In the Desert; by Stephen Crane

In the desert

I saw a creature, naked, bestial,

Who, squatting upon the ground,

Held his heart in his hands,

And ate of it.

I said, "Is it good, friend?"

"It is bitter – bitter", he answered,

"But I like it

Because it is bitter,

And because it is my heart."



- Stephen Crane, 'In The Desert'



t r u t h o u t

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Advice Military Gives to Wives of deployed....Say What?

Families Ask Why

Newsweek ( JUL. 28)



The women wives of officers with the Third Infantry Division on duty in Baghdad listened impatiently to the speeches at a "redeployment meeting" at the base. They all had the same question when is my husband coming home? But the Army had other messages. Here's some of the advice they received: Don't have too much beer in the fridge; he's in no shape to get drunk. Put away the sexy negligee; he probably won't be in the mood. Don't have a list of chores waiting; he will be physically and emotionally spent. "I found it a little galling," says Jennifer Veale, married to a Black Hawk helicopter pilot. "They micromanage our husbands' lives; why do they have to micromanage ours as well?" One more piece of advice: don't get your hopes up. A few days after the meeting in May, the homecoming was postponed, and later postponed again; the Third ID is now scheduled to return in September. And a final thing: if you're unhappy, keep it to yourself.



Military Headlines

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Purple Heart, Wounded Kentucky Soldier Flees To Canada

Wounded Kentucky Soldier Flees To Canada



A soldier from Lexington wounded in Iraq says he fled to Canada rather than return to his Army unit.



Darrell Anderson knows he might be allowed to stay in Canada, but he may never be able to return home again to see his parents or his four-year-old daughter, who now lives with her mother.



Anderson, who says he's in Toronto, also knows that he could be turned away by the Canadian government, possibly to face prison for desertion in the United States.



Anderson fled north of the border when his holiday leave ended three weeks ago.



He's hoping the Canadian government will grant him refuge because he's disillusioned by the war.



Anderson joined the U.S. Army in January 2003 to get money for college and to serve his country.



He went to Iraq a year later with the Army's First Armored Division. Anderson was wounded by a roadside bomb in April. He received the Purple Heart.





WKYT 27 NEWSFIRST & WYMT Mountain News - Wounded Kentucky Soldier Flees To Canada

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Rising to the morning routine, simple pleasures

It is one of those crisp winter days this morning. We wake up, immediately turn on our respective computers, catch up on what's new or better said, more of the same, and as the sun comes up, we are drawn like a magnet to beginning the day. Husband goes about the business of morning preparations to go to work. I, on the other hand, mentally lay out the plans for my day. I send him off in our usual morning routine. What that looks like is stepping out on the porch into the bracing chill, calling for our dog Jake, to make sure he is around and not off chasing an adventure somewhere in the neighborhood, and locating our cat, Lance.

Jake, as usual, comes trotting out of where-ever he chose to sleep for the night, sometimes on the porch, sometimes outside. Lance is either inside, curled up someplace or outside and ready to come in. I give Jake his morning "treat" and he waits patiently, wagging his tail. He knows the routine...Daddy will go get in the truck and Mommy will give the dog a bone.

Our little entourage then waves Daddy off as he heads down the street and I take in the morning sights. I take a look at the sunrise to see what kind of day we will have, look over to the bay water to see what color it is this morning and how the water is moving or not moving. I look to the neighbors' houses to see who is up and about, who has left for the day. I check to make sure the cat has food in his dish and then am reminded to remember whether I fed the two beta fish last night. I often forget to remember to feed those two, as it's hard to have a relationship with a couple of fish swimming in vases. The two beta fish and the cat are inheritances, acquired when my daughter's family was finally able to move to Germany.

So quietly my own day begins. Which is exactly the way I like it to be, for the most part. I used to be part of that morning preparations to get ready for work and remember well that "morning rush" which I rarely enjoyed. The hair, the grooming, the make-up, choosing the clothes, putting on what I called the "uniform" constricting the flow to focus on the taskings as set forth by employer/employment. Rushing to the car, checking the time, flying down the road so we wouldn't be "late" and then arriving, stepping into the office, and that whole aura of 9 + hours and this place owns me.

This quiet and leisurely way to start the day is a contrast which I still relish and savor. As the sun finishes it's rise, I now know the tone of the weather for the day. I decide if I will open the blinds and curtains or let it remain awakening time a bit longer. Today it is sunshine, and light streams in, so the blinds and curtains are opened. We get a fair amount of rainy days here and sometimes I like to open the blinds where I sit at the computer to watch the rain fall and listen to it hitting the metal roof.

Lance isn't sure what he wants to do, and Jake has a strange gift to attend to outside. I closed up the porch last night, meaning to keep him in only long enough to eat his food, since he likes to share it with all the neighborhood dogs, and forgot to open the porch door last night before going to sleep. Jake then was rather locked in then last night, not his usual routine. So I know he could not have brought that hooved deer leg into the yard, yet there it is this morning. Where did it come from? Which dog brought it and now, of course, Jake is seriously interested.

Meantime the birds are busy on the metal roof making a racket and doing whatever they do on the roof. I take Lance outside to do his bird-monitoring thing and he is busy now prowling on the deck railing trying to keep up with the movement of the birds. And I thought I'd just blog about how our mornings begin. I'm so weary of blogging my other blogs and the war and the politics which have highjacked my daily life simple wonders in my own consuming focus to try to influence getting our troops home, thus hopefully ending some of the carnage and destruction that go on daily in Iraq. See how those thoughts creep in even as I write to the simple pleasures of my morning wake-up routine.Well time to start the day..............

