Remembrance Day rant

[the_siobhan]

Warning: Partially incoherent


I am not a pacifist.

Far from it. If my life has shown me anything, it has shown me that Not Taking Shit is the only way that shit will not be delivered unto thee. I don't like being picked on, so standing up for myself has become a bit of a policy of mine.

Having said that, I have no issue with pacifists. In fact I admire them. People who are willing to take whatever fate metes out in order to prove their point and live up to their ideals gain my absolute admiration. It's a way tougher road than I am capable of walking, and more power to them on their journey.

But I do believe that there is a place for force in the world. It is a tool, and in some cases it is the only language that bullies understand. When somebody respects nothing but force, you show him force and he will sit the fuck down. But I think it's important to remember that it is only a tool. Ideally it should be one among many - if possible the tool of last resort. I have seen that public opinion will sometimes sway a bully when public opinion is important to that bully - it worked for Gandhi and Nelson Mandela and Amnesty International has built an entire mission statement out of it. I strongly believe in debate, I believe in negotiation, I believe in sanctions, I believe in economic pressure. i believe that one tries every possible means before one brings out the big guns. I believe, that just as when one is dealing with wild animals, one always gives one's enemies a way to back out gracefully amd save face.

And I also believe that those things are sometimes not possible.

And when every other recourse has been tested and has failed, people fight. And people die.

I see those stupid stickers that say "support our troops" and they make me angry, because all those people are really supporting is factories that manufacture magnetic car stickers. Have you voted for politicians that don't waste the lives of enlisted men on piddling political gains and winning elections and ensuring oil company profits? How about making sure that those troops you are supporting so fervently have absolutely the best in equipment and training? And medical services for LIFE, because it don't mean shit if their disease or their syndrome or whatever the fuck was contracted during their service, they deserve to be taken care of for life simply because they offered the biggest risk that any citizen can take. Give them citizenship if that's an issue in your country. Give them education. Free. Under any circumstances. Support for their families, so they don't have to chose between serving their country and paying Little Timmy's medical bills. There Should Not Be any suck fucking thing as vets living on the street. Ever.

I believe that people who offer the "ultimate sacrifice" as it's euphemistically called, deserve absolutely the best of all of those things. Not because of some romantic fetishization of military hardware, but because they offered to fucking die if that's what it took to accomplish the goals that their country held as being important at that time.

Yeah, I have a big fucking hard-on for soldiers even though I have never been one. I also have a big fucking hard-on for firemen, people who defuse bombs, people who staff hospitals in war zones, all those people whose professions demand that they suck it up and say, "I might die here today. And it will be worth it if other people don't die because I was here."

Remembrance Day, for me, is about respecting people who made the sacrifice that was asked of them. It wasn't pretty. It wasn't noble. It was necessary. And they fucking died. And two minutes of silence is the least we can do to acknowledge the fact that they did it so we wouldn't have to. That's the easy part. Throwing some actual dosh and some will behind taking care of those who survived ought to be worth even more.

Comments

[montieth.livejournal.com]

Funny, I was thinking about this driving home.

"I see those stupid stickers that say "support our troops" and they make me angry, because all those people are really supporting is factories that manufacture magnetic car stickers. "

By the same token, those people with "free tibet" stickers aren't doing anything at all to actually shift the PRC out of their occupation of Tibet.

Otherwise huzza for your thoughts on 11/11. I should'a worn a poppy on my lapel, but then we can't find those down here. I know a chap out of Canada that wears his daily since there are Canadians in harms way in Afghanistan.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

By the same token, those people with "free tibet" stickers aren't doing anything at all to actually shift the PRC out of their occupation of Tibet.

Yes. Exactly.

I had a discussion today with bcholmes about "white liberals". Lovely, well-meaning people who pronounce solemnly that Something Must Be Done, but to whom it never seesm to occor to get off their ass and do anything.

They are the bane of my existance.

