Roadtoad
Bufo Caminus Inedibilis
I'm so saddened that such a brave young man gave his life in that manner for a not-so-just cause. But that he saved the lives of his buddies like that is totally admirable top-class heroism, a credit to his Corps and himself. Semper fidelis. I sincerely hope there won't have to be more like him to be lost though...
a_unique_person
Director of Hatcheries and Conditioning
Kopji said:
I noticed that too. Having told us what a great guy he was, the author then goes on to dis the other guy who asked Rummy the question. I'd say the other guy, while not as brave, has probably saved as many lives.
You can also buy the author's book on how bad the Clinton years were, using the conveniently provided link.
Roadtoad
Bufo Caminus Inedibilis
I was thinking more of the young man who gave his life. Rumsfeld can go to hell, as far as I'm concerned.
My son lost three friends in Iraq. They served with courage, and with honor. He'd like to memorialize them in a way that's unique: He has a Plymouth Satellite Sebring with the Hemi engine that he'd like to restore. He's planning on painting it black, putting the unit crest on the hood, and his friends names on the trunk. Since all of them were into cars, James thought that would make a particularly appropriate memorial.
Growing up as an Army brat during Vietnam, we understood well what it meant to see a green sedan pull up to someone's house. I would have thought that after that serious error in judgement, after that misery, we would have thought ahead and done what we could to avoid it in the future. I would have thought that when we had the chance to capture Osama back in the 90's, someone would have taken it, and prevented this whole debacle. Maybe Johnny Depp was right; maybe we are just a big, dumb puppy.
I thought we would have learned. I guess I thought wrong.
My son lost three friends in Iraq. They served with courage, and with honor. He'd like to memorialize them in a way that's unique: He has a Plymouth Satellite Sebring with the Hemi engine that he'd like to restore. He's planning on painting it black, putting the unit crest on the hood, and his friends names on the trunk. Since all of them were into cars, James thought that would make a particularly appropriate memorial.
Growing up as an Army brat during Vietnam, we understood well what it meant to see a green sedan pull up to someone's house. I would have thought that after that serious error in judgement, after that misery, we would have thought ahead and done what we could to avoid it in the future. I would have thought that when we had the chance to capture Osama back in the 90's, someone would have taken it, and prevented this whole debacle. Maybe Johnny Depp was right; maybe we are just a big, dumb puppy.
I thought we would have learned. I guess I thought wrong.
Kopji said:
Yep.
Reading the article reminded me of an obscure movie I really liked called The Ninth Configuration. It takes place in an insane asylum in Washington state during the Vietnam war. Stacy Keach plays the new man in charge of the institution.
The movie revolves around a grounded astronaut's agnosticism and at one point the astronaut and Keach have a discussion about people sacrificing their lives for others. Keach mentions someone throwing themselves on a grenade to save their comrades. The astronaut scoffs and states he believes no one has ever really done such a things and asks Keach if he knows of anyone who has. Keach states he does not.
Some people heard about this hero and thought about politics. I read this news item and thought of the agnostic astronaut.
rikzilla
Ninja wave: Atomic fire-breath ninja
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a_unique_person said:
Please give us a link to your evidence that the soldier who asked "the question" has saved even one life. All the guy did was boost the career of a biased journalist. But in your world that somehow equates to saving lives?
Yes, it is sad isn't it? Shouldn't we have seen this story in the WaPo or NYT?? If those papers had actually reported such news you'd have had the opportunity to read about an American hero without those pesky anti-Clinton links. If the left does not value individual sacrifice and heroism it is left to those who do to get the word out.
-z
Thanz
Fuzzy Thinker
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The part that I think was especially poignant was this:
Oh yeah, I forgot, she was young and blonde and pretty....
Why is it that I know who Jessica Lynch is, but I have no idea who any of her rescuers are? Why did she become a media celebrity, simply by screwing up?
Oh yeah, I forgot, she was young and blonde and pretty....
Jon_in_london
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my toenails are too long.
LostAngeles
Penultimate Amazing
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It occurred to me after reading the piece and this thread that both the soldier who was willing to ask Rumsfeld the question and the soldier who jumped on the grenade are both heros, just different kinds or at different levels. It takes a certain something, which for lack of a better word, I'll just call "balls."
Personally, you're a hero if you've got the balls to put something important on the line or simply give it up, like your life or your career, for what's right.
The soldier who asked the question and the coach who blew the whistle on the treatment of his girls' team are both heros.
The people, be they trained firefighters/paramedics/cops or just someone passing by, who go into a dangerous situation, like a burning building, to rescue someone one are heros.