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Rising to the morning routines, simple pleasures.

It is one of those crisp winter days this morning. We wake up, immediately turn on our respective computers, catch up on what's new or better said, more of the same, and as the sun comes up, we are drawn like a magnet to beginning the day. Husband goes about the business of morning preparations to go to work. I, on the other hand, mentally lay out the plans for my day. I send him off in our usual morning routine. What that looks like is stepping out on the porch into the bracing chill, calling for our dog Jake, to make sure he is around and not off chasing an adventure somewhere in the neighborhood, and locating our cat, Lance.



Jake, as usual, comes trotting out of where-ever he chose to sleep for the night, sometimes on the porch, sometimes outside. Lance is either inside, curled up someplace or outside and ready to come in. I give Jake his morning "treat" and he waits patiently, wagging his tail. He knows the routine...Daddy will go get in the truck and Mommy will give the dog a bone.



Our little entourage then waves Daddy off as he heads down the street and I take in the morning sights. I take a look at the sunrise to see what kind of day we will have, look over to the bay water to see what color it is this morning and how the water is moving or not moving. I look to the neighbors' houses to see who is up and about, who has left for the day. I check to make sure the cat has food in his dish and then am reminded to remember whether I fed the two beta fish last night. I often forget to remember to feed those two, as it's hard to have a relationship with a couple of fish swimming in vases. The two beta fish and the cat are inheritances, acquired when my daughter's family was finally able to move to Germany.



So quietly my own day begins. Which is exactly the way I like it to be, for the most part. I used to be part of that morning preparations to get ready for work and remember well that "morning rush" which I rarely enjoyed. The hair, the grooming, the make-up, choosing the clothes, putting on what I called the "uniform" constricting the flow to focus on the taskings as set forth by employer/employment. Rushing to the car, checking the time, flying down the road so we wouldn't be "late" and then arriving, stepping into the office, and that whole aura of 9 + hours and this place owns me.



This quiet and leisurely way to start the day is a contrast which I still relish and savor. As the sun finishes it's rise, I now know the tone of the weather for the day. I decide if I will open the blinds and curtains or let it remain awakening time a bit longer. Today it is sunshine, and light streams in, so the blinds and curtains are opened. We get a fair amount of rainy days here and sometimes I like to open the blinds where I sit at the computer to watch the rain fall and listen to it hitting the metal roof.



Lance isn't sure what he wants to do, and Jake has a strange gift to attend to outside. I closed up the porch last night, meaning to keep him in only long enough to eat his food, since he likes to share it with all the neighborhood dogs, and forgot to open the porch door last night before going to sleep. Jake then was rather locked in then last night, not his usual routine. So I know he could not have brought that hooved deer leg into the yard, yet there it is this morning. Where did it come from? Which dog brought it and now, of course, Jake is seriously interested.



Meantime the birds are busy on the metal roof making a racket and doing whatever they do on the roof. I take Lance outside to do his bird-monitoring thing and he is busy now prowling on the deck railing trying to keep up with the movement of the birds. And I thought I'd just blog about how our mornings begin. I'm so weary of blogging my other blogs and the war and the politics which have highjacked my daily life simple wonders in my own consuming focus to try to influence getting our troops home, thus hopefully ending some of the carnage and destruction that go on daily in Iraq. See how those thoughts creep in even as I write to the simple pleasures of my morning wake-up routine.



Well time to start the day..............

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Morning meditation on Our Life on Willapa Bay

It is one of those crisp winter days this morning.

We wake up, immediately turn on our respective computers, catch up on what's new or better said, more of the same, and as the sun comes up, we are drawn like a magnet to beginning the day. Husband goes about the business of morning preparations to go to work.

I, on the other hand, mentally lay out the plans for my day. I send him off in our usual morning routine. What that looks like is stepping out on the porch into the bracing chill, calling for our dog Jake, to make sure he is around and not off chasing an adventure somewhere in the neighborhood, and locating our cat, Lance.

Jake, as usual, comes trotting out of where-ever he chose to sleep for the night, sometimes on the porch, sometimes outside. Lance is either inside, curled up someplace or outside and ready to come in.

I give Jake his morning "treat" and he waits patiently, wagging his tail. He knows the routine...Daddy will go get in the truck and Mommy will give the dog a bone.

Our little entourage then waves Daddy off as he heads down the street and I take in the morning sights.

I take a look at the sunrise to see what kind of day we will have, look over to the bay water to see what color it is this morning and how the water is moving or not moving. I look to the neighbors' houses to see who is up and about, who has left for the day. I check to make sure the cat has food in his dish and then am reminded to remember whether I fed the two beta fish last night. I often forget to remember to feed those two, as it's hard to have a relationship with a couple of fish swimming in vases. The two beta fish and the cat are inheritances, acquired when my daughter's family was finally able to move to Germany.

So quietly my own day begins. Which is exactly the way I like it to be, for the most part.

I used to be part of that morning preparations to get ready for work and remember well that "morning rush" which I rarely enjoyed. The hair, the grooming, the make-up, choosing the clothes, putting on what I called the "uniform" constricting the flow to focus on the taskings as set forth by employer/employment. Rushing to the car, checking the time, flying down the road so we wouldn't be "late" and then arriving, stepping into the office, and that whole aura of 9 + hours and this place owns me.

