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An Old Vet's Opinion:
Fools And Fanatics

By Jack Dalton
Guest Writer
Online Journal
7-10-4
 
"To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, right or wrong, is not only un-patriotic, but it is morally treasonable to the American people." -President Theodore Roosevelt
 
History teaches many lessons one of which is about war - war not only can, but does bring out the worst in people. This is clearly evidenced here in the U.S. Blind hatred and xenophobic responses seem to rule the day.
 
Stand opposed to Bush and his cabal, openly - there isn't debate on issues - and there are a lot of "citizens" that will lambaste other "citizens" with venomous name-calling and threats, then call it "patriotism."
 
Write and publish an article, essay, or simply a short op/ed critical of Bush or his collection of "Mayberry Machiavellis" and you would be amazed at what comes forth from the good "Christian" folk that seemingly view Bush one step below the "second coming." No debate on the issues, just venom, hate, name calling and threats.
 
There is not a writer that I've talked with that does not receive "hate" mail. Most of it isn't worth the time of day and is treated accordingly. Occasionally there is an email that spurs some good debate, although I must admit it does not happen often, unfortunately.
 
Over the past few months however, I've noticed a marked increase in the level of just flat out venomous hate mail and threats from some of my fellow "citizens." If throwing mindless threats and venom filled hate mail at their fellow citizens is what these good up-standing "Christian" folk mean by "patriotism" I want no part of it. If what they mean by "patriot" is to silently have "faith" and "trust" and then obediently following, without question, those that profess to be this nation's "leaders." you can count me out.
 
I learned a long time ago that politicians lie, some more than others. If it's a politician, no matter whom or what position, I do not take that person on faith; nor do I trust, out of hand, the words that come from between their lips. I understand that politicians have multiple agendas, most of which are multi-faceted, which are generally hidden from us, the citizens of this nation. They need watching, closely, always; they need to be held accountable in absolute terms for everything they say and do (or don't do) for they cloak their "full purposes" in secrecy and the flag.
 
To my way of thinking, being a "yes" man for whatever party is in power is not being a patriot it's being a fool. Being a patriot requires, no, it demands active involvement and participation in the political process. That goes way past simply "trust and obey" and simply casting a "vote" every few years.
 
When it comes to politicians, I am rather cynical. That cynicism is not arbitrary or capricious, a whim; it did not just "happen." It was born and nurtured.
 
It was born from having willingly marched off to the Vietnam War in August of 1965 (I enlisted at the end of the Cuban Missile crisis and in 1965 asked to be sent to the 'Nam) with all the fervor of a born and bred right-wing hawk. "My country right or wrong; love it or leave it" - there was no middle ground. Back then I would have made Bill O'Riley and Rush Limbaugh look like bleeding heart liberal do-gooders.
 
From October of 1965 until I left Vietnam in April of 1967, I was wondering what war the politicians and generals were telling the American people about, as it sure wasn't the war my friends and I were in the middle of. One of the hardest lessons for anyone to learn is that your so-called leaders are willing to deceive even those that they send into that "Heart of Darkness" that is war.
 
The language of deception was the political norm back then just as it is today with and about Iraq. Catch words and phrases all meant and designed to create specific psychological metaphors in an effort to create and maintain their "necessary illusions" and to "manufacture" the needed consent. Con, hustle and manipulate - welcome to democracy, American style.
 
Well, that's not my America. I've been challenging that and the powers that be ever since coming back from Vietnam. Doesn't matter which party, as I see no real difference between them - two ends of the same stick, the one the American people keep getting in the back. They lie and people die. George W Bush has become the "king of the hill" on the lie and die part. "There are a lot of people that lie and get away with it," Donald Rumsfeld said. That's one of the few honest things I've heard him say.
 
So, what's all this about? Where am I headed with this little diatribe?
 
This is a partial and limited response to a "letter to the editor" in the Canyon Lake Week, a newspaper published by Doug Kirk in Canyon Lake, Texas (Camus County-San Antonio area). Doug is a voice of reason in a sea of Bush ideologues who opt for ideology over reason and logic (forget the facts, full steam ahead). I've not reprinted the letter that was written that gave impetus to this reply but as you read this commentary you'll get the gist of what this person wrote. It's getting too easy for people in this county to once again label fellow citizens as unpatriotic, un-American and traitors. This ought not to be.
 
