrawals etc etc etc. And yet, when you listen to the Republicans they tell you that ALL the troops wanna stay in Iraq until their job is done and they have procured victory. I have no doubt whatsoever that there are many troops in Iraq that do feel that way, but from all the polls being taken, the majority of them wanna come home.......yesterday. I am sick to my stomach over the way this administration continually uses our brave soldiers as propaganda tools. Just like Ari Fleischer is doing when he didn't even bother learning the name of the soldier who lost both his legs in Iraq, who is appearing in one of their pro-war commercials. They are all shameful to the core.
4
POPSMilitary Suicides I wish I could have clipped the article in a more comprehensive fashion. Some pieces just cannot be done justice within the 1000 limit. However, I have tried to give a taste of what the article conveys, and I urge readers to check out the entire piece. The suicide rate is deplorable, and most of it is due to the extra stress of these overly long and repeatable deployments. Our soldiers are not machines, and even if they were, machines do wear out in time. We are draining our fighting men and women of their own internal resources and exhausting their means to cope. This is a horrible situation for which there is only one answer, in my opinion. Bring these troops home from Iraq. Fight the war on terror where and how it should be fought. But asking our brave men and women to referee a religious and ethnic civil war, where the people you are training turn around and become your enemy is too much for anyone's nervous system to tolerate.
2
POPSWar Drums Beating Towards Iran Some people think that Bush having named the IRGC as a terrorist organization is just a way of assuaging the hawks in the administration, but does not indicate any particular action is being planned against Iran. Others believe that this is an ill-conceived, reactionary action by Bush that now enables his reasoning for attacking Iran. I happen to personally believe the latter is true, but I hope I am wrong.
1
POPSAir Conditioned Sacrafice Mitt Romney had better enjoy his big lead in Iowa quickly, as it looks as if he is going to fall flat on his face very soon. He is coming off as the stereotypical rich boy who molds himself into whatever shape is necessary in order to attain his goals. When he ran governor of Massachusetts and Senator of the same state, he was a raging, pro-abortion, gay friendly liberal. Now that he wants to be president, he is renouncing all of his former, heartfelt views and claims to be pro-life (anti-abortion) gay unfriendly etc because he needs those conservative right-wing religious wing-nuts to support him. But answers to questions such as this one will really seal his fate. People hate phonies, and he is coming across as a platinum plated, card carrying professional political phony with a condescending attitude to match.
2
POPSLieberman Is losing support of those who followed him It seems that Holy Joe has finally crossed the line from someone who war supporters felt had the right views for protecting America into someone who even they say has gone too far in advocating war with Iran. The guy is totally over the top. He has been determined to work with the neo-Cons who believe in the PNAC and is always way to interested in protecting Israel over and above his interest in his own country, the USA. I support Israel as well, but not over the interests of my own country. The guy has become a Zionist fanatic.
3
POPSLieberman Feels the Joe-mentum Towards War With Iran Senator Lieberman said he support military action against Iran because of their involvement in terrorism in Iraq, Palestine etc. Once again, Holy Joe goes against his constituency and the vast majority of the American people by urging the president to invade a sovereign nation, even though our troops are tied up in Iraq, where they are bleeding and dying in an illegal war. I wonder how many of his supporters who put him over the top in the last election still believes they did the right thing.
0
POPSGlorifying War. Calling John Wayne!! Our children are brought up to believe that war is glorious. Instead of teaching our children that war is the result of political failure, and should only be resorted to as the ultimate last resort, we show them images of marines marching, shooting, running while making war whoops. So many of us express concern over the violence that is portrayed in video games, and I agree, some of it can be pretty nauseating. But what makes violence any more acceptable for our children just because a flag is being waved in the fore or background?
2
POPSIraqi PM Fears Military Coup. And Yet Our Soldiers Die Our troops are continuing to get maimed and die to protect this phony Iraqi government in order to give them time to work out their differences. In the meanwhile not only are they taking off two months because they find it too hot to work, but the prime minister now says he doesn't trust his own military and fears a coup. Please, someone remind me; why is this worth the blood and lives of our youngest and finest?
4
POPSA Hearbreaking Story I tired every which way to clip this article in a way that would convey this soldiers lament. However, nothing I did made sense, so I just clipped a coupla paragraphs. I hope you will take the time to read the entire article and understand the heartfelt feelings of one of our own American heroes serving in Iraq and wondering why.