This quiet and leisurely way to start the day is a contrast which I still relish and savor. As the sun finishes it's rise, I now know the tone of the weather for the day. I decide if I will open the blinds and curtains or let it remain awakening time a bit longer. Today it is sunshine, and light streams in, so the blinds and curtains are opened. We get a fair amount of rainy days here and sometimes I like to open the blinds where I sit at the computer to watch the rain fall and listen to it hitting the metal roof.

Lance isn't sure what he wants to do, and Jake has a strange gift to attend to outside. I closed up the porch last night, meaning to keep him in only long enough to eat his food, since he likes to share it with all the neighborhood dogs, and forgot to open the porch door last night before going to sleep.

Jake then was rather locked in then last night, not his usual routine. So I know he could not have brought that hooved deer leg into the yard, yet there it is this morning. Where did it come from? Which dog brought it and now, of course, Jake is seriously interested.

Meantime the birds are busy on the metal roof making a racket and doing whatever they do on the roof. I take Lance outside to do his bird-monitoring thing and he is busy now prowling on the deck railing trying to keep up with the movement of the birds.

And I thought I'd just blog about how our mornings begin. I'm so weary of blogging my other blogs and the war and the politics which have highjacked my daily life simple wonders in my own consuming focus to try to influence getting our troops home, thus hopefully ending some of the carnage and destruction that go on daily in Iraq.

See how those thoughts creep in even as I write to the simple pleasures of my morning wake-up routine.

Well time to start the day..............

written by Lietta Ruger

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Iraq Veterans Against the War Kicked Off Their Amazing Tour in Boston Today

Axis of Logic



By Les Blough, EditorJan 30, 2005, 18:44



Today, January 30, 2005, Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) kicked off their Iraq Veterans Tour in Massachusetts with a powerful, moving and inspiring presentation to a packed house at historic Fanueil Hall in Downtown Boston. We were there to learn more and to cover the story. Throughout the 2 hour presentation, I noted that there were few dry eyes among about 800 members who attended.



As we passed out flyers outside famous Quincy Market prior to the event, I also noted that a very high percentage of passersby expressed gratitude for our work and commented about their opposition to the war in Iraq. This was a striking change from the reception we have experienced in the past at such protests. Based upon this very limited experience and impressions gained through media and daily correspondence, it appears that a sea-change is occurring in the United States as more and more people become disgusted with the great misadventure that is the Bush/Neocon war on the people of Iraq.



The IVAW Tour is sponsored by Military Families Speak Out and Bring The Troops Home Now, Veterans for Peace, and locally by United for Justice With Peace. The tour is comprised of a coalition of dozens of campus, youth, community, and labor organizations.



Nancy Lessin, Co-Founder with Charley Richardson of Military Families Speak Out chaired the meeting and began by introducing Chuck Turner, who stands apart as the courageous and effective member of the Boston City Council. Councilman Turner was greeted and thanked for his help in organising the event. He opened the meeting with a riveting message about how money is being diverted from education, health care and the needs of the community for the war in Iraq. He spoke of the losses to schools and the entire infrastructure of public education in the U.S. for the advantages of a wealthy elite and their dreams of empire.



Kelly Dougherty, 26, spent 10 months in Iraq as a Sergeant with her National Guard unit, the 220th Military Police Company. She is a cofounder of Iraq Veterans Against the War.



"When we first arrived in Iraq, part of what struck me was the poverty and desperation of the Iraqi people... I believe that as long as the U.S. continues to occupy Iraq, the Iraqis will continue to fight against us."



Kelly said that at the end of her tour she saw even greater poverty than that which was caused by the 1991 invasion and 10 years of devastating sanctions on Iraq. She spoke of how she served in the National Guard in Colorado for 8 years before being activated to go to Iraq. She told of how prior to the war in Iraq, her unit served the United States in national disasters such as the Columbine High School tragedy. She spoke of the losses of National Guard service to the American people because they are being diverted to the war on the Iraqi people



Michael Hoffman, 25, was a Lance Corporal in a Marine Corps artillery battery during the March 2003 invasion of Iraq and is a cofounder of Iraq Veterans Against the War.



"On the way to Baghdad, I saw bodies by the road, many in civilian clothing. Every time a car got near my Humvee, everyone inside braced themselves, not knowing if gunfire would suddenly erupt out of it. When your enemy is unclear, everyone becomes your enemy."



Michael spoke of the senseless killing of Iraqi people and the wasted lives of young men and women who have been sent there to fight. His message was singular and clear: Support the troops by bringing them home now.



A young man and veteran of the war in Iraq spoke of his duties as a chaplain’s assistant and of his twin brother, killed in action in Iraq. He told what it is like to "look loved ones in the eye and tell them their son or daughter won’t be coming home". He spoke tenderly of his loss of his twin brother and asked what why he fought and died.



A 17 year old young woman spoke tearfully of her father who was activated to serve in Iraq and read one of his poetic letters to her and her mother about waking in a military camp to the sounds of sparrows singing, mixed with the sounds of war machinery. Breaking down time and again throughout her talk, she talked about how much she misses him and how much he wants only to come home.



