say Thank You

I opposed (and still do) the invasion of Iraq.  I understand that the invasion of Afghanistan had a legitimate purpose, but I question the infusion of more soldiers at the present time.  I disagree with Dick’s philosophy that every answer to every foreign policy issue is the application of our military.  But when I see a man or woman in uniform, I say thank you.

My wife questioned me about this.  I am thankful that service men and women are, in Jack Nicholson’s words, “up on that wall.”  Someone definitely has to be.  And while my life’s path didn’t lead me to serve my country in uniform, I have a basic respect for those who do, from my childhood best friend who went on to serve in the Army Rangers; to the staff sergeant I shared a red eye flight with to witness President Obama’s inauguration; to the waitress at the restaurant near my school who just returned from an extended tour in Iraq; to the young soldier who just walked by me on the plane.  I don’t know any of them personally.  I have spoken to all of them, though.  I’ve said thank you.

There is, in my estimation, nothing more noble than to put one’s body, the only self that we know of on this planet, between harm and home.  Whether done for selfless or selfish reasons, the service (and therefore the sacrifice) is noble.

A short aside – when I was in sixth grade glee club, we sang the Marine Corps Hymn.  I toyed with going into the Marines just because the song was so cool,

“From the Halls of Montezuma

To the shores of Tripoli

We will fight our country’s ba-attles

On the air, on land and sea.

First we fight for right and freedom

and to keep our honor clean

We are proud to claim the ti-itle

Of the United States’ Marines.”

As Memorial Day passes, and we take the time to salute and honor the fallen, remember to take the time to thank those still standing.

the terror within

Listening to the President this morning, it became clear that he is fighting the war against terrorists on at least three fronts, all inherited from the Bush Administration.  The first is obviously in the biblically important country where some people believe lies the earthly location of the Garden of Eden, between the Tigris and the Euphrates, Iraq.  The second is where many an empire, from Alexander the Great to the Soviet Union have ground to a halt and been defeated by patriots wielding scythes and stones, Afghanistan.

The third is in Washington, D.C., against the proponents of terror and torture led by Colonel Jessup himself, former Vice-President Richard Cheney.  This crowd of malcontents is braying loudly in an attempt to cover its tracks, to avoid responsibility and prosecution, and working to make our country less safe by distracting the mechanisms and machinery of government with unfounded accusations and claims which have and continue to be proven false.

The former Vice-President, notorious for his silence during his time in office, has taken it upon himself to be the voice of unreason, calling for the release of memos that destroy his arguments and refute his claims; making speeches about keeping the country safe when his tenure saw the terrorists attacks of September 11th; and telling anyone who will listen (or give him a microphone) that he did a good job and he’d do it again.

This third front is almost more problematic than the first two.  As commander in chief, President Obama can do as he sees fit in order to wage those campaigns and has pledged to follow his understanding of our American ideals to do so.  This is neither easy nor simple, but it is clear.

On the third front, though, his opponents refuse to a) tell the truth, b) acknowledge their mistakes, c) provide relevant support for their positions, d) argue the fundamental issue of torture.  They don’t even like the word.  They prefer “enhanced interrogation techniques” to hide their actions.  As I said a couple of days ago, this is simply more lubrication for their violation of our national identity and ideals.

This third front is not true philosophical difference.  For those who feel that torture is okay, and that it is necessary to protect our country, that is a conversation.  This third front refuses to engage, acting more like al Qaeda and the guerillas firing on US troops in the hot zones than the loyal opposition.  This machiavellian manipulation of misinformation is how Guantanamo Bay became a torture cell, owned and operated by the United States.  It’s how we as citizens ended up with blood under our fingernails and towels jammed down our throats.

Waterboarding is torture and I feel like Dick Cheney is doing it to me with his speeches, the way he ordered it done to “the terrorists”, the way Jay Bybee covered with his lawyer-speak.

That’s the terror within.

Obama defends plan to close Gitmo

Cheney slams Obama in speech

distraction

“it is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing.”

The argument over Nancy Pelosi’s knowledge and feud with the CIA is a distraction.  It is an attempt to practice some sleight of hand to turn our collective head away from looking for the truth.  By her own admission, she knew something.  And by my estimation, she should be held accountable for her actions, too.

The true conversation to be had is whether or not the United States should torture its enemies.

The answer is no.

There is also conversation on how to investigate those who knowingly circumvented both United States’ and international law in order to engage in torture in the name of the people of the United States.  Vice-President Cheney has argued that what he and others knowingly did and have admitted has kept our country safe.

That is beside the point.  It was wrong.  And Nancy Pelosi’s ridiculousness makes her sound like she’s covering up that she knew about the torture, that she acquiesced due to political pressures, and that she’s trying to save her own behind.

She’s a distraction, much like Dick (and his daughter, and Steve Schmidt) which takes real wind out of the sails of John Conyers and Patrick Leahy, who are on a path to investigate who violated the human condition in the name of national ascendance.

Stop talking about her and talk about truth.

GOP leader on Pelosi’s claim

Boehner, McConnell Cheer Cheney’s Public Activism