Dreams and War
I had a bunch of things I was going to say about the motivation behind the potential conscription debate in the House. There are some who would argue that Americans are not sharing the burden of the war in Iroc. I can see part of that.
There is a side to the rhetoric that wants to make those “responsible” for the war feel the pain of war the way the disenfranchised do. This is a fine thing.
Maybe Charlie Rangle and his crowd think that people who have no choice are forced to do two and three and sometimes more tours of duty to pursue what might be the policy and policy failure of a small group of men.
But if they are serious about conscription they enlarge the group of people fighting and dying with no choice…aren’t there people like me and the sons (and possibly daughters) of people like me who will be included in the no exemptions draft? What choice do I and people of my ilk have in pursuing adventures in Iraqisitting?
Fucking fucking none.
Is Charlie Rangle insinuating that the middle class is somehow standing at the sidelines, half-cheering for the war but will change its tune once there is a debate over a draft?
I voted against the war in what I consider to be a meaningful way in 2004. I’m here blasting away at cocksuckers who I think may have lied to the American people to get their war, and a defense secretary that brought shame to the army.
If the debate over conscription was anything more than an excuse to make another point, the reality would be – a larger group of Americans subjected to the whims of a few. Maybe Rep (and soon to be Chair of the House Ways and Means) Rangle thinks that is fair. I think it’s a bottle of piss and I’d like to open it under the noses of the conscription debaters and make ‘em take a good whiff.
We all know that the debate over conscription is an excuse to make another point.
That may be as reprehensible as the notion that me and douche bags like me need to be subjected to the wars and international/social morality of Charlie Rangle, George Bush or any of those guys.
But we know Rep Rangle and others would not seriously bring conscription to a vote. Now rem the Dems and opponents of g bushy have screamed to high heaven that the g bushy crew has played politics and made distractions when there is a war going on
AND SHAME ON THEM FOR THAT
But really, if this debate takes place, shame on those D’s wasting time w/ subterfuge in Congress when America is at war.
I was going to go on and on but we were all mercifully saved by a horrible dream I had last night.
I dreamt that I was drafted, that I had to go to Iraq. I knew what my job was going to be, and even though it involved some shooting I had the feeling that it wasn’t going to be too dangerous…
Or I wasn’t afraid of the combat.
What scared the living hell out of me was the fact that the government official who contacted me said I would have to be gone for two years without any chance of coming back stateside.
In two years my son will be 7.
Right now he is enjoying his first loose tooth.
By the time of my planned return in the dream he will have made his First Holy Communion and will have lost a bunch of teeth.
No jokes about hard, undercooked wafers please.
What can dreams like this tell us?
I believe mine told me to remember those who are sacrificing all. Regardless of the ineptitude and worse on behalf of the civilian leadership, what is really important?
I don’t have any suggestions on how to get anyone home. I can sit here and say the US Army is really good at nation smashing, but lousy at nation building. But what is that worth to the guy who is really there and who is really missing his kid growing up?
I am going to put aside my anger at Charlie Rangle and others wrangling for a debate over instituting the draft. I actually like the Rep from NY’s 15th District. I find him charming and his passion for those he believes to be “his constituency” to be admirable.
Maybe I will temper my response to friends like ChrisB when they suggest that war does not have to be the permanent condition of man…or give my pompous – ‘There has always been and will always bee war and injustice that is the way of men’….
I shouldn’t throw away lines like that.
I shouldn’t just say ‘perfection is not for us in this world’ and go on about my business.
I should pray that the ways of God can be the ways of men.
I should pray that God in his mercy can help bring those moms and dads, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, friends, and even the gun nuts from the local firing range/bar – pray that they all come home from Iraq and that somehow peace, mercy and forgiveness become part of the ways of men.
Amen.
There is a side to the rhetoric that wants to make those “responsible” for the war feel the pain of war the way the disenfranchised do. This is a fine thing.