A sister in the Lucey Family from Belchertown, MA told the heart-breaking story of her brother who served in the Marine Corps in Iraq. She said he went to Iraq as a vibrant young man with dreams of obtaining an education, a career and a future. She described him as a child who was in the Cub Scouts and loved to play sports. He came home to a wonderful reunion with his family and "everything seemed normal". Her brother went back to school to complete his education, but "he wasn’t the same". She said that she first noticed a change in him at their first Christmas after he returned. In a conversation with her, he broke down, threw dogtags on the floor and cried out, "You don’t understand. I’m a murderer!" He was unable to sleep nights, developed anxiety and began to drink heavily. He and his family sought help for him with the VA and other medical providers but were unable to obtain assistance. While she and her mother were working at a camp for disadvantaged children in Maine, her father called them to tell them that her brother committed suicide in their home. She pointed out that there are many veterans of this war like her brother who are not counted in the body and casualty counts. But they are casualties of the war in Iraq, nonetheless.



The young sister’s story was followed by her father, Mr. Lucey who lost his only son in the war. He spoke against the war based on lies and for the purpose of stealing the oil reserves from the Iraqi people.



Rose Gentle, one of the founders of Military Families Against the War told how her son, Gordon Gentle was killed in Iraq on June 28th, 2004.



A young woman with a 2 year old child told of how her 46 year old mother was activated from the reserves and sent to Iraq for 545 days. "545 days is a long time", she said. She spoke of her mother’s letters in which she tells how she does not believe the U.S. military is serving any good purpose in Iraq and how she wants only to come home. She told of how she misses her mother and wants her to come home to her 2 grandchildren. In a recent letter her mother told her that she is afraid she will never her daughter and grandchildren again.



Another member of Military Families Speak Out described the deceit and manipulation used by Military Recruiters in our schools and communities. She spoke of her son who served and her nephew who is in Iraq right now, fearing for his life.



There were other tearful stories from these young people who courageously toured the U.K. and now the U.S. with a single, heart-felt message: "Bring the troops home now, after 1430 of them have been killed, thousands wounded and 100,000 innocent Iraqis dead. Bring the troops home now before one more has lost his or her life in a war that is being waged in the interest of a wealthy few and for the failing U.S. empire. Read other stories of soldiers and their families who oppose the war in Iraq at Military Families Speak Out



The Axis of Logic Group urges every reader to attend this important tour when it comes to a community near you and to support Iraq Veterans Against the War with your donations.



© Copyright 2005 by AxisofLogic.com



The IVAW Mission (Iraq Veterans Against the War)



Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) is a group of veterans who have served since September 11th, 2001 including Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. We are committed to saving lives and ending the violence in Iraq by an immediate withdrawal of all occupying forces. We also believe that the governments that sponsored these wars are indebted to the men and women who were forced to fight them and must give their Soldiers, Marines, Sailors, and Airmen the benefits that are owed to them upon their return home.



We welcome all active duty, national guard, reservists, and recent veterans into our ranks. Confidentiality can be assured. To join IVAW please send an email to join IVAW join@ivaw.net



The IVAW Tour schedule in Massachusetts:



Sun Jan 30 Fanueil Hall, Boston 3-5pm

Mon Jan 31 Salem State College 11am-1pm

Mon Jan 31 Endicott College, Beverly 2-5pm

Mon Jan 31 Lynn, MA 6:30-9:30pm

Tues Feb 1 South End, Boston 3:30-6pm

Tues Feb 1 M.I.T. Cambridge 4:30-6pm

Tues Feb 1 Roxbury 7-9pm

Tues Feb 1 Bridgewater State College 7-9pm

Wed Feb 2 UMass Lowell Noon-2pmWed Feb 2

UMass Boston 2:30-5pm

Wed Feb 2 Tufts, Somerville 7-9pm

Wed Feb 2 Northeastern Univ, Boston 7-9pm

Thu Feb 3 B.U. Law School 5-6:30pm

Thu Feb 3 Chelsea 7:30-9:30pm

Fri Feb 4 Roxbury Community College 11:30am-1pm

Fri Feb 4 Harvard Univ, Cambridge 4-6pm

Fri Feb 4 Watertown 7-9pmSun Feb 6 Boston 11am-Noon

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Platoon Sgt shot while trying to get out the vote in Iraq.

When was the last time you heard of someone being killed for doorbelling to get out the vote? And this is what our troops mission in Iraq has become, door knocking to get out the vote, and risking being shot for their efforts?





"On campaign trail, a single shot

Before sniper struck, platoon leader was encouraging Iraqis to vote"



read entire article at...copyright

MSNBC - On campaign trail, a single shot

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Letter to Congress on Increasing U.S. Ground Forces

Letter to Congress on Increasing U.S. Ground Forces

January 28, 2005





Dear Senator Frist, Senator Reid, Speaker Hastert, and Representative Pelosi:



The United States military is too small for the responsibilities we are asking it to assume. Those responsibilities are real and important. They are not going away. The United States will not and should not become less engaged in the world in the years to come. But our national security, global peace and stability, and the defense and promotion of freedom in the post-9/11 world require a larger military force than we have today. The administration has unfortunately resisted increasing our ground forces to the size needed to meet today's (and tomorrow's) missions and challenges.



So we write to ask you and your colleagues in the legislative branch to take the steps necessary to increase substantially the size of the active duty Army and Marine Corps. While estimates vary about just how large an increase is required, and Congress will make its own determination as to size and structure, it is our judgment that we should aim for an increase in the active duty Army and Marine Corps, together, of at least 25,000 troops each year over the next several years.



There is abundant evidence that the demands of the ongoing missions in the greater Middle East, along with our continuing defense and alliance commitments elsewhere in the world, are close to exhausting current U.S. ground forces. For example, just late last month, Lieutenant General James Helmly, chief of the Army Reserve, reported that "overuse" in Iraq and Afghanistan could be leading to a "broken force." Yet after almost two years in Iraq and almost three years in Afghanistan, it should be evident that our engagement in the greater Middle East is truly, in Condoleezza Rice's term, a "generational commitment." The only way to fulfill the military aspect of this commitment is by increasing the size of the force available to our civilian leadership.