Otherwise huzza for your thoughts on 11/11. I should'a worn a poppy on my lapel, but then we can't find those down here. I know a chap out of Canada that wears his daily since there are Canadians in harms way in Afghanistan.

The newspapers keep publishing these polls that say we shouldn't be in Afghanistan and it drives me craxy. Because if you ask the exact same people "should we do more in Dafur" or "should we have done more in Rawanda" I know they will all say yes.

[montieth.livejournal.com]

The newspapers keep publishing these polls that say we shouldn't be in Afghanistan and it drives me craxy. Because if you ask the exact same people "should we do more in Dafur" or "should we have done more in Rawanda" I know they will all say yes.


Yeah. I saw a video of some Canadian's in Halifax protesting Canada being in Afghanistan and one of their number being arrested. One of their responses was to call the Cops Fascist. Odd that. I wonder if they understand the derivation of the word and that a proper fascist would have their friend executed in less than a week if not there on the spot. Guess they think groups like the Taliban are just dandy though. It makes no sense to me. I'd expect the liberals of the standard sort jumping up and down at the death's of the likes of the Taliban given how wretchedly awful they are and how the Taliban oppose everything western liberals hold dear. Having seen beneath the veil, I have no misconceptions about how evil they really are.

I do give Clinton credit for actually doing something about the Balkans, even if it did take 10 years. Still, Europe dragged their feet quite badly and it too NATO to do something at our urging. Though, we're still there, in spite of the promises to be home by Christmas. Brigades and Divisions in the Regular US army and reserve formations rotate through there regularly. It's hardly even mentioned on the news any more. Same thing goes for Afghanistan. Darfur seems like it's going to be another repeat of any number of instances where the UN and the west does nothing. Though the US has been trying to get something going. Interesting the response from Darfur, even Aid operations would be seen as an act of war. Which has me thinking it's going to take NATO and the US Marines to kick the door in. A concert certainly isn't going to do squat.

Growing up and learning about history, I lamented the alliances we had to make in WWII and during the Cold War to fight the bigger threat. Greece and our compromises there are chief among those regrets. That and Poland in post WWII Europe. The London Poles really got the shaft from our Soviet 'Allies'. In some ways, I wish we'd done what Patton had reccomended. Now that we're down to brass tacks, we can deal with the petty dictatorial regimes we propped up or had to play ball with to get the bigger job done. That's how I can agree with the neo-con's basic argument of drain the swamp. Ultimately, I expect to see the Egyptians and Saudi's pressured mightily once Iraq is stabilized. That way when they are pressured and their oil production is halted for a time, the world economy won't go in the crapper. Fact is, the US could fort up with North Sea and Canadian oil resources plus our locally pumped oil, but Japan and Europe would fall on their knees in a few months if Mid East oil were halted. We can't let that happen.

[kest]

I've found that living in what is probably the capital of "white liberal" world has made me increasingly practical. Fucking *do* something, or shut your trap and get out of my way.

[lilactime.livejournal.com]

The newspapers keep publishing these polls that say we shouldn't be in Afghanistan and it drives me craxy. Because if you ask the exact same people "should we do more in Dafur" or "should we have done more in Rawanda" I know they will all say yes.

Well... we're there for a different reason, though. There would be no NATO forces in Afghanistan if the US hadn't bombed the shit outta the place looking for a place to put their pipeline Osama Bin Laden. No one went in originally to save the Afghans from the Taliban - if I recall, we were all quite satisfied to sit by and "tut-tut" as they wrecked havoc and killed women and banned music.

Darfur and Rwanda were/would be peacekeeping missions only. Part of the problems that occurred in Rwanda was that Dallaire was not allowed to take an offensive position. In Afghanistan, we're there in an offensive capacity, to wage a war.

Does it need doing? Absolutely, but it needs doing in a lot of other places, too, and I don't see anyone dropping bombs on Cuba. The reasons for being in Afghanistan in the first place are rather suspect, it's only after the fact that we've become all about bringing peace and freedom to a country that we weren't all that concerned about before the western world realized there was something there we wanted.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

PS

Really you can't fine poppys?