"...it is people like you who cry anti-war slogans, criticize our commander-inñchief for liberating Iraq and Afghanistan from barbarian rule that I was referring to as wimps." Also included in the "wimps with no backbone that do not deserve to be called Americans" category are, "...wives, mothers, and others that complain..." I felt this rated more than a simple letter to the editor in response.
 
For all that believe and think as does the person who penned those words, this is for you, one and all.
 
While you were at home baking cookies, I and thousands of other "wimps with no backbone" were crawling around in Vietnam. While some were being "patriotic" proudly waving the flag of American self-righteousness and vociferously supporting that unmitigated disaster, as is being done today with Iraq, I and thousands of others where getting shot to hell and back, just is happening in Iraq today.
 
Thirty-five years later, after all the pontificating about "never again" has faded from memory, that same flag of false and misguided patriotism once again "proudly" waves over America. It seems that never again is here again (that is if in fact it ever went away).
 
The ease with which those of you that so blindly follow Bush can label fellow citizens as "wimps without backbone that do not deserve to be called Americans," including those of us that are combat veterans, concerns me in some ways more than Bush. Decorated for counter-insurgency operations in 1966, three times wounded and a life fighting the effects of Agent Orange a wimp does not make.
 
By your statements one can only conclude that you believe the only patriotic Americans are those that toot the horn for Bush. I guess it makes no difference to you that the man you support has and is cutting funding to the Veterans Administration, which, to, date has forced over 250,000veterans out of the system due to a lack of funding. All that while creating more vets.
 
If continuing my open opposition to the Bush cabal makes me a "wimp without backbone," I guess I'll be a wimp without backbone for whatever life I have remaining. For I will go to my grave in opposition to any and all that preach perpetual war for perpetual peace and profits over people.
 
The thing that really stands out is that the vast majority of those that feel so free to label their fellow citizens as unpatriotic, un-American, traitors, wimps, etc., especially those of us that actually wore a uniform and went to war, is that they themselves, for whatever reason, never wore this country's uniform, let alone went to war as did those of us that are now labeled by them solely because we oppose Bush. Welcome to America. The arrogance of people to call anyone, let alone combat veterans, wimps and un-American is astounding!
 
My right to criticize was born in the thick of war - your right to criticize was born in your living rooms from watching 30-second sound bites on Fox "news."
 
"The rest of us ... face the challenge of forcing change, making 'America' mean something more than callousness, greed, smugness, orgiastic levels of consumption, disregard for the suffering of others and a willingness to kill to protect our privilege and power." -Prof. Robert Jensen, UT, Austin
 
As far as the statement about Iraq being liberated and the Iraqi people now being free is concerned, it would be laughable if it were not so sad.
 
The Iraqi people are now free, free to be a part of the 60 percent unemployed and free to watch Halliburton import thousands of foreign laborers to "rebuild" Iraq.
 
They are "free" to watch the wholesale privatization of their nation's resources, infrastructure, economy and everything in-between by the same U.S. multinationals importing labor. But, the Iraqi people have been liberated.
 
They are free to see their fellow citizens subject to arrest, detention, torture, and murder in the same prisons that Saddam used for the very same purposes. But they have been liberated and are now free.
 
They are "free" to watch their country turned into what it never was until the politically driven and ideology based invasionóground zero for fools and fanatics. But, Iraq has been liberated and the Iraqi people are now free.
 
They are free to wonder, with all the money Halliburton has been paid, when they will have potable water, electricity more than 8 hours a day. They are free to wonder about this and much more.
 
They are free to wonder why Americans pay no attention to their own General Accounting Office reports that clearly state that Iraq is worse off than before the invasion. (GAO report, June 2004, "Iraq is Worse off Than Before the War Began")
 
I could go on for a long time enumerating the theft of Iraq, but time and space prevent that. Be that as it may, one last thought on the "liberation" of Iraq.
 
For those willing to use the brain's memory cells, you will recall that in the run-up to the invasion of Iraq, not one time was "liberating Iraq" part of the discussion.
 
From beginning to end it was weapons of mass destruction, mushroom clouds over Manhattan, and the link between Saddam-bin Laden and al Quaida. All of which have proven to be false and deliberately so! It was when those "reasons" began to unravel that Bush's adventure morphed in to a war of "liberation." Deliberate deception just like Vietnam.
 
I, for one, am real tired of Bush and company pissin' on my boots while trying to convince me it's raining. The crazy part is how many of you are reaching for umbrellas.
 
- Jack Dalton publishes the Oregon Medical Marijuana Project
 
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