The administration has been reluctant to adapt to this new reality. We understand the dangers of continued federal deficits, and the fiscal difficulty of increasing the number of troops. But the defense of the United States is the first priority of the government. This nation can afford a robust defense posture along with a strong fiscal posture. And we can afford both the necessary number of ground troops and what is needed for transformation of the military.



In sum: We can afford the military we need. As a nation, we are spending a smaller percentage of our GDP on the military than at any time during the Cold War. We do not propose returning to a Cold War-size or shape force structure. We do insist that we act responsibly to create the military we need to fight the war on terror and fulfill our other responsibilities around the world.



The men and women of our military have performed magnificently over the last few years. We are more proud of them than we can say. But many of them would be the first to say that the armed forces are too small. And we would say that surely we should be doing more to honor the contract between America and those who serve her in war. Reserves were meant to be reserves, not regulars. Our regulars and reserves are not only proving themselves as warriors, but as humanitarians and builders of emerging democracies. Our armed forces, active and reserve, are once again proving their value to the nation. We can honor their sacrifices by giving them the manpower and the materiel they need.



Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution places the power and the duty to raise and support the military forces of the United States in the hands of the Congress. That is why we, the undersigned, a bipartisan group with diverse policy views, have come together to call upon you to act. You will be serving your country well if you insist on providing the military manpower we need to meet America's obligations, and to help ensure success in carrying out our foreign policy objectives in a dangerous, but also hopeful, world.





Respectfully,



Peter Beinart Jeffrey Bergner Daniel Blumenthal



Max Boot Eliot Cohen Ivo H. Daalder



Thomas Donnelly Michele Flournoy Frank F. Gaffney, Jr.



Reuel Marc Gerecht Lt. Gen. Buster C. Glosson (USAF, retired)



Bruce P. Jackson Frederick Kagan Robert Kagan



Craig Kennedy Paul Kennedy Col. Robert Killebrew (USA, retired)



William Kristol Will Marshall Clifford May



Gen. Barry R. McCaffrey (USA, retired) Daniel McKivergan



Joshua Muravchik Steven J. Nider Michael O'Hanlon



Mackubin Thomas Owens Ralph Peters Danielle Pletka



Stephen P. Rosen Major Gen. Robert H. Scales (USA, retired)



Randy Scheunemann Gary Schmitt



Walter Slocombe James B. Steinberg



Project for the New American Century

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Republican Press Release: What if it was All a Big Mistake? Right on! Left turn?

Am I surprised or what? A Republican from Texas, no less, has serious doubts! Thank you Rep. Ron Paul, it takes courage in this administration to speak to common sense above and beyond the acceptable party line only repetitious propaganda. Thank you for caring more about the country than the political party, and waking up to find this article this morning does my weary soul some good...is there a tiny shred of hope after all that as a country we can wake up to common sense, and squarely take on the illusion created by this administration. Hope for America? Hope for our troops? Hope for a return to common sense?





What If (It Was All a Big Mistake)?

By Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX)





Wednesday 26 January 2005



Delivered to the U.S. House of Representatives.



America's policy of foreign intervention, while still debated in the early 20th century, is today accepted as conventional wisdom by both political parties. But what if the overall policy is a colossal mistake, a major error in judgment? Not just bad judgment regarding when and where to impose ourselves, but the entire premise that we have a moral right to meddle in the affairs of others? Think of the untold harm done by years of fighting - hundreds of thousands of American casualties, hundreds of thousands of foreign civilian casualties, and unbelievable human and economic costs. What if it was all needlessly borne by the American people? If we do conclude that grave foreign policy errors have been made, a very serious question must be asked: What would it take to change our policy to one more compatible with a true republic's goal of peace, commerce, and friendship with all nations? Is it not possible that Washington's admonition to avoid entangling alliances is sound advice even today?



.....snipped



If we're willing to consider a different foreign policy, we should ask ourselves a few questions:



1. What if the policies of foreign intervention, entangling alliances, policing the world, nation building, and spreading our values through force are deeply flawed?



2. What if it is true that Saddam Hussein never had weapons of mass destruction?



3. What if it is true that Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden were never allies?



4. What if it is true that the overthrow of Saddam Hussein did nothing to enhance our national security?



5. What if our current policy in the Middle East leads to the overthrow of our client oil states in the region?



6. What if the American people really knew that more than 20,000 American troops have suffered serious casualties or died in the Iraq war, and 9% of our forces already have been made incapable of returning to battle?



7. What if it turns out there are many more guerrilla fighters in Iraq than our government admits?



8. What if there really have been 100,000 civilian Iraqi casualties, as some claim, and what is an acceptable price for "doing good?"



9. What if Rumsfeld is replaced for the wrong reasons, and things become worse under a Defense Secretary who demands more troops and an expansion of the war?



10. What if we discover that, when they do vote, the overwhelming majority of Iraqis support Islamic (Sharia) law over western secular law, and want our troops removed?



11. What if those who correctly warned of the disaster awaiting us in Iraq are never asked for their opinion of what should be done now?



12. What if the only solution for Iraq is to divide the country into three separate regions, recognizing the principle of self-determination while rejecting the artificial boundaries created in 1918 by non-Iraqis?