The person who, while already heavily wounded, has the balls to jump on a grenade to save the lives of his/her comrades is a hero.
I'm not going to question the magnitude of their balls here, because clearly, all are of great size. I will, however, state that the peson who jumps on a grenade has the biggest balls of all.
Personally, you're a hero if you've got the balls to put something important on the line or simply give it up, like your life or your career, for what's right.
The soldier who asked the question and the coach who blew the whistle on the treatment of his girls' team are both heros.
The people, be they trained firefighters/paramedics/cops or just someone passing by, who go into a dangerous situation, like a burning building, to rescue someone one are heros.
The person who, while already heavily wounded, has the balls to jump on a grenade to save the lives of his/her comrades is a hero.
I'm not going to question the magnitude of their balls here, because clearly, all are of great size. I will, however, state that the peson who jumps on a grenade has the biggest balls of all.
It occurred to me after reading the piece and this thread that both the soldier who was willing to ask Rumsfeld the question and the soldier who jumped on the grenade are both heros, just different kinds or at different levels.
Well, no.
I would agree that an Iraqi soldier who asked SADDAM HUSSEIN why the hell he is sent to war with Iran unprepared, would be a hero--he would be speaking truth to power at the risk (or more precisely, the certain loss) of his own life. But this soldier risked no harm, and if anything made himself a minor celebrity for the "brave" action of calling the Defense Secretary a liar to his face.
As Isaac Asimov noted, some people have a need to feel they are rebels and heroes fighting against opression. But to REALLY fight against opressive forces requires far more bravery than most people are capable of; fighting the nazis or Saddam or Stalin, etc., was extraordinarily dangerous and difficult.
So they choose "soft targets"--the US government, the scientific establishment, liberal professors who "control academia", the "neocons", or whatever--and attack THEM instead. After all, the chance that Stanley Fish or Irving Kristol will kill your family because you said something bad about them is, shall we say, slightly less than that of Hitler doing the same, so you get to be "hero"--on the cheap.
P.S.
Not related to this person in particular, but how is it possible to join the US Army without being a US citizen, but merely a permanent resident?
In the theoretical case of the US going to war with Mexico, he would have been in the unenviable position of having to either fight against the only country he is a citizen of (Mexico), or deserting his unit and refusing to serve--both of which, again theoretically, could result in the death penalty, and it doesn't seem there is a third option.
Well, no.
I would agree that an Iraqi soldier who asked SADDAM HUSSEIN why the hell he is sent to war with Iran unprepared, would be a hero--he would be speaking truth to power at the risk (or more precisely, the certain loss) of his own life. But this soldier risked no harm, and if anything made himself a minor celebrity for the "brave" action of calling the Defense Secretary a liar to his face.
As Isaac Asimov noted, some people have a need to feel they are rebels and heroes fighting against opression. But to REALLY fight against opressive forces requires far more bravery than most people are capable of; fighting the nazis or Saddam or Stalin, etc., was extraordinarily dangerous and difficult.
So they choose "soft targets"--the US government, the scientific establishment, liberal professors who "control academia", the "neocons", or whatever--and attack THEM instead. After all, the chance that Stanley Fish or Irving Kristol will kill your family because you said something bad about them is, shall we say, slightly less than that of Hitler doing the same, so you get to be "hero"--on the cheap.
P.S.
Not related to this person in particular, but how is it possible to join the US Army without being a US citizen, but merely a permanent resident?
In the theoretical case of the US going to war with Mexico, he would have been in the unenviable position of having to either fight against the only country he is a citizen of (Mexico), or deserting his unit and refusing to serve--both of which, again theoretically, could result in the death penalty, and it doesn't seem there is a third option.
Cleon
King of the Pod People
Skeptic said:
Requirements to join the army
I believe the "US citizen or resident alien" requirement applies to all branches of the armed forces. Becoming an officer, I believe, is more stringent.
Joining the Army is a fairly popular way for immigrants to gain their citizenship.
Skeptic said:
America's been fighting wars like that for over 200 years.
What do they do if we attack the country they're from? They become local language experts, covert operators, etc.
Friends of mine were interred in Japanese camps in California while the boys in the family were out defending America.
LostAngeles
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Skeptic said:
I was under the impression that questioning a superior like that could put you up for some serious trouble in the military. Hence it was possible that his job was at risk. That's why I looped him in with the whistleblowing coach who did lose his job.
Skeptic said:
On my last ship, we had members of nations from all over the world as part of the crew. And as someone mentioned, this can come in pretty handy. It certainly did during certain, uh, inderdiction, uh, situations when you need someone on the radio who can, um, give directions.