Can "U.S. hero stories" come out of Iraq?

very interesting thought

Troops don't debate, analyze or decide foreign policy or the lack thereof, but die in service to its abundant flaws.

Ron - Your comment is perfection.

Yep, Ron nailed it, there!

I'm sure there are a lot of good stories. The media does not want the good stories. It is like only bad kids go to school. You never hear of the good kids who study hard and go to college.

This Administration has run a very effective campaign to say that if you don't support the war you don't support the troops. Attempting, in some cases succeeding, to make people feel guilty about their stance on the war. By preventing the stories of individual heroics from being presented to us via the media, it feeds into this false notion that we don't support our troops.

We learned (at least some of us did) many important lessons from Viet Nam. Those vets returned and felt that no one cared about them or what they were doing because it was a war we didn't belong in, just like this one. I like the push people are making that say "Support our Troops, bring them home."

We don't belong in Iraq any more than we did in Viet Nam, and the sooner we can get those in Washington to understand and act on that, the sooner we can bring those soldiers home and show them how much they appreciate what they did on our behalf--even those they shouldn't have gone to begin with.

Ron. B. summed it up quite nicely. I can't add a thing to that.

WHEN the troops come home we should have a HUGE national apology for them.

"Sorry we sent you to get shot and blown-up at to make America hated and everything else screwed up. Sorry Sorry Sorry."

Good article Peter, and I couldn't add anything to Ron's comment.

I agree.

ummm, the Brits left India because they were tired. They occupied it for almost 100 yrs and according to some Indian historians, did a better job than their own government has since...

I always wonder why everyone keeps repeating the war for oil theory. Generally business is about efficency, whay pay all that money in taxes/security etc why Saddam was a much cheaper form of protection. The oil companies could bribe him for x dollars and have a peaceful flow of oil, not the drain of blood and traesure we have today....

Nice to see that BP is the only oil company mentioned in your article... So nice to share the blame around, eh?

Bush loves war because a war president has more power.

Cheney loves war because Haliberton gets a TON more business.

That is a factor too.

I think that just because the cause may be wrong doesn't mean what they do there can't be heoric. Do you know what I mean? Maybe our reason for being there is bad, but if a soldier saves a child from a car bomb, does the reason he's in Iraq make that any less of a heroic feat? I bet it doesn't to the little child and the mother. Look at it in a different light: I really should be at home cleaning my house, but I'm at a movie instead. Let's even say that I'm not supposed to be at this movie because we can't afford it this month. While I'm there, a car almost hits an elderly woman but I rush out and scoop her out of the way. Should I have been there? No. Is what I did heroic and to be applauded? Yes.

I think God can bring good even out of bad.

A 10 for you, Peter, for making me think.

A 10 for Lacey for finding a silver lining.

(oh wait, I can't give anybody else a 10 from here)

interesting article

``I bet the British kept finding "hero stories" to try and comfort themselves``


That kind of story telling is standard among imperialists.

Recently, the 1966 classic ''Closely Watched Trains'' was presented on TCM. Part of the dialog included words such as ''our troops are sacrificing for you'', ''we are fighting for peace'', ''we will liberate you'', ''everyone will thank us for our efforts''.

All of these words were not spoken by the neoKKKon Republicans. Instead, they were spoken by their political ancestors from Nazi Germany.

Hero stories come out of every war. What comes out less are the atrocities and horror . . . despite the myth of a 'Liberal Press' theoretically against the war. By adding the continuous spin that the media does NOT promote the 'good news' . . . they also neglect the worst news. "Bombs accidently hit a hospital" . . . does not have the same effect of a shot of a five year old torn in half . . . nor does the use of depleted Unranium get covered . . . since the results happen much later as children end up born virtually inside out . . . Depleted Uranium is disgusting . . . as you can see WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT!

There are always heroes. With or without war. That says much more about the people than the policies . . . or the war . . . and always has.

Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~

Good news:

Bush's ally John Howard (know as Bonsai which is a bush in miniature) has been defeated in the new Australian elections:


Howard Defeated Anti War Party Wins!


More good news as Poland's new government also declares withdrawal from Iraq:


Poland Will Soon Leave Iraq



VICTORIES FOR THE WORLD AGAINST BUSH TERRORISM!!

A a veteran of another time when "Heros" were my other serving buddies. I can attest to the extrodinary cost to them and our nation. The nonservers use these heros and their stories in a cynical manipulation of our emotions. Pat Tillman was used so. I just finished a reading of http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/features/2009/02/bush-oral-history200902 And could only reflect again with sorrow how those who gave so much are the fodder for those given so much. When will it ever stop?

Thought provoking...thanks, Peter!