13. What if it turns out radical Muslims don't hate us for our freedoms, but rather for our policies in the Middle East that directly affected Arabs and Muslims?



14. What if the invasion and occupation of Iraq actually distracted from pursuing and capturing Osama bin Laden?



15. What if we discover that democracy can't be spread with force of arms?



16. What if democracy is deeply flawed, and instead we should be talking about liberty, property rights, free markets, the rule of law, localized government, weak centralized government, and self-determination promoted through persuasion, not force?



17. What if Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda actually welcomed our invasion and occupation of Arab/Muslim Iraq as proof of their accusations against us, and it served as a magnificent recruiting tool for them?



18. What if our policy greatly increased and prolonged our vulnerability to terrorists and guerilla attacks both at home and abroad?



19. What if the Pentagon, as reported by its Defense Science Board, actually recognized the dangers of our policy before the invasion, and their warnings were ignored or denied?



20. What if the argument that by fighting over there, we won't have to fight here, is wrong, and the opposite is true?



21. What if we can never be safer by giving up some of our freedoms?



22. What if the principle of pre-emptive war is adopted by Russia, China, Israel, India, Pakistan, and others, "justified" by current U.S. policy?



23. What if pre-emptive war and pre-emptive guilt stem from the same flawed policy of authoritarianism, though we fail to recognize it?



24. What if Pakistan is not a trustworthy ally, and turns on us when conditions deteriorate?



25. What if plans are being laid to provoke Syria and/or Iran into actions that would be used to justify a military response and pre-emptive war against them?



26. What if our policy of democratization of the Middle East fails, and ends up fueling a Russian-Chinese alliance that we regret - an alliance not achieved even at the height of the Cold War?



27. What if the policy forbidding profiling at our borders and airports is deeply flawed?



28. What if presuming the guilt of a suspected terrorist without a trial leads to the total undermining of constitutional protections for American citizens when arrested?



29. What if we discover the army is too small to continue policies of pre-emption and nation-building? What if a military draft is the only way to mobilize enough troops?



30. What if the "stop-loss" program is actually an egregious violation of trust and a breach of contract between the government and soldiers? What if it actually is a backdoor draft, leading to unbridled cynicism and rebellion against a voluntary army and generating support for a draft of both men and women? Will lying to troops lead to rebellion and anger toward the political leadership running the war?



31. What if the Pentagon's legal task-force opinion that the President is not bound by international or federal law regarding torture stands unchallenged, and sets a precedent which ultimately harms Americans, while totally disregarding the moral, practical, and legal arguments against such a policy?



32. What if the intelligence reform legislation - which gives us bigger, more expensive bureaucracy - doesn't bolster our security, and distracts us from the real problem of revamping our interventionist foreign policy?



33. What if we suddenly discover we are the aggressors, and we are losing an unwinnable guerrilla war?



34. What if we discover, too late, that we can't afford this war - and that our policies have led to a dollar collapse, rampant inflation, high interest rates, and a severe economic downturn?



read entire article at:

t r u t h o u t - Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) | What If (It Was All a Big Mistake)?

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Mother of Soldier Slain in Iraq Speaks Out

Mother of Soldier Slain in Iraq Speaks Out

by Kay Liss





She held up family photos of her son Casey as a toddler, at his confirmation, as a 21-year-old in boot camp and then, the photo that appeared in The New York Times last April, of his coffin, his brother kissing it to say goodbye.



Many in the audience at Skidompha Library in Damariscotta on Tuesday night were unable to hold back tears along with Cindy Sheehan, mother of a slain American soldier in the Iraq War. Sheehan has been traveling around the country speaking out against the war and was invited to speak here by the newly formed Peace and Justice Coalition of Lincoln County and Citizens Offering New Alternatives (CONA), with participation from Veterans for Peace and the Maine Green Independent Party.



Opening her heart-wrenching talk, she said, “I am not a political expert or a pundit. I’m just a broken-hearted mother.” Sheehan said she hoped she wouldn’t offend anyone in the audience, but her purpose in speaking out was to raise awareness of “the travesty of this war” and to help bring the troops home.



She presented a brief biography of her son, born in 1979 in Vacaville, Calif., an Eagle Scout and altar boy who said when he grew up he wanted to serve and help people. He was in his third year in college when he decided to join the army, professing an interest in becoming a warrant officer in the OCS.



Sheehan said she was “flabbergasted” at his decision, because he was so devoted to peace, but respected it. She remarked a number of times in her talk that serving the country in the military is “an honorable profession,” and that she is proud of her son, who was a hero, but that it is this war that she feels is so wrong.



Casey became a Humvee mechanic, and was in Iraq for only two weeks when he volunteered for a very dangerous mission. His convoy was attacked and he was one of six soldiers killed on April 4 of 2004.



Her grief was almost unbearable, but then she said, “I knew I had to do something to try to stop this illegal and immoral war to prevent more soldiers from dying. People are dying every day, soldiers - but also innocent Iraqis that our government doesn’t even count.”



Sheehan co-founded an organization Gold Star Families for Peace, which is made up of parents, siblings and other family members of soldiers who have died in the Iraq War. Gold Star Mothers was an organization that began during the Second World War for mothers of slain soldiers. It has been a tradition for mothers to put gold stars in their windows if their son (or now daughter) had been killed in war, but the activist connotation is more a recent evolution.



However, Sheehan said she hadn’t been aware until after starting the organization that there was a group during the Vietnam War called Gold Star Moms, which also formed in protest against that war.



