“next to of course god america i
love you land of the pilgrims’ and so forth oh
say can you see by the dawn’s early my
country ’tis of centuries come and go
and are no more what of it we should worry
in every language even deafanddumb
thy sons acclaim your glorious name by gorry
by jingo by gee by gosh by gum
why talk of beauty what could be more beaut-
iful than these heroic happy dead
who rushed like lions to the roaring slaughter
they did not stop to think they died instead
then shall the voice of liberty be mute?”
He spoke. And drank rapidly a glass of water
ee cummings
15 comments:
Dude... thanks for the words of ee cummings to remind me of the real price being paid for our current (mis)adventurous occupation in the name of democracy. I'd like to think as a democrat leaning, progressive liberals, we are blameless for the dead in Iraq and Afghanistan. But we're not. We simply have not fought hard enough to keep these men and women from going over there in the first place.
True, but I wonder if those jokers would have listened to us even our screaming had been increased a hundred fold.
Let's not forget, there was a time, not so long ago, when the conventional wisdom and the word of power was simplified to this: You are either with us, or against us.
Those words had a very chilling effect for many who might have stopped this horror.
This is not new. Sadly, it is not new. When the far right wraps itself in the flag and claims dissent is unpatriotic, they defy the Constitution and they defy the very dissent our nation was founded upon.
I want my country back.
Oh jimm, you really know how to make a point. Thanks.
My fear as that there will be another draft. I wouldn't put it past Obama or McCain to implement one. We don't have enough soldiers in our military, our national guard has been depleted, and our equipment is on its last legs. Both candidates said they want to increase the size of our military but neither will say how they plan on doing that. Obviously, the recruitments are down and the incentives aren't working...what's the next step? I see a draft and it scares the hell out of me.
Spartz- you got that right....they shouldn't be there!
Randal...we shoulda screamed louder and kicked harder. Probably wouldn't have helped...but good cario-vascular excercise.
Dcup...I was against them. I remember watching the news when the war started (in a bar) and the dudes next to me were worrying about the NCAA basketball tournament being cancelled. I usually don't yell at strangers....
Ms Jood.../I want my country back./
Me too. Badly.
ME....our military has been soooo mis-used.... a lot of good men and women...who just wanted to serve their country, in a way THEY thought appropriate, got royally screwed.
And killed. No...murdered by Bush.....and to hear ALL the fucking politicians bandy about 'time-frames' and 'withdrawl' schedules infuriates me. Humans can put men on the moon, invent the internet (thanks Al Gore), freeze dry vegtables, make ipods, yadda yadda.........and we can't stop War....... boy, are we fucking dumb or what?????????? We can leave Iraq...now. Immediately. Instantly. And it will be ok. I am still waiting for the Commie hordes to invade after we left Nam. They should be here by now........... we were told it was a sure thing.
I left Diva a link to a Noam Chomsky interview from yesterday's In These Times. He talks about the surge but also had some very pointed things to say about the invasion. Here's just a bit:
When the Russians invaded Afghanistan, we didn’t say, like Obama on Iraq, that this is a “strategic blunder.” Or like Hillary Clinton, “they’re getting into a civil war they can’t win.” We said it’s aggression, which is a principled position, and we’re capable of saying that when an enemy carries out a crime. It’s wrong even when it succeeds. The question is, are we capable of applying to ourselves the same criteria we apply to others. You can say that’s a moral principle if you like. But it’s so elementary that if we can’t accept it, we might as well admit we are Nazis.
I spoke recently about America with a new colleague, who is from Tanzania, here on a green card visa. He said that events from the way Bush got the White House, to the invasion of Iraq, have people all over the world questioning their previous admiration of the US, and our democratic principles and Constitution. He said, "Did you know that over 50 countries around the world have a "white house" in emulation of the US? Those countries are suffering a crisis of identity and conscience because what they admire has fallen."
I'm with OKJimm's last lines - what will happen if we leave? Some people may get killed in sectarian violence. More than are being killed now while our presence stirs the pot? I doubt it.
Jefferson said the tree of liberty occasionally needed to be watered with the blood of patriots. He toyed with the idea that every 50 years or so the constitution should expire and out of the ensuing chaos would rise something better. So do we rise up? Will the election be enough?
I voraciously read ee cummings writings during the Vietnam War..they ring just as true today which makes me very sad.
Susan....astutely reiterated! There never was a reason to invade Iraq. There is no doubt that Saddam was 'Not a Nice Guy'...... but by that token, or assessment....we should invade N Korea, or Venezuela. We never had reason to invade, it was an act of aggression. If some other sovereign country invaded the US, I would be an insurgent, too!
Steven....do visit D'Cap, http://distributorcapny.blogspot.com/
he articulates so well on the same opinion. And does it very well.
Dusty....cummings wrote that during WWI.....and you are correct....it keeps ringing true after all this time.
What, so now we got DCap as well as DCup? I'll take a look, but it CAN'T be as good as DCup.
Aw shucks, Steve. Thank you. DCap is amazing. You'll become addicted to his analysis and research and fab writing style. Trust me.
Obama and McCain the same? Am I living in some weird alternate universe? Seems so.. Such is life in this here good ole' U.S.A...
Thank goodness for beer. After eight years of GWB and now another four years of McCain, all that is left is beer...
Thank goodness for beer. After eight years of GWB and now another four years of McCain, all that is left is beer...
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