I remember reading somewhere in Howard Zinn's history of the US that in the run-up to the Mexican war, a shameless imperial land grab if ever there was one, there was ferocious opposition to the war. An American newspaper editorial of the time said, in substance, we deplore bloodshed and violence, but this is inexcusable, and if someone's blood has to be shed, let it be the blood of the invading American forces. Let them be defeated and turned back in complete disgrace. Can you believe they actually published this? Nowadays everyone who thinks this way keeps his mouth shut about it.
Everyone except your servant Professor B, that is. Whenever US soldier or private sector mercenary comes home from Iraq in a body bag, I feel immense sympathy for the families and friends of these people. But on an a purely, heartlessly military and political level, I don't feel a bit sorry for the invaders, nor for the employees of profiteering corporations, who end up getting wacked. In fact I route for the resistance. The US has no business there, and never did, and should get the hell out now, and beg the UN on hands and knees to step in, and offer to pay the bills. Cut military spending in half and use some of the savings to rebuild the place and pay reparations.
The most recent "he gave the ultimate sacrifice for his country" is the pro football player who gave up a 1.3 million dollar contract to enlist in the army and was killed in Afghanistan. Now please understand, I agree with John Donne, but at the same time I want to nominate him for a Darwin award. Let's see: hhmmm..... 1.3 mil or get whacked in a foreign land for the dubious distinction of the ultimate sacrifice honorific.
I can appreciate his sense of adventure; many men have voluntarily gone off to fight for that massage of the reptilian brain. Join the Army! Travel to exotic foreign lands! Meet many interesting people! Then kill them! Fun for all!
Dubya needs to send the twins over to fight the good fight and make the ultimate sacrifice. What kind of a patriot is our commander in chief if he won't set a good example?
The US has no business there, and never did, and should get the hell out now...
Oh, well, I gotta call you on this one, Prof B. Of course we, the plebs of America, have no biz there per se, except to test our army training and die, but Bush and the elitist 1% of America need more money. Oil, baby. Oil means much more business for these icons of high society and where would they be without it? Only filthy rich, and not stinking, filthy rich. Wish the homeland militia would get off it's ass and take Bush and his staff down to a nice quiet bayou in the south and make some more future oil with their bodies. Time to stop taking it out and start makin' more. Oops... I hear those blackop Homeland Security copters again... Gotta run!
Touch�! I should have said the US has no *legitimate* business in Iraq. Business, the ruling rich got plenty over there. There's a reason why people sometimes call it The Coalition of the Billing.
Actually Halliburton et al might end up getting burned by the prohibitive cost of security (cost: infinity. Security unattainable on their terms). Serves them right, those greedy-ass limber-dick cocksuckers.