One of the things she would like to change is how military recruiters go about their business, going into poor neighborhoods and preying on those who cannot afford to go to college, and offering them “the world.”



“Many kids go into the military because they can’t afford college,” she said. “I think there should be some way to help these kids.” Also, recruiters should give a more honest picture of what being in the military entails, she added.



She said she doesn’t want to “just complain,” so offered other suggestions to get involved: to write to or try to speak personally to political representatives was particularly important. She said having an audience recently with California Senator Barbara Boxer, who had been against the war from the beginning, has probably made a difference in the senator’s recent increased level of statements against the war.



Sheehan urged everyone to become more aware of what is really going on in Iraq, to read articles on websites like CommonDreams.org and Truthout.org. She said she hears from soldiers as to what is really going on, “and they are not building schools and sewer systems as the government is telling us. They are just out there killing and trying not to be killed.”



She said the mainstream media really “failed us” in the rush to war, and since then, has not been reporting much on the mistakes the U.S. occupation has made, such as disbanding the Iraq army and taking away jobs from citizens and giving them to outside contractors, creating animosity and anger toward the Americans. The tragic problem of inadequate armor for the troops, which is the reason her son and many other soldiers have died or been wounded, is another travesty not mentioned enough.



Her speaking out has not endeared her to her community, she said. “I am a pariah in my own town. My best friend won’t even talk to me anymore,” she said. Everyone had compassion for her when her son died, but they don’t seem to like the idea of her protesting the war. She said she has also been vilified in the press, accused of taking advantage of her family’s tragedy.



Sheehan has be en on a number of television shows, including Good Morning America, NBC and ABC. She has an article (“The Dangerous Gold Star Families”) currently on CommonDreams.org about her group’s recent attempt to talk to someone at the Pentagon, only to be rebuffed by police outside the gates.



“The time for being nice is over. We have to let our leaders know what we think. We have to help vets who have been wounded, and we have to help kids find alternatives to being recruited to go to this war. We have to put this war in peoples’ faces to get them to see.



“I know Casey would want me to be doing this.”



The website for Cindy Sheehan’s Gold Star Families for Peace is www.gsfp.org.



Mother of Soldier Slain in Iraq Speaks Out

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My online Neo Pets = My many, many blogs, feed me, feed me.

Wow, been feeding all my other blogs, and overlooking this one. Well ya know, if the President would just shape up, I wouldn't be so busy with all the other blogs. Enough about that, see my other blogs for stuff like that. Here is where I try to post family stuff. Which is not to say that the war deeply affects our family, but once in a while, I gotta take a light break.....it's such serious business, the war, the troops, Iraq, our country.

So Lance, the cat, has made himself at home, is doing real well, adapting well and has rather taken charge of the house. Now Jake, on the other hand, is just still pouting over the whole business. We put a pillow and the food dish for Lance on top of the freezer on the porch. He likes that cause he jumps up there and can lord it over Jake, who looks at me with those sad eyes and an expression of "Why, Why, why me, what did I ever do to you?".

When I take ol' Jakers for a walk or better yet a drive, he is all excited once again and knows I love him best. Lance doesn't seem to know though, that Jake comes first, he thinks he comes first. Now Lance follows me around everywhere, including when I walk Jake...what kind of cat follows you around like a dog does? But no car rides for Lance. That is special only for Jakers.

Our small village entertainment: We threw old bread out for the birds, well, okay, the crows then. There are a lot of crows that live around here and they won't let the smaller birds get to the bread. We threw out three loaves, not torn up. So Jake goes over and sniffs them and decides they are not edible for him. But he somehow thinks they are his, so he sits down in the road and stands guard. The crows won't come down with Jake sitting right there. We are watching out the windows, and it's getting pretty amusing as Jake takes his job of guarding the bread loaves very seriously, it seems.

Along come some of the other dogs that live on our street, sniff the bread and decide it's not for them either, and walk off. Jake continues guarding the loaves. The crows hover all around but won't fly down to snatch the bread. After a while, another stranger dog (means doesn't live around here) came along, sniffed the bread, decided it was for him and picked it up in his mouth and walked off with it. Well Jake is seriously offended and puzzled and looks at the stranger dog and then back at the loaves and is confused about what to do. If he leaves his guard spot the crows will fly down, but he also wants to retreive the bread loaf from the stranger dog.

In his confusion, he decides to get up and go after the stranger dog, and the crows start circling downward. The stranger dog drops the loaf about 50 feet down the road, decides he doesn't want it after all. Jake, meanwhile has drifted over to the neighbor's place across the street as one of them has come out of the building and Jake knows they give him real and fun food treats. While he is over there begging for a goodie, the crows then spot the loaf the stranger dog dropped and see that Jake is occupied, so they swoop down and start having a feast. We are watching out the windows, laughing and being thoroughly entertained, wondering what Jake will do when he turns around and sees the crows are at the bread loaf.

Sure enough, Jake turns, sees the crows, dashes after them and chases them off, picks up the bread loaf and isn't sure what to do with it. He wanders back to the other two loaves, wanders back to the neighbors with the loaf in his mouth, wanders back home, just carrying that loaf of bread and not sure what to do with it. He decides then, that the best thing to do is to bury it. So he digs a hole and buries one loaf. Meanwhile the other two loaves are sitting on the road and the crows are still hovering, waiting. We are by this time laughing as we watch from the windows as this drama of nature unfolds. Lance has taken an interest by now and has been running from window to window trying to keep up with the birds.