I can provably grab you one here if you want onen and send it to you for next year.

[montieth.livejournal.com]

Live ones yes, but they're not in season now. The little plastic ones that are designed to be worn as lapel pins aren't around here. Not a US thing. I've been meaning to get a friend from the commonwealth to send me a gross so I have something to hand out to folks.

[raindrops.livejournal.com]

In Flanders Fields

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders Fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

- John McCrae, 1915

My grandfather who fought in Europe and North Africa had some tales about Canadian soldiers. They were fierce. The Devil's Brigade saved the lives of many in his unit at Anzio, when they were in a bit of a jam.

Silence is easy. Repaying the debt owed is another matter, isn't it?

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Silence is easy. Repaying the debt owed is another matter, isn't it?

That requires effor, which is hard.

Or money. Which is even harder, apparently.

thinking in stacatto tonight,

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

I have known SO MANY vets who are homeless

That is totally Not Cool in my book.

Re: thinking in stacatto tonight,

[raindrops.livejournal.com]

In the US, 1 in 4 adult males that you see sleeping in a doorway is a vet.

Re: thinking in stacatto tonight,

[raindrops.livejournal.com]

froma couple years ago on this day...

http://raindrops.livejournal.com/358451.html

Re: thinking in stacatto tonight,

[raindrops.livejournal.com]

thinking in staccato as well, it seems...

just re-checked the link on my 2004 post, the number is now 1 in THREE homeless males are veterans

[tristam08.livejournal.com]

My uncle was in the 1st Special Service Force (aka 'Devil's Brigade'). He wouldn't even talk about some of the things they went through.

[raindrops.livejournal.com]

That's true of most combat vets. They'll regale you with the humourous things, things they did when they weren't trying to stay alive just one more day. Or the quirky characters in their unit. Or their arsehole commander. But you'll rarely hear us talk about what we did in the kill or be killed times.

I write about it here sometimes, because it's therapeutic and cathartic. Cofessing to murder is not exactly easy.

My "surrogate" father served 3 tours in Vietnam. The story he most often told was about kicking back in a hammock with his buddies at the fire base after a mission. They had obtained a case of beer, and had it in the middle of their circle in an ammo crate full of ice. They had all just opened their first beer in a few weeks, when there was a shot and half the beer was exploding into the air. One of the guys was a bit high and had accidentally discharged his weapon. They kicked his arse for destroying half their case of beer, and made him go cut a deal to replace it.

That's the kind of stories you'll usually hear.

[raindrops.livejournal.com]

Oh, and a massive THANK YOU to your uncle. I wouldn't even exist if it weren't for him and his buddies.

[greylock.livejournal.com]

I can't be bothered to scan the whole thread, but as I understand it, in North America (especially Candada) November 11 isn't quite what it is here (or the UK).

And here it may be because we have ANZAC day as our catharsis... and because we observe one minute silence.

Me? At 11:11, 11/11/06 I was either silent 'cause, or talking to the cats. I missed it until 12'30".

We also don't have the "Support Our Troops" movement because, well, I suspect America isn't just down there... so somehow we don't get the cultural spillover.

Rememberence Day really isn't celebrated here as it is there, again because we have ANZAC Day, I guess.

I don't really have a point, as far as I know we don't have too many vets living in the streets. Or people, as it happens. But that happens when you have a small, rich population.


I believe in sanctions, I believe in economic pressure

Of course, they hurt the most vulnerable first.
Not that I'm arguing, but sometimes I wonder if we should just skip the sanctions phase. Sometimes,.

[panic-girl.livejournal.com]

Of course, they hurt the most vulnerable first.
Indeed. I remember seeing a 60 Minutes piece on Iraq in the late '90s that said after U.S. sanctions the country became even more repressive, the economy tanked, women were pulled out of schools and kicked out of jobs, more people were going hungry and homeless, and nothing changed for Sadaam and his family. The sanctions were hurting the people that the U.S. was ostensibly trying to help.

