Winter Soldier

[Cancel7]

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisepisode=127

I just got back from Bethesda where I spent the past four days at the Winter Soldier hearings. That's a link to some of the testimony. This was one of the most amazing events. I was down there as press, but I was so overwhelmed with all of the many different testimony, and I have so many different interviews on tape that I have to go through, that I ended up so far only writing two pieces on it. I don't even know what I'm going to do with all of this stuff, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

If you get a chance go to this link and watch a little of it.

I can't even recount how many sobbing Marines I spoke to in the past four days. Marines. And all you would want to do is put your arms around them and tell them it would be ok. ONe of the worst was the boy who never lost his humanity, but just made an awful mistake. We all make mistakes every week at work. This guy was trained on satellite coordinates, and the satellite was out, so he had to call in an airstrike and he used his compass. These kids aren't trained right, and he didn't know about compasses. He was standing next to a huge machine gun with enough metal in it to completely skew the readings. He called in the wrong coordinates and families were blown up. He carries this on him as if he were a murderer, but all he did was make a mistake. There's so many stories.

 

[evince]

We owe them all a lifelong debt.

I hope the hell we follow through with paying this debt.

 

[Cypress]

I watched some of the video of in on the IVAW website. Pretty awesome. And gripping stuff. War supporters should watch it, but they won't.

I was at the peace march marking the 5th anniversary of the iraq war yesterday. Awesome turnout, even though it rained like crap on us. A couple of Bush ball-licking war supporters shot the bird at us, but I gave them the bird back. Losers! Anyway, hats off to the winter soldiers and the people who put this forum on. I learned a lot, and it was emotionally gripping.

 

[LadyT]

Stuff like this makes me hate Bush more and more. If there is a hell, I hope his eternity is filled with the pain and suffering he's inflicted on everyone.

 

[evince]

Lucky for him its just a fantasy. He will live the rest of his life out as a right wing hero.

There will be no justice for the harm he has caused. I only hope that that American people are never this stupid again.

 

[Cancel5]

http://therealnews.com/web/index.php?thisepisode=127

I just got back from Bethesda where I spent the past four days at the Winter Soldier hearings. That's a link to some of the testimony. This was one of the most amazing events. I was down there as press, but I was so overwhelmed with all of the many different testimony, and I have so many different interviews on tape that I have to go through, that I ended up so far only writing two pieces on it. I don't even know what I'm going to do with all of this stuff, but I wouldn't have missed it for the world.

If you get a chance go to this link and watch a little of it.

I can't even recount how many sobbing Marines I spoke to in the past four days. Marines. And all you would want to do is put your arms around them and tell them it would be ok. ONe of the worst was the boy who never lost his humanity, but just made an awful mistake. We all make mistakes every week at work. This guy was trained on satellite coordinates, and the satellite was out, so he had to call in an airstrike and he used his compass. These kids aren't trained right, and he didn't know about compasses. He was standing next to a huge machine gun with enough metal in it to completely skew the readings. He called in the wrong coordinates and families were blown up. He carries this on him as if he were a murderer, but all he did was make a mistake. There's so many stories.

Darla, what an opportunity, if you want to call it that, I bet you are emotionally exhausted!

I had heard that there would be a lot of Marines testifying. What do you think the overall impact was on the legislators?

 

[Cancel7]

Darla, what an opportunity, if you want to call it that, I bet you are emotionally exhausted!

I had heard that there would be a lot of Marines testifying. What do you think the overall impact was on the legislators?

Oh Frog I can't tell you how many times I would just be trying to record everything and stay detached, but then I would start sobbing, while still recording and typing. But on the other hand, afterwards, we would go out and somehow as a part of decompressing, we would be hysterical with laughter over some silly thing a couple of hours later.

I doubt it had any impact on the actual legislators, yet. Kuchinich was down there and in the building watching at one point, but no one else. What it will have an impact on is the IVAW membership numbers, because active duty soldiers have seen this, thanks to the internet. And I do think that the powers that be are afraid of the IVAW, so the bigger they get, the better it is.

 

[Cancel5]

I watched some of the video of in on the IVAW website. Pretty awesome. And gripping stuff. War supporters should watch it, but they won't.

I was at the peace march marking the 5th anniversary of the iraq war yesterday. Awesome turnout, even though it rained like crap on us. A couple of Bush ball-licking war supporters shot the bird at us, but I gave them the bird back. Losers! Anyway, hats off to the winter soldiers and the people who put this forum on. I learned a lot, and it was emotionally gripping.

Bud believes the esteemed members of the committee should go over and spend 24 days embedded with the troops, I said 24 hours, he said 24 days! Hard case Vietnam vet!

I hope they will play the testimonies to the public.

 

[Onceler]

Stuff like this makes me hate Bush more and more. If there is a hell, I hope his eternity is filled with the pain and suffering he's inflicted on everyone.

There are 2 bookends to my views on Bush.

One is 1999, when he told a ghostwriter, as he was planning his run, that he didn't think a President could achieve "greatness" without a war.

The other is this past week, when he said that the front line in Afghanistan was 'romantic,' and by gum, if only he didn't have his job, he'd love to go & join 'em.

The hardest thing for me is that he will remain clueless about the ramifications of his actions throughout the remainder of his life. At least LBJ showed the strains of Vietnam in the years after. Bush will go on his merry, arrogant way, and live a priveleged, simplemindedly happy old age, just as he has lived much of his life.

 

[Cancel5]

Oh Frog I can't tell you how many times I would just be trying to record everything and stay detached, but then I would start sobbing, while still recording and typing. But on the other hand, afterwards, we would go out and somehow as a part of decompressing, we would be hysterical with laughter over some silly thing a couple of hours later.

I doubt it had any impact on the actual legislators, yet. Kuchinich was down there and in the building watching at one point, but no one else. What it will have an impact on is the IVAW membership numbers, because active duty soldiers have seen this, thanks to the internet. And I do think that the powers that be are afraid of the IVAW, so the bigger they get, the better it is.

I receive their emails and have supported them financially. I would have been a sobbing waterfall of tears, lying on the floor, typing, no way! I had to stop the dvd player several times while watching "The Ground Truth", I can't imagine being there in person. I probably would have been at their feet holding on to their leg, hysterical and crying, "I'm sorry, I am so sorry to take your young life away from you and leave you with these imagines that will never leave you. One reason I could not do what you did.

 

[Cancel5]

There are 2 bookends to my views on Bush.

One is 1999, when he told a ghostwriter, as he was planning his run, that he didn't think a President could achieve "greatness" without a war.

The other is this past week, when he said that the front line in Afghanistan was 'romantic,' and by gum, if only he didn't have his job, he'd love to go & join 'em.

The hardest thing for me is that he will remain clueless about the ramifications of his actions throughout the remainder of his life. At least LBJ showed the strains of Vietnam in the years after. Bush will go on his merry, arrogant way, and live a priveleged, simplemindedly happy old age, just as he has lived much of his life.

It is one reason why I can't watch the man, I use to just dislike his policy, but after eight years, I can't stand to hear or see him.

He also said it would be easier to be a dictator. The Little Commander in Chief. I wonder if he thinks of having gold braids sewn to his suits, with the little shoulder tassles?