Thursday, August 11, 2005

Losing the Iraq War - Can the left really want us to? By Christopher Hitchens

Losing the Iraq War - Can the left really want us to? By Christopher Hitchens

This was sent to me by C2 - and I answered her via e-mail....
She's one of my favourite people and I love her (like she were my family) - she's a much smarter younger sister in my mind. I don't like it when we disagree for some weird reason - but I respect her take on things 'cause she so intelligent and she does her homework - I'm still me though:

Yes C, it's ALL food for thought (I love Christopher Hitchens) - and realistically no I guess we can't just 'walk out' now that we've again made such a splendid mess of things in yet another country - however....we both know it's not that simplistic and yes there are OTHER things I am concerned about besides our being Nazis to the prisoners of Abu Grahib - you know as well as I do I am for trying to help women in other countries overcome 'male-driven' or 'God-supposedly-driven' extreme practices which harm them and their children - but tell me how a war and bombing those same innocent women and children is helping them? How? And don't hand me that we have to do it this way or that innocents aren't being killed you and I both know that they are and we don't have to do it that way (or I least in my heart I KNOW we don't have to do things this way).

If you are ever looking for me to say this was justified - you are barking up the wrong tree - it was unnecessary and idiotic (as is President Bush) - I am first and foremost into non-violence (a pacifist *gasp* did I just say that?) - deep down I refuse to accept war as a means to solve conflict - you can no more win a war than an earthquake - that's how I feel - without apology - also I don't consider myself a leftist any more than I consider you a rightist - I think you made a bad choice in your decision to elect an asshole - but that's me - I still care for you. I just can't wrap my mind around what he's done (continues to do) and it's all such a mess. I am not saying that there is never a reason to pursue aggressive means - what I am saying is just not in the case of Iraq - in fact I'd have been just great if he would have concentrated on gee I don't know Osama instead of Saddam - oops did I just say that - or gee how about let's take a look at what North Korea or Pakistan is doing - or do we only pick on the countries where we stand a chance of completely wiping them out....

In the Art of War or looking at the way a Samurai lives (or even Arjuna on the battlefield to use a Vedic reference) - one knows that once one commits to the path of war - that's it - yes a general MUST win - how silly to think otherwise - I am not totally lacking in the understanding of what drives men to kill each other - I just happen to think it's a waste of our time.

I simply won't jump on the 'support our president' bandwagon for this - just can't do it....I feel horrible for the families of our troops and I hope they get to come home soon (and safely) but it's really not looking that way is it? Perhaps the difference between you and I and a lot of others in your position is they don't remember all the body bags that came home from Vietnam - I DO, C - and it turns my stomach to this day - we lost friends - close friends and they are never coming back - all over a useless, winless war.....


EDIT: Here is the response from C2 - which I unfortunately did not have time to post yesterday - sorry C2:

No one is asking you to jump on any wagon, band or otherwise. I called it "food for thought" not "Jonestown Kool-aid."

The message I got from the article was about helping people who need help. The reason I sent it to you was because you recently blogged about people making a difference and wanting to make a difference yourself. Here's another way you can. It's about supporting these "innocent people", not the president, who I'm quite sure can take care of himself.

I care about you, too, C-. So please don't take it the wrong way when I say: take this diatribe below and blow it out your ear. I'm not the enemy.


My reponse to her was:

It's not a diatribe it's how I feel - I don't need you sending me article from Christopher Hitchens about the NEED in the world - I know there's need and I try to do what I can...I just wish others would too and I am not saying you are the enemy but I am very saddened by the fact that people re-elected a guy who does not give a damn about human need. The president is our leader, C, and if you get behind someone who thinks it's OK to 'whip a little democracy' on people who don't want it - what does that make you? (not you but you know what I mean) - look I am glad you sent the article I DO like his writing but I also find him to be a bit abrasive and grandstanding in his take on things - after all he writes for Vanity Fair....politics - they suck

We need to worry about the needs in this country for now - not the others....it might be a bit isolationistic but too bad

You can tell me to blow it out my ear and I can say the same to you - where's that get us? You aren't always on the same page as me (or side) but that's OK - at least we can talk to each other - this wasn't a diatribe against you - it's my comments about how I perceive things (like what you sent) - and the world in general...it's all about ones perception - and sometimes the truth has nothing to do with what's really going on...



I also went on to say I knew she was not trying to brainwash me. (she's not!)
However I resent ANYONE saying myself and others are trying to armchair quarterback this war - *I* am not - I did not say I don't support the troops - I don't agree with my presidents decision - I didn't in Vietnam and I don't now - I am only being true to myself and you will NEVER hear me say I think violence is a mean of solving anything. I DON'T see us winning this war - we are losing it and if that makes me an armchair quarterback too fucking bad. I'd like to see any of those people out there saying we need to be there go up to one of the mothers from Ohio as she's burying her son this week and tell her he NEEDED to die - yes there are people who are proud to serve - good for them - bully - but sending young men to their death UNNECESSARILY has never set well with me and it never will and I find this Iraq conflict to be totally unnecessary - we need to become more tolerant - we need to stop feeding the war machine - we don't need to keep doing these things because it's the way our ancestors did it - can't we become a little more enlightened???? Isn't that possible - I for one sure hope so cause these wars are going to just keep getting more deadly and if you think you are going to stop a fundamentalist by waging war, you are sadly mistaken. You want this war - like Bill Maher said - then YOU must go over and fight it. Go for it. Have fun - but don't expect me to sit here and be thrilled while you waste this country's most precious resource and money that could be going to help people HERE in the good old USA you love so much. I am sick and fucking tired of being accused of being 'out of touch' or not American enough because I am a proponent of peace - THAT doesn't make ME the enemy either folks. So you can take your win the war at any cost and blow it out your ears - we need to keep the peace at any cost.

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