That said, the invasion and occupation of Iraq is a clusterfuck of massive proportions.

[montieth.livejournal.com]

But those people are no longer rounded up and taken to gulags. Their economy has bloomed, People can afford forms of technology that was previously illegal like cel phones and Satellite TV. It's only the core of the country that has serious issues with the insurgency the Kurdish North is utterly peaceful save for the odd insurgent incursion and the Kurds especially have a much better lot.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Every stitutation is different, sanctions aren't appropriate in all cases just like military intervention isn't appropriate in all cases.

Boycotting worked really well on South Africa because the leaders cared a lot about world opinion and it (largely) had the support of the black population.

[briarhill.livejournal.com]

I see those stupid stickers that say "support our troops" and they make me angry, because all those people are really supporting is factories that manufacture magnetic car stickers.

Actually, I had one of the first one of these out there - and I bought the fifty cent piece of magnetic plastic for thirty-seven dollars - all I had in my wallet at the time. The guy selling them was a veteran of Desert Storm who worked at Walter Reed Hospital and was selling the 'support our troops' magnets to raise money for the guys coming back during "Operation Freedom" ie the current war in Iraq.

I've spent time collecting new socks and underwear for the men /and women/ who find themselves injured and spending time at Walter Reed. I've sent boxes of books over to the hospital and I've been a point of contact for the guys in my brother's old troop that have family in Colorado and if they, or their friends, are in Walter Reed, I help them find a place to stay, give them contact info for various places around town and generally do what I can to make the information flow better.

So, yes - I have one of those magnets on my car. It's faded. It's old. And it's been there since the beginning of this war and I'm not taking it off. I am proud of what I'm doing.

So - perhaps the fact that the magnet is slapped on the side of someone's SUV is a bit stupid - at least they /are/ thinking about the troops and not ignoring the fact that this 'Operation Freedom' is a fucking war, and not just thinking about how to get another bonsai tree for their condo patio or something.

[the-siobhan.livejournal.com]

Yeah I realize it's a big generalization. I'd be a lot happier if those stickers were sold the way poppies are, to fund the veteran organizations. Or if I knew that all the people who buy them are actively doing some of those other things you mention as well.

I have seen ones that listed a specific platoon that I imagine a loved one is serving in, and for some reason those ones seem a lot more personal and a lot less aggravating.

[briarhill.livejournal.com]

I realize I kinda flipped out a bit about the magnet - but you're not the first person I've had to justify it to - and it pisses me off.

I'm more angry about the fact that Congress refuses to call the situation in Iraq and Afghanistan an 'official' war, allowing the military to get the special benefits that come along with such designations. (And no, I can't list them all for you - but better pay and more secure benefits for their families while there over there are two of them)

Bill Maher

[(Anonymous)]

Bill Maher had this comedy special a while back where he talked about the Iraq war and had made old fasion propaganda posters in the background. One of them showed the American flags and stickers on an SUV and said "Empty gestures don't win wars!" If the money went to the troops, it would be better, as many troops in Iraq have been complaining that they don't have enough funds for proper armor. I don't remember what politician they complained to but the response was along the lines of "deal with it."

The problem I have is that on both the liberal or concervative side, you have people who hold opinions just because that's how they were raised, and not because they have sat back and thought about it. when I watch them debate it's all (and it seems it has always been) mud slinging between them. "I'm the right person for the job because my opponent is a jackass." It horrifies me that nobody is willing to actually listen to each other than they may find a common ground and solution to problems. They are more interested in their status than problem solving. People who are pro-war say that people who are against it are "against America, and the troops" or some crap, while many people just feel we can find a better solution after all these years, and don't want people dying over something that can be dealt with a better way, if there is one.

Jenn

[gruamach.livejournal.com]

Sio....have I mentioned that I fucking love you?


:)