Dying Iraq veteran sends Cheney and Co. a letter....

[kage69]

http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/iraq-war-vet-letter-bush-cheney-tomas-young-154541674.html

This is the guy who Phil Donahue the doc Body of War about.

""I write this letter, my last letter, to you, Mr. Bush and Mr. Cheney," Young wrote in the letter published on Truthdig.com. "I write not because I think you grasp the terrible human and moral consequences of your lies, manipulation and thirst for wealth and power. I write this letter because, before my own death, I want to make it clear that I, and hundreds of thousands of my fellow veterans, along with millions of my fellow citizens, along with hundreds of millions more in Iraq and the Middle East, know fully who you are and what you have done. You may evade justice but in our eyes you are each guilty of egregious war crimes, of plunder and, finally, of murder, including the murder of thousands of young Americans—my fellow veterans—whose future you stole."


I have no doubt it will be dismissed by Cheney and his sycophants, but it would be nice (at least for some) for Bush to pull a McNamara and show some regret. Implicit in "supporting the troops" is to not use them as disposable means to an end, to not use them without real cause.

Perhaps if we didn't elect chickenhawks and draft dodgers as heads of state this wouldn't happen. I've become more amenable to the idea that the CiC should have active military experience. What do you guys think? Our guys deserve better than to led by deferment kings and AWOLers.

 

[TheVrolok]

I don't believe the President needs active military experience. That's why he has advisers. Powerfully written letter, though it will certainly be dismissed by Bush, Cheney, and millions of others.

 

[trenchfoot]

The Iraq War that the Bush Cheney Corp. started but never finished affected me personally, as I watched family, friends and children of friends go in, get killed, maimed and psychologically affected for no good reason other than to donate their lives, their body parts and their blood so that war mongering profit takers sitting in their glass towers sipping champagne like those blood suckers at Halliburton could step in, reap billions upon billions of $$$ and not sacrifice a drop of blood or a smidgin of sweat doing it.

 

[Incorruptible]

You know in the 2012 election there was actually a real candidate Ron Paul that was a veteran and supported peace but all the idiots attacked him and decided they would rather have another neo-con.

 

[chucky2]

It's sad this guy will die with such a poor view of why we went into Iraq. The Left is fully "Mission Accomplished" with this guy...

 

[gevorg]

Cheney and Co. read the letter!

 

[Oyeve]

Sad hes dying but why did he join the army after 9/11? Its not like any country was fully responsible for what happened. The military should never have been involved in the first place. CIA should have dealt with this and use the military as needed. Bush was a cowboy and felt the need to show a large force. Unfortunately many people felt the same way and joined the military all gung-ho but without a clue and now they realize it was not what they expected. Either join and do what you are supposed to do or dont join. Just dont bitch about it later.

 

[glenn1]

And this is a news story how, exactly? As a veteran myself, I can tell you that lends no additional weight to anything I write and it doesn't in this dude's case either. Sorry to hear that he's dying, but he's still just one more citizen with an opinion and a keyboard.

 

[TheVrolok]

Either join and do what you are supposed to do or dont join. Just dont bitch about it later.

I assume you feel the same way about fundraising/donation campaigns for veterans/their families? No reason to whine about how hard the military life is when you joined voluntarily, so no need for fundraising/donations/special privileges/exceptions for military members/families?

 

[TheVrolok]

And this is a news story how, exactly? As a veteran myself, I can tell you that lends no additional weight to anything I write and it doesn't in this dude's case either. Sorry to hear that he's dying, but he's still just one more citizen with an opinion and a keyboard.

I'm very confused. Being a veteran certainly lends additional weight to writing about a war in which one participated than not? How is that not obvious?

 

[lotus503]

Its a tough way to learn that the country you support will lie to your face and put you in harms way without a second thought.

I damn near almost joined back in the first iraq war, I was younger and dumber at the time.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Unlike some in here, I appreciate the sacrifices our veterans make for us and I hope they and the active service-people hold our leadership more accountable for their actions in the future.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Unlike some in here, I appreciate the sacrifices our veterans make for us and I hope they and the active service-people hold our leadership more accountable for their actions in the future.

They can't. The reps defended Bush and the dems don't care enough to insist on an investigation. They don't hold. Obama to his campaign promises, because their pretended outrage is just that but for few exceptions. There's another thread about lessons from Iraq. I haven't bothered to read it. It's clear the lessons needed aren't wanted.

 

[dmcowen674]

It's sad this guy will die with such a poor view of why we went into Iraq. The Left is fully "Mission Accomplished" with this guy...

Feel very sorry for you and people that lack critical thinking skills like you.

 

[fskimospy]

Unlike some in here, I appreciate the sacrifices our veterans make for us and I hope they and the active service-people hold our leadership more accountable for their actions in the future.

It's not the place of the active service people to hold our leadership to account. In policy terms I don't think that someone being a veteran should matter one whit, but this isn't about the person being a veteran, it's about how Bush and Cheney's decisions affected citizens of the US.

 

[chucky2]

Feel very sorry for you and people that lack critical thinking skills like you.

What critical thinking skills am I lacking to draw that conclusion?

P.S. I have been looking and I still haven't seen any $10/gal milk. Is there a new timeframe on that prediction using your critical thinking skills?

