Sometimes, perhaps too often, having an interest in the truth can be very painful. This is one of those instances. The collage on the right makes me feel physically ill, but i've posted it here.
If you prefer to feel safe, please do NOT click on it to enlarge!
When the loss of 3,600 young people is sooo sickening, what does one make of the loss of the 300,000 non-combatants in Iraq? Their pics are not posted anywhere, yet they are just as real and just as dead.
Follow the title link to a rather detailed article in The Nation where they have interviewed 50 Iraq war veterans in order to get a closer, if stomach turning, look at the real war in Iraq.
Not for the faint hearted!
A few posts down, I spoke of PTSD; well now you know.
It is also worth pondering the fact that George Bush Junior is planning on a permanent "occupation" of Iraq, since it is obvious that the puppet government there is completely incapable of holding that nation together on its own...
Pity the fate of the Iraqi people - how many do you think will now be wondering if Saddam was not the better of the two evils?
In case the link leads to an ad, click the "skip to" on the bottom right to go to the article itself.
12 comments:
Sam,
Thank you for posting this. It really needs to be read.
Also,
How are you feeling? Have you fully recovered now Sam?
Ivan
I've had this dull ache when I think of Iraq, Darfur, and Afghanistan. I used to voice my anger a lot more, but as time has dragged on and the killing has just got worse, with no end in sight, I guess I've sort of lost the urge to even protest, it's just got too painful... It took this article to give me a kick and get me moving again.
My health is good. With strict diet control, exercise and cholesterol lowering medication, my lipid profile is now looking really healthy, my energy level has improved and I'm starting some light jogging and even a bit of soccer with my kids!
Sam,
How did you have to change your diet?
You and me both with Iraq. I still protest quite a bit I have letters going off to politicians here most weeks.
Good to have you back Sam
Ivan
An individual's capacity for cruelty is the ultimate failure of the 'greatest democracy' on earth. The veterens' recollections mirror the earlier far east debacles.
It is hard to read beyond a few pages of the article.
My heart feels the heaviest now.
Paru and Ivan,
These wars, any wars, are nasty but it is especially sad that they are all 3 based on lies, and perpetuated for the benefit of business/oil interests. That's cynical but true in all 3 cases in slightly different ways.
It also looks suspiciously to me like Pakistan (already a dicatorship that's in America's pocket) and Iran may also follow as the hegemony seeks to get extended.
Ivan, I'm off red meat, allowed no oil and, even worse no coconut - we use a lot of that in our cooking. I can have boiled fish or chicken and any amount of veggies and fruits.
Two other good books Sam;
The President of good and Evil
Blood for oil.
Both give a good background about the war on a noun. Incidently, our PM nows opines that Iraq had Aspirations of weapons of mass distruction. "aspirations".. unbeleivable
Ivan
Hey Sam,
How old are you ?
Ivan (age 49)
Ivan, June 16th was my 50th birthday, which was a bit unfortunate as lot of people called and got a surprise!
Yesterday I stopped in at the local Peace and Justice Center, and a more lethargic bunch would be hard to imagine. They meet every Wednesday p.m. to discuss antiwar initiatives. I'll go either next Wed or the week after, but I don't have high hopes.
I also have tried to track down local initiatives focusing on the vets. Not much happening, in part because the soldiers keep getting sent back on 2nd and 3rd tours of duty. That's one way to keep a lid on the bad news coming back from the front -- never send anybody home.
John, there is a sort of tiredness that sets in with a longer war, an emotional fatigue, that can be very dangerous. It is only now that the numbers of badly affected combatants will be filtering back into society and trying to settle back into 'normal' life. Yet now, is when society least wants to be reminded of its continuing failures.
The VA is typically trying to bury its head. I just read that some veteran groups have filed suit and one of their complaints is that just 22% of those actually suffering from PTSD are being accepted for treatment!
I hope you can galvanise these local folks into action mode!
Sam the one stunningly good peice of happy news on turning 50 is that it isnt us turning 80!!!
Many happy returns for that day Sam!
kind regards
Ivan
Sam are being in danger from flooding right now?
Ivan
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