It had all the markings of being a long afternoon's entertainment for us dull, boring people in our dull, boring village. The neighbors decided to take a walk, and Jake usually accompanies them, so he was delighted to go for a walk, and after all that careful sentry work guarding the bread loaves from the crows, he just walked off as if it never happened, and the crows then were free to feast. But no, two more stranger dogs came along, sniffed and decided to eat the two remaining loaves which they proceeded to do in short order, leaving nothing for the crows.

And that is life in the Village.

Now, about me and my blogs. I have, let's see now, 8 blogs at blogger, and 6 blogs here at blog-drive, 1 blog at live journal, 1 blog at blog city, another blog at bloglines, another at msn spaces, so that is 18 blogs. Plus I have also a few websites that I have built. And I have a list of about 6 more places where I could build other blogs. So ...... that is tooo many blogs, for sure, and I have to feed them all. That is why I call them my online neopets, cause I have to feed them and some get fed every day and some don't get fed for weeks at a time and lately, some don't get fed at all.

Lastly, let me recommend 2 movies for ya to watch. 1) Open Waters, it's an independent film and very unusual...different and we enjoyed watching it. 2) The Village, M. Night Shymalan which we enjoyed watching this one because the ending surprised us and it's nice to be surprised. There wasn't much in the way of clues along the movie to tell us what to expect for the ending, which is why it was a surprise. We liked it. Now, if you watch these two movies, let me know what you think, ok?

Till next time.............this is Gram offering up a gem.......

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It's another anniversary for us today, Jan 27 and I'm including a photo of me from our last year anniversary get away retreat, to a tree house in Cannon Beach, Oregon. It was so serene, peaceful and quiet. Of course January is not the high tourist season in Oregon, so it tends to be quieter in the winter months anyway. This year we are not spending $$ on get away locally, we are starting a special account to save for an anniversary trip to Europe! I'm excited. Daughter and her husband have been to Europe couple of times now, Son has been and another daughter with her family lives in Germany now. Europe, here we come!  

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Anniversary Getaway Photo

It's another anniversary for us today, Jan 27 and I'm including a photo of me from our last year anniversary get away retreat, to a tree house in Cannon Beach, Oregon. It was so serene, peaceful and quiet. Of course January is not the high tourist season in Oregon, so it tends to be quieter in the winter months anyway. This year we are not spending $$ on get away locally, we are starting a special account to save for an anniversary trip to Europe! I'm excited. Daughter and her husband have been to Europe couple of times now, Son has been and another daughter with her family lives in Germany now. Europe, here we come!

by Lietta Ruger

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U.S. Rep Schakowsky; "It is time for our soldiers to start the journey home.", Press release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Nadeam Elshami

January 24, 2005 202/226-6903 or 703/869-9020 (Cell Phone)

nadeam.elshami@mail.house.gov

Schakowsky on U.S. Troops in Iraq :

"It is time for our soldiers to start the journey home."

CHICAGO , IL - U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) today released the following statement on U.S. soldiers deployed in Iraq :

"The time has come for the United States to withdraw our troops from the battlefield of a war that should never have been waged. There was no real justification for sending our brave young men a women to fight in Iraq, and there is even less reason to keep them there now to die in ever increasing numbers.

"Under false pretenses, the Bush Administration took our nation to war against a country that did not pose imminent threat to our security. In Iraq today, over 1,300 U.S. soldiers and an estimated 100,000 civilians are dead. This war is costing an average of $1.6 billion taxpayer dollars every week, while the mission remains vague, the troops overstretched and under-armored, friendly Iraqis chafe at our presence and unfriendly Iraqis bomb our convoys and enclaves. Neither democracy in Iraq nor security at home has been achieved. Instead, Iraq has become, in a gruesome self-fulfilling prophecy, the ground zero for terrorism that it was not when President Bush chose to invade.

"There are those who argue that the U.S. is obligated to 'fix' Iraq now that we have broken it. Unfortunately, the Administration has left us with no good options whatsoever. The worst choice, however, would be to continue to do more of the same, and watch the body count grow. It is clear that for stability to replace chaos, a political and not a military resolution is required.

"A political process has begun, admittedly fragile, and it is time for the United States to leave. Once the January 30 elections are concluded, the new Iraqi government takes responsibility for forging its own path toward stability and democracy. The U.S. should provide financial and material assistance for that effort and encourage the international community to help.

"The results may not be what the President envisioned or anyone wanted. Some experts warn of civil war. Many worry for the Christian community and for the women. These are very real concerns that, sadly, weren't even considered when the U.S. invaded, and even after 'mission accomplished' was declared by President Bush. We should do what we can diplomatically to address vulnerable populations, yet, as long as U.S. forces are on the ground, a lasting peace and stable Iraq cannot be achieved. All of us care deeply about our brave soldiers who are doing the very best they can under near impossible conditions. It is time to bring them home."

###

Leslie Combs

District Director

Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky

5533 N. Broadway, Chicago IL 60640

phone: 773-506-7100 fax: 773-506-9202

leslie.combs@mail.house.gov

www.house.gov/schakowsky



****************************



provided by Military Families Speak Out

Dear Military Families,

Below is a press release issued on January 24, 2005 by Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky from Chicago, Illinois titled "It Is Time For Our Soldiers To Start The Journey Home." Feel free to share this with your family, friends, community and with your local, state and federal elected officials.

In Peace and Solidarity,

Nancy Lessin and Charley Richardson

for Military Families Speak Out

www.mfso.org

www.bringthemhomenow.org

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