Maybe Charlie Rangle and his crowd think that people who have no choice are forced to do two and three and sometimes more tours of duty to pursue what might be the policy and policy failure of a small group of men.
But if they are serious about conscription they enlarge the group of people fighting and dying with no choice…aren’t there people like me and the sons (and possibly daughters) of people like me who will be included in the no exemptions draft? What choice do I and people of my ilk have in pursuing adventures in Iraqisitting?
Fucking fucking none.
Is Charlie Rangle insinuating that the middle class is somehow standing at the sidelines, half-cheering for the war but will change its tune once there is a debate over a draft?
I voted against the war in what I consider to be a meaningful way in 2004. I’m here blasting away at cocksuckers who I think may have lied to the American people to get their war, and a defense secretary that brought shame to the army.
If the debate over conscription was anything more than an excuse to make another point, the reality would be – a larger group of Americans subjected to the whims of a few. Maybe Rep (and soon to be Chair of the House Ways and Means) Rangle thinks that is fair. I think it’s a bottle of piss and I’d like to open it under the noses of the conscription debaters and make ‘em take a good whiff.
We all know that the debate over conscription is an excuse to make another point.
That may be as reprehensible as the notion that me and douche bags like me need to be subjected to the wars and international/social morality of Charlie Rangle, George Bush or any of those guys.
But we know Rep Rangle and others would not seriously bring conscription to a vote. Now rem the Dems and opponents of g bushy have screamed to high heaven that the g bushy crew has played politics and made distractions when there is a war going on
AND SHAME ON THEM FOR THAT
But really, if this debate takes place, shame on those D’s wasting time w/ subterfuge in Congress when America is at war.
I was going to go on and on but we were all mercifully saved by a horrible dream I had last night.
I dreamt that I was drafted, that I had to go to Iraq. I knew what my job was going to be, and even though it involved some shooting I had the feeling that it wasn’t going to be too dangerous…
Or I wasn’t afraid of the combat.
What scared the living hell out of me was the fact that the government official who contacted me said I would have to be gone for two years without any chance of coming back stateside.
In two years my son will be 7.
Right now he is enjoying his first loose tooth.
By the time of my planned return in the dream he will have made his First Holy Communion and will have lost a bunch of teeth.
No jokes about hard, undercooked wafers please.
What can dreams like this tell us?
I believe mine told me to remember those who are sacrificing all. Regardless of the ineptitude and worse on behalf of the civilian leadership, what is really important?
I don’t have any suggestions on how to get anyone home. I can sit here and say the US Army is really good at nation smashing, but lousy at nation building. But what is that worth to the guy who is really there and who is really missing his kid growing up?
I am going to put aside my anger at Charlie Rangle and others wrangling for a debate over instituting the draft. I actually like the Rep from NY’s 15th District. I find him charming and his passion for those he believes to be “his constituency” to be admirable.
Maybe I will temper my response to friends like ChrisB when they suggest that war does not have to be the permanent condition of man…or give my pompous – ‘There has always been and will always bee war and injustice that is the way of men’….
I shouldn’t throw away lines like that.
I shouldn’t just say ‘perfection is not for us in this world’ and go on about my business.
I should pray that the ways of God can be the ways of men.
I should pray that God in his mercy can help bring those moms and dads, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters, friends, and even the gun nuts from the local firing range/bar – pray that they all come home from Iraq and that somehow peace, mercy and forgiveness become part of the ways of men.
Amen.
posted by edP | 7:19 PM
3 Comments:
"local firing range\bar" - is that real?
I'd like to think that the world is evolving into different kinds of power struggles. But there are always going to be those who have less than they want, and will do bad things to get them.
The sad thing is Rangel as head of the ways and means committee has a much faster way to get people home. All he needs to do is support a war tax. It would be a much smarter move.
A debate over a war tax - even a tax in another name - I'd take that or that distraction rather than this other stuff
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