Viet Nam -- Anseo -- Gallipoli -- all mistakes that and lives were lost because the senior officers would not admit a mistake. We add Iraq to the list of hopeless causes.

In the most polite way, may I suggest that fighting for people to liberate them from themselves seems like a very, very bad idea that will bring disaster. Islamic are probably the toughest. There is plenty of "disaster" in Iraq. I wonder if that is the best rational the military can come up with. It is weak and unrealistic, esp. confronted with the realities of Iraq.

I noticed you mentioned the wages of sin is death--what is the wages for NYC city cab driver?

What if they don't want freedom? Maybe they want to follow the will of Allah or their Cleric?

Those are exactly the type of people you need to fight for... because they can't fight for themselves. Their society oppresses them and takes away their rights and freedoms and encourages unwarranted violence. At times, you must liberate people from themselves.

The worst middle eastern leaders have been and continue to be Khamenei of Iran, Muammar al-Gaddafi of Libya and Mahmoud Abbas of the PLO. The al-Assad family is quite a few steps back compared to them

I actually absolutely agree with you about a united world under a global democracy. One problem I have is how a middle class Iraq father feels compelled to murder his daughter if she has been kidnapped because the rumor of rape is so terrible that all the neighbors and relatives will demand her murder. I heard this one news report how the father couldn't not bring himself to kill his daughter-so his brother shot her in the head. This is not the sort of people I want to die for.

Saudi Arabia is a monarchy based on Mesopotamian oil. They effectively produce 11 times as much oil as Iraq and twice as much as the US. They provided us with numerous bases including full resupply and refuel, they can't be that bad.

I believe you. Twenty three was a bit on the older side in Viet Nam -- are you an officer? What have they told you about Saudi Arab, Syria, and other leaders of the MidEast? Did they also tell you how bad those leaders are too?

Camp Falcon, after construction.

I agree with you about how poor US High schools are. Most colleges make allowances so good students can catch up. In Europe, you either score high before you are 13 or so, and you are forced to stay with track according to your score.

The world would be a much better place if there was only one, global democracy. Globalism is an idea that can only be embraced by the most brilliant of intellectuals, because the rest of the world doesn't understand and secretly fears those who are truly intelligent, which is why we've never had an elected president with an IQ over 160, in history. All fair scores give Clinton 149-159, Bush 126-138, Reagan 142-155, etc.

Interesting. If you read my age, I'm an old man. A friend of mine who is a full professor was a special forces captain in Viet Nam and also served in Cambodia. His son was in Afghanistan at a forward base, but he is now in one of the Greenzones and seems safe enough. He is in mortuary services...pretty grim...what was your area?

In service, the United States of America, the U.S. Army, the people of this country and their sworn interests, and the will of God, whatever God you choose to believe in, and your ability to believe in that God.

In college I was valedictorian. I admit I was the lowest 20% in High School, because I skipped class to go drinking and partying, which is what you should do during your allocated years of mismanaged and entirely useless state funded education. Public School is a joke, High School is a joke, our education system hasn't been correct in the past 120 years.

Actually, I was class valedictorian and I double majored in English and Computer Science. That makes me not the top 1% but the VERY TOP. Also, during Saddam Hussein's 20 year regime he was responsible for the deaths of approximately 5 million+ civilians, an average of 250,000 per year. By ending his regime the death toll is now 90% of natural causes, not wounds or starvation or gas attacks... 26,000 per year. That means we effectively save 224,000 people every year. That's the real issue.

Are you also the lower 20% of the high school class as stated in "New Republic." --off to fight another foreign war?

I'm no peacenik-- You are proud of your service? To who? Who are you serving? -Cheney's profits or Bush's lies? Karl Rove? You want to suck his "mission accomplished" dick? First of all - anyone can tell a war story. Any one can also call names. Explain how you serve anyone in Iraq -that would would be harder than making up war stories or calling names.

From now on, new military policy: Send out a peacenik to talk to the armed insurgents with AK-47s first. While you're having a diplomatic conversation (or dodging live fire from insurgents), should things turn nasty, I'll have my shot lined up by the time you're done. This way, peaceniks can fight for 'peace' and the rest of us can supply justice. You worthless sacks of shit should be our body shields, then we wouldn't get hit by bullets or burned. Fucking spoiled brat pussies.

No one made any of us sign up. We're fucking volunteers. If you don't want to be a soldier, don't join the fucking military. The only opinion that really matters is the opinion of that soldier. 9 out of 10 soldiers, even those who receive serious combat inflicted wounds, would do it all over again. We're the ones fighting, not you idiot sympathizers. Who cares what you fucking think... He wouldn't have been shot if you had been his BODY SHIELD, WHICH IS WHERE YOU FUCKING PEACENIKS BELONG.

I was in this 'stupid and unnecessary war' myself. I would be more than proud if my CHILD (which I have) or CHILDREN have the integrity and fortitude to follow in my footsteps and fight to save lives and in turn be told that our fight is stupid and unnecessary, even though tens of thousands of people have been saved by our actions. I have bullet wounds and knife wounds and other scars because of my service.

A family comes to the hospital to see their once healthy US Marine son dying with burns over most of his body, his limbs missing, his face burned off and blinded in both eyes. For a month, he painfully clings on to life. This is what Bush's lies caused.

Would you also consider it "upbeat news" if your children had their flesh burned off in this stupid and unnecessary war Bush lied to get us in. Perhaps a God will punish you for wishing harm on another by teaching YOU what is is like.

Would you also consider it "upbeat news" if your children had their flesh burned off in this stupid and unnecessary war Bush lied to get us in. Perhaps a God will punish you for wishing harm on another by teaching YOU what is is like.

fucking Parisite of humanity peice of shit. Go to hell allready and take all your followers with you.