10
POPSThe Military is sending some amputees back into combat I do not doubt the courage of these heroic soldiers who are asking to be sent back into active duty, and sometimes combat after losing a limb(s) in the Iraq war. But isn't it kinda interesting how the military says ALL of our soldiers have talents and abilities that are needed and if an amputee wants to remain on active duty, or combat, and they are able to do so, they will be sent back, and yet at the same time, they see fit to discharge interpreters, translators, combat personnel etc, simply for being gay?
1
POPSThe Witch Hunt Continues I keep hearing that Don't Ask, Don't Tell is under pressure to be repealed. But then I see stories about continued witch hunts and ridiculously dangerous dismissals of valuable soldiers serving in war zones because they are gay. Israel, the worlds most macho army has no problem with gays openly serving, but the U.S. cannot get is puritanical and Christian right-wing beliefs under to control to bring our military into the 21st century. We must put our personal prejudices a side for the good of the country as well as for the purpose of living up to our belief that ALL persons are considered equal.
9
POPSNo Problem With Gay Soldiers in British Military One of the most amazing pieces of info in this article, that you will read, if you take the time consume the entire piece online, is that the Brits are afraid to publicize its success with their acceptance of gays in the military for fear of upsetting the higher-ups in the U.S. government. This is appalling in my rarely to be humble opinion. Why should Britain or any other of the many countries who permit gays to serve openly in the military, keep their mouths shut about the success of their decision just to placate the homophobic bigots, such as Peter Pace, in the U.S.? Isn't the U.S. strong enough to withstand the fact that they might be wrong on a particular issue? I don't believe our country is so delicate that it cannot stand-up to the facts of the matter.
10
POPSOops! The word got out, throw him out again! So, the Navy welcomes back an exemplary sailor who they threw out because he is openly gay. Then they decided the really, really needed him so they ask him to come back, after humiliating him. He agrees to serve his country again. Then the military is embarrassed because the story comes out in the newspaper, and they decided in their ultimate wisdom to toss him out and humiliate him yet one more time. This time, they have humiliated themselves.
9
POPSPetraeus Setting a Good Example for His Soldiers Kudos to General Petraeus for making sure his soldiers fully understand the ramifications of torture and abuse. It is refreshing to have a general taking the high ground rather than attempting to make excuses or cover up problems with prisoner detention facilities.
11
POPSThe Navy Sees Value in Gay Service Members The hypocrisy of "Don't ask don't tell" shows itself as the Navy recalls a sailor it discharged after he came out to his commanding officer as being gay. What happened to the argument about unit cohesion? I guess when someone is really needed, who they have sex with really doesn't matter in the least. Now, will congress PLEASE repeal that stupid, insulting policy preventing gay people from serving openly and proudly in our military?
5
POPSMcCain is Showing Himself For The Hidden Bigot He Has Always Been To think I actually used to admire Senator McCain. Although I always knew he was more conservative in his beliefs than I was totally comfortable with, I considered him to be fair minded. Since he decided he needs to kiss the asses of the far right-wingnuts in his party he is showing himself for the misogynistic and homophobic bigot he really is. I am especially appalled by his position on gays in the military. Israel, the most macho army in the world, openly welcomes gays to serve. England does the same as do most other countries. But once again a politician is willing to make America the laughing stock of the world with their adherence to puritanical and sexually repressed attitudes.
3
POPSSoldiers Are Denied the Chance to Hear Baez Sing For Them The powers that be refuse to permit Joan Baez to appear with John Mellencamp at Walter Reed Hospital to entertain the injured troops. Is the fact that Ms. Baez has always been anti-war a problem for them? Many soldiers are anti-War too, and yet thanks to the military, they have to appear there every day. At least they should be allowed to hear one of the great musical artists of our day.
5
POPSAre We Really Running A Terrific Training Camp for Al Qaeda? This little blurb makes sense to me. The experience the terrorists are getting fighting our incredibly strong military machine can't be bought with all the money in the world. It seems to be we cannot actually win this war in Iraq. Even the majority of our political leaders believe that much. But just think about all the training and experience we are affording our enemies so they can face it even more effectively elsewhere, such as Afghanistan, where we should have stayed to begin with. At least there we could possibly have done them real damage to their numbers and determination.
5
POPSReactions to General Pace's Bigotry Continues, As It Should The furor over General Pace's bigoted comments regarding homosexuals is not dying down as the military had hoped. Every day more and more calls for his resignation are being enunciated. I personally do not give a damn what Pace thinks of homosexuals, but I do care that he is permitting his own personal prejudice to determine the actions and policy of the military.
1
POPSRepublican Brownback Says Pace is Correct. Democrat Richardson Says He is Wrong. Two more presidential candidates add their thoughts on General Pace's claim that homosexuals are immoral. This is almost like a stereotype. The Republican Senator Brownback agrees with Pace. The Democrat Governor Richardson says Pace is completely wrong and that his comments divide people. At least neither of them had to be coaxed into expressing their thoughts as was the case with Obama and Clinton.
5
POPSI Suppose The Collateral Damage of Killing Innocent Civilians is NOT Immoral? The nerve of this man stating that Homosexual relations between consenting adults is immoral. First of all, what do his personal beliefs have to do with someones suitability to serve his/her country? Secondly, how can a man who considers the murder of innocent civilians, mostly women and children to be "collateral damage" have any idea of the definition of morality?
2
POPSFinally. Accountability! This is a first. Someone is finally being held accountable in this government. Let's just hope he is not being used as a scapegoat, and that permanent changes will be made in the way we treat and care for or national heroes.
10
POPSThere Is No Difference Between Gay Limbs and Straight Limbs It is becoming increasingly clear that Americans as a whole are beginning to join the rest of the free world in their belief that Gays should be able to serve openly and honestly in the military. Even Israel, the allegedly most macho army in the world openly welcomes gays to serve openly. I hope the military establishment is finally ready to allow those gay people who wish to serve the country to ability to do so with pride and dignity, and not be looked upon as somehow unworthy of service.
0
POPSSafer At Home? Not Really President Bush continues to brag about how he has made Americans safer at home. But governors and state senators and citizens are complaining about a lack of protection and safety in their own communities because their military guard and the equipment is now in Iraq, rather than in the communities they were meant to serve and protect.
3
POPSWar With Iran is On Its Way From One Source or Another As George W. Bush continues to deny that he has plans to go to war with Iran, Israel seems to be gearing itself in that direction. Since last summer when the U.S. instigated Israel's over zealous attack on Lebanon's civilian population and took over the control of when the fighting should stop, the two countries appear to be in cahoots to spread the war in Iraq into Iran and who knows where else.
5
POPSSo Much For Supporting Our Troops President Bush is constantly bragging about how he and his administration always put the needs of our troops first and foremost in their considerations. Money is no object when it comes to supporting our troops says our president. And now we learn from both the Washington Post and the LA Times that inpatients and outpatients and Walter Reed Army Hospital, the number one military hospital in the country if not the world, does not have the funds to hire enough help to keep track of our soldiers when they are injured, or to keep the facilities in which they are treated and housed in livable condition. Our wounded heroes share their rooms with cockroaches, mice and rats, along with moldy wall paper and all around filth. This is a disgrace and I hope the next time the president holds a news conference and brags about supporting the troops again, the press on hand will confront him with this disgraceful information and demand clear and honest answers from him.
1
POPSNew Sign On Prison Might Read: Uncle Sam Wants You!! I find it rather shocking that our military would go out of its way in this time of great need for bodies to fill uniforms by permitting people with criminal backgrounds, while they insist on continuing to discriminate against perfectly law-abiding gay people. Another example of some of our warped values.
0
POPSDon't Play AT Torture on TV-Just Do It In Secret As the President Allows Everyone is so concerned at how bad it makes the U.S. look, and the potential effect it has on our soldiers and children when they see Jack Bauer torture criminals on "24." But of course, the fact that our president has added a signing statement to the ban on torture, permitting him to override that law if he feels it is necessary, thus making torture legal as far as this president is concerned, does not seem to bother too many people.
0
POPSMistrial I like this article a lot, but what makes it even better, is that I just heard a couple of hours ago, that the judge hearing Ehren Watada's case has declared a mistrial. There are serious doubts if the military is going to try to reopen the case, what with all the negative publicity surrounding it.
0
POPSTimes They Are a'Changin'. There has been a major change over the past few years in attitudes to gays serving in the military. I think the ban is gonna be dropped very soon.
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