Time Person of the Year - U.S. Soldier: For facing bullets in executing the Policies of those that Lead them

[dmcowen674]

12-21-2003 Time Names U.S. Soldier as 'Person of the Year'

"The American Soldier" was named on Sunday as Time magazine Person of the Year, giving credit not to those who formulate the foreign policies of the United States but those who face bullets and grenades as they execute those policies.

President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were candidates, but "the very messy aftermath of the war has made it clear that Washington's policy was going to have to be carried out day by day by the soldiers on the ground," Kelly said.

"We thought the title belonged to those people."

 

[dmcowen674]

More articles detailing explanations for the decision:

12-21-2003 The American soldier, who bears the duty of "living with and dying for a country's most fateful decisions," was named Sunday as Time magazine's Person of the Year.

The magazine glorifies soldiers but not the Bush administration for putting them in Iraq, calling troops "the bright sharp instrument of a blunt policy," and leaving it to scholars to debate "whether the Bush doctrine is the most muscular expression of national interest in a half-century."

The justification for a U.S. military presence in Iraq has been widely questioned, as coalition forces have found no weapons of mass destruction, which President Bush had argued Saddam