Anyone else horrified their tax dollars buy death?

[Rusty Trichome]

"Kinda funny. This fucked-up, USA is at fault, twisted reasonoing you state here, is the same thing by extention. Some dickwads came over, and dropped some grenades (passenger airplanes) at our feet. Only difference, our kids hopped a flight, went to their country, and payed-back the favor. There has not been another grenade dropped on our shores, since. But guranteed, were I in New York that day, and the grenades had been dropped at my feet by these 'children' of allah...I'd have blown their young fucking heads off...just like you said you'd do to Steve."

I was talking about Steve talking about children in VIETNAM, dropping grenades at his feet.... and I said I would do the same thing... because HE(Steve) invaded my(Vietnamese) homeland, for reasons to combat communism(Fact), thus trying to force our western policies(Democracy) on countries half a globe away. Just cause Steve was in Vietnam, doesn't mean the war was Right, or just, or needed. This also doesn't make me "HATE Vets" cause I disagree with a war. The war in Vietnam was UN-WINNABLE... THUS we LOST it.. we lost lives, we lost money, and we lost respect.

Bummer the comparitave allegory escaped you.
Not to single you out, but since most progressives bash the values our fighters enlist and fight for, you get lumped into this category. They bash the honor and integrity of everything that we service members hold dear, as if it were the policies of the soldiers that get us in the position all countries eventually find themselves in...which is being forced to protect values, resources, allies and borders. If the threat of communism was so benign, then where did all those nukes come from on both sides? Political, social and corporate espoionage and sabotage was very prevalent, chunks of Europe were being 'absorbed' by the USSR, an arms race dominated the economies, and people were dying as a direct result.
Also, all the talk of Vietnam, but none for the geo-political enviornment leading-up to the war? No talk of the "Korean conflict"? Again...progressives miss half the story in a misinformed attempt to lay blame on the feet of that big, bad America. Taken in the context of the (then) recent world conflict with Hitler and Mussolini, the 1940 Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies (indonesia) after the oil embargo...a moral decision was made to assist the UN in stabilizing the region with the addition of troops. History can be so boring. But it sure helps one to know your history, if making moral judgements regarding the governments and soldiers involved.

Now to the Iraq war. Like I said earlier, how history repeats it self, just like I am. How we(USA) have NOT learned from history and its repeating itself in Iraq. The fact of the matter is... the MAJORITY of the country you live in, disagree with the Iraq war and want us to pull out. The current president got voted in(landslide), running on that ticket. Whether he does it or not, is up to the goonies in DC.

Comparing apples and oranges. Regardless of your 'feelings', Saddam Hussein calimed he had nukes...he told this to the world often. He refused to comply with twenty-something UN resolutions, skirted sanctions with the oil-4-food bullshit, and failed to comply with UN inspectors. Ultimatelly, he paid a heavy price that was dished-out by his own courts. Altruistic of us...? Possibly not as he had tried to assinate Bush 1. But, in our defense, he attacked his own people (and Iranians, too) with nerve gas, and he and his sons regularly killed and raped ordinary citizens for sport.

I also wonder why the last president was so popular, he did everything right, and left the white house in better condition then he entered. He must have done a great job the last 8 years to earn one of the highest approval ratings any president has had since record began.

Because he has people like you writing his epitaph before having the complete stroy...again. Generally takes scholars and historians a decade or two to acquire, analyze, disseminate and understand the true mechanics of an administration. Progressives, anarchists, socialists, facists and liberals all started 'disseminating' his administration prior to his taking the oath of office. Me...? I'm glad he kept my country safe, regardless of the fallout. (the constitution demands he protect our safety, and I agree with his motives) We presently have a foothold in the region, with some tentative allies on the road the democracy. The bank 'bailout' was/is/always will be bullshit, tho...and I detested the resulting manipulations by congress.

A mad dictator deleted, and a sound course for democracy in the region. What they eventually chose to do with these tennents of democracy...I guess time will tell, but Iraq is now stable enough to defend herself, infrastructure is still being rebuilt after decades of neglect and schools and hospitals are springing-up all over the country. Mission Accompolished, to quote a famous banner.

Now to Afghanistan, where our enlisted will yet again defend our allies, our values and our rights...with my full support and prayers for their safe, successful return. :jointsmile:

God I love America!