 

[cirrrocco]

here is the original article.. Makes very sad reading

https://www.truthdig.com/report/item/the_crucifixion_of_tomas_young_20130310/

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

It's sad this guy will die with such a poor view of why we went into Iraq. The Left is fully "Mission Accomplished" with this guy...

There's nothing but a poor view to have. Note that those on the Left here don't claim me as one of their own. The history of the war demonstrates that it was one of the moments of shame. One might disagree with the specifics of his claims, but not the results. From aluminum tubes to "mobile chemical factories" abuse of the intelligence community, yellowcake claims and more, the chain of justifications based on the obviously false means incompetent beyond belief or planned deception which stole resources and momentum from our legitimate mission in Afghanistan.

The facts aren't Left or Right. They are damning.

 

[lotus503]

There's nothing but a poor view to have. Note that those on the Left here don't claim me as one of their own. The history of the war demonstrates that it was one of the moments of shame. One might disagree with the specifics of his claims, but not the results. From aluminum tubes to "mobile chemical factories" abuse of the intelligence community, yellowcake claims and more, the chain of justifications based on the obviously false means incompetent beyond belief or planned deception which stole resources and momentum from our legitimate mission in Afghanistan.

The facts aren't Left or Right. They are damning.

I claim you as one of the few posters that gets it on here even if we dont always agree.

Common sense and thought isn't partisan

 

[NoStateofMind]

Perhaps if we didn't elect chickenhawks and draft dodgers as heads of state this wouldn't happen. I've become more amenable to the idea that the CiC should have active military experience. What do you guys think? Our guys deserve better than to led by deferment kings and AWOLers.

Hell no that shouldn't be a requirement. John McCain is a perfect example of why not.

 

[NoStateofMind]

I claim you as one of the few posters that gets it on here even if we dont always agree.

Common sense and thought isn't partisan

:thumbsup:

 

[wirednuts]

come on, it was on tv last weekend. it was never documented, but we had to go into Iraq to get the stargate that was bringing new technology to the planet. nobody would believe it, that's why he said there was WMD's.

I had to get a code off a wristband and register with a secret site to get this information.

 

[kage69]

Hell no that shouldn't be a requirement. John McCain is a perfect example of why not.

Don't act like I said active duty counts more than anything else. Believe it or not it's possible for a veteran to be a bad president, and I think its insulting to insinuate that anyone with active duty experience suffers from the same deficiencies that McCain does. What I don't want to see is some asshole like Cheney (and his 5 student deferments, then a expectant father deferment when he ran out of those) talking down to experienced Pentagon brass like they don't have a clue about war. What I don't want to see is a spoiled frat boy who went AWOL sending others off to die because his dad's friends told him it was a great idea.


McCain has a temperament that I consider inappropriate for CiC, but at least he had the balls to go get shot at for his country. He's no chickenhawk.

 

[Harvey]

Who's Watching Over Who's Watching Over You?
Words and Music by Harvey Rubens
Copyright © 2006

I see men looking over their shoulder,
Running hard just trying to stay alive,
And they say that it's gonna get colder before it gets better.

At the time of the crime, who believed us?
We all took a fall on the ride,
When the powers that be had deceived us to leave us the debtor.

And who's watching over who's watching over you?
Tell me who's telling who's telling you what to do what to do?

All the forces of war were compelling,
And blacker than Colin, the Knight,
And the lies they were telling, they sell in the name of their savior.

And they silence the voices arising,
From those who would show us the light,
With their guys with their spies in the skies watching you and your neighbor.

And who's watching over who's watching over you?
Tell me who's telling who's telling you what to do what to do?

I see men who are trying to squeeze us,
And taking whatever they can,
While they buy those who try to appease us with scraps from their table.

It gets harder each day to break even.
This wasn't a part of my plan.
Time is right to be fighting or leaving this tower of Babel.

And who's watching over who's watching over you?
Tell me who's telling who's telling you what to do what to do?

 

[NoStateofMind]

Who's Watching Over Who's Watching Over You?
Words and Music by Harvey Rubens
Copyright © 2006

I see men looking over their shoulder,
Running hard just trying to stay alive,
And they say that it's gonna get colder before it gets better.

At the time of the crime, who believed us?
We all took a fall on the ride,
When the powers that be had deceived us to leave us the debtor.

And who's watching over who's watching over you?
Tell me who's telling who's telling you what to do what to do?

All the forces of war were compelling,
And blacker than Colin, the Knight,
And the lies they were telling, they sell in the name of their savior.

And they silence the voices arising,
From those who would show us the light,
With their guys with their spies in the skies watching you and your neighbor.

And who's watching over who's watching over you?
Tell me who's telling who's telling you what to do what to do?

I see men who are trying to squeeze us,
And taking whatever they can,
While they buy those who try to appease us with scraps from their table.

It gets harder each day to break even.
This wasn't a part of my plan.
Time is right to be fighting or leaving this tower of Babel.

And who's watching over who's watching over you?
Tell me who's telling who's telling you what to do what to do?

Hey Harvey, ever get that Obama macro completed? I'm pretty sure all you had to do was switch out Bush for Obama and you'd be done