Troop blogs show increasing criticism of war

[CommunityEditor]

In the past year, as soldiers and Marines return for the second, third or even fourth deployments, and the death toll approaches 4,000, some soldiers began questioning the war.

At the very least they risk administrative punishments, called Article 15s, though if it has happened it has been kept quiet.

“The toothpaste is out of the tube. And, try as they might, the military’s information nannies are not going to be able to stuff it back in,” said Noah Schatman of Wired Magazine in an e-mail from Taji, Iraq. He said soldiers will pay $55 a month for a private connection.

The military is so petrified it will lose information control screensavers were installed on military computers warning blogs could jeopardize security, said Schatman, who runs Wired’s Danger Room blog and has tracked the unofficial use of the Internet by soldiers.

The campaign has led some soldiers to steer clear of the Internet. Others do it anyway as confusion reigns because of conflicting signals sent from Washington, he said.

“President Eisenhower warned of the growing military industrial complex in his farewell address. Since Dick Cheney can now afford solid gold oil derricks, it’s safe to say we failed Ike miserably. After losing two friends and over a dozen comrades, I have this to say: Do not wage war unless it is absolutely, positively the last ditch effort for survival,” wrote Spc. Alex Horton, 22, of the 3rd Stryker Brigade in Army of Dude. “In the future, I want my children to grow up with the belief that what I did here was wrong, in a society that doesn’t deem that idea unpatriotic,” he blogged.

Sgt. Thomas Strickland, 27, of Douglasville, Ga., calling himself the Rev Wayfarer, was one of the earliest to speak out publicly. Two days before he drowned in a vehicle accident at Mahmudijah on his second tour he condemned the leadership in “One Foot in the Grave.” He asked what the chain of command had been doing since his first tour. “We were winning somewhat when I left. And now we are being pinned down in our own (expletive deleted) homes. Insurgents are pushing locals out of their homes and taking over my area at will.”

Spc. Eleonai Israel of Bowling Green, Ky., court-martialed and given a less than honorable discharge last month after refusing to go on combat missions, said that like Horton he never heard a peep about what he said on his MySpace site during his year in Iraq.

“The truth will come out, and there is nothing they can do to hide it. The occupation is a disaster. I’m convinced that everyday it continues that it makes America, and the Iraqis less safe,” he said on his MySpace Blog.

Eugene Fidell, president of the National Institute of Military Justice, said a soldier would have to go pretty far before facing any retribution, and officers would be more vulnerable. “The government never wants to make someone a martyr,” he said.

“It’s the first digital war. It’s exciting to watch this because it is going to raise rich issues,” said Fidell, who also teaches at Yale, American University and practices law. Loren Thompson, CEO of the Lexington Insatiate, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, agreed.

“It’s the subversive nature of the Internet. Technology has caught up with the soldiers, who have always known what was really going on but didn’t have the tools to tell their story,” said Thompson.

The Army has said winning the information war is necessary to win the ground war. Insurgents agree. Tributes to Saddam Hussein are uploaded to YouTube, along with alleged film showing attacks on convoys. Some caught in the middle post their travails. The Army also uploads videos. In many cases it is impossible to verify or even identify who the source is, and it must be taken with a grain of digital salt.

In April, the Army announced new rules on blogging that required soldiers to clear them with a superior. Access to MySpace and some other popular Web sites was blocked. The Army said it was not trying to stop soldiers from speaking their mind, however. And so far, some of them have been.


Article: http://www.airforcetimes.com/news/20...rblogs_070909/

Well that's what you get when you listen to the communist American media who brainwashes these few individuals into thinking that WWII's millions of deaths is the same as 4000. And now we have uniform-less Islamo-fascists bent on destroying jews, Christians, everyone non-Muslim and non-Arab.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

No, he's right. You're all a bunch of donkies. Go spit on a soldier, that's what you do.

They have a job for you too.
Since you have no valid argument you come up with this semi-patriotic BS of spitting on a soldier.
To disagree with this deranged administration does not imply anything against the soldiers, get informed, get educated and maybe next time you can say something intelligent.

[JRos83]

I'm a registered "donkey" and, WOW, I support our armed forces and servicemen and women, which is probably why I ENLISTED!

Proud donkey soldier.

Don't worry about these @$$holes who want to automatically toe the party line. As soon as someone disagrees with the shrub, and his cronies, he/she is automatically a communist/liberal/hater, you name it. These people cannot come up with a rational discussion, so must resort to name calling and mud slinging.

Do I support the war? NO!!! It is based on lies and falsehoods. You cannot convince me that the shrub did not know what he was putting forth was false. Just look at the BS surrounding the supposed attempt to purchase yellow cake. The administration was told several times, before the news briefing, that it was false - yet the administration continued to use the lies.

Support the troops? YES. A soldier, sailor, marine, airman does what is required of him/her. They are not allowed to question the orders, unless illegal. And the courts have not yet allowed anyone to challenge the legality of the order to go to war.


A Retired Soldier

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Well that's what you get when you listen to the communist American media who brainwashes these few individuals into thinking that WWII's millions of deaths is the same as 4000. And now we have uniform-less Islamo-fascists bent on destroying jews, Christians, everyone non-Muslim and non-Arab.

o wow the american media is not communist believe me.....
it's purely capitalist.

The Stockholm Syndrome is always alive and well...back in CONUS..
Seems like the best thing to do....when our hero guys are stuck in
harms way. Actually, if no one seemed to notice.....we are going
through a financial meltdown in this country. It has to do with things
like Hedge Funds and Derivatives....things that really make no sense.
Anyway, controlling the center is basic strategy in Chess and is
most important in this case regarding US Security in the world. Sound
like bull - hmmm...well, we don't train our seven year olds to put on
"suicide belts" just yet. Hey, it may be coming...but not quite yet. In
the meantime, the Flower of American youth...is taking gas...as usual.
It happened in SE Asia and it will happen after this stuff too. "The
cost of Freedom is expensive!" someone said.

This article makes me sick and is a disgrace to those who have died and those that continue to serve our country proudly. Todays military is totaly voluntary and no one forced these little cry babies to enlist. My guess is that all they could see when they enlisted was the 20k thrown in their faces or realized that it isnt a video game! HOOAH US you ask? Kicked dogs bark! They arent in a position to question, they are in a position to execute, questioning clouds judgement and leads to mistakes which can lead to my brethern dying. Just my thoughts!

USMC/SSgt

Originally Posted by Unregistered

This article makes me sick and is a disgrace to those who have died and those that continue to serve our country proudly. Todays military is totaly voluntary and no one forced these little cry babies to enlist. My guess is that all they could see when they enlisted was the 20k thrown in their faces or realized that it isnt a video game! HOOAH US you ask? Kicked dogs bark! They arent in a position to question, they are in a position to execute, questioning clouds judgement and leads to mistakes which can lead to my brethern dying. Just my thoughts!

USMC/SSgt

Hey Marine,

NO ONE told me I gave up my rights to freedom of speech (maybe somewhat limited while in service). And no one has EVER told me I'm not patriotic. Maybe it is the bunch of dumb shits, who advocate, that if you don't agree with the administration that you should shut up, who are actually the unpatriotic. After all, it is you/them who are trying to stifle the freedom of speech!!

Who cried? Not me, or any of the others I know of who disagree with this fiasco. We deployed and we did our duty! Video game? No, people are DYING for LIES AND FALSEHOODS!! A lie by omission is still a lie! Does it mean we have to agree with everything the shrub, and his cronies, spew out? HELL NO!!!!

Kicked dogs bark? Who the hell kicked us? IT sure wasn't Iraq. Or are you one of those who believes that Iraq was involved, despite the panel findings that Iraq had NOTHING to do with 9/11?

This article is a disgrace? No, the disgrace is those who refuse to believe that troops can do their job, and fail to buy the BS put forth for the reason. The disgrace is those who spew the party line and try to drown out discussions against this farce. Your type makes me sick, so it is equal.
A Retired Soldier

[The Universal Curmudgeon_guest]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

This article makes me sick and is a disgrace to those who have died and those that continue to serve our country proudly. ... They arent in a position to question, they are in a position to execute, questioning clouds judgement and leads to mistakes which can lead to my brethern dying. Just my thoughts! USMC/SSgt

Not only are they in a "position to question", but they have both the right and duty to question.

The issue is not whether they should be questioning, but at what level they should be questioning.

On the operational, tactical, or even strategic level, I will most heartily agree with you that "questioning" is likely to create more problems than it resolves.

However, on the legal and political level then "questioning" (especially when those questions are answered honestly and frankly) is more likely than not to produce a more effective military force.

One of the main problems, as I see it, is that the troops have never really been given an honest answer to the question "Why in hell are we here?"

*** "Because Iraq has vast stockpiles of WMD and we know where they are hidden." has gone by the boards.

*** "Because we are acting in accordance with UNSC Resolution 1441." has gone by the boards.

*** "Because we are enforcing the ceasefire." has gone by the boards.

*** "Because we are saving Iraqi lives." has gone by the boards.

*** "Because Iraq was involved in 9/11." has gone by the boards.

*** "Because Iraq is building nuclear weapons." has gone by the boards.

*** "Because Iraq is going to give WMD to terrorists." has gone by the boards.

*** Even "Because we are bringing democracy to Iraq." is going by the boards.

About the only "reasons" that haven't been totally discarded are:

1. "Because he tried to kill my Daddy." - without, of course, mentioning that "my Daddy" tried to have Saddam Hussein assassinated first.

2. "Because Iraq has just tons of oil."

and

3. "So that the Republicans can win an election and Mr. Bush can get himself re-elected."

Oh yes, and there is also "I'm going to show my Dad that I am a macho warrior." - but NO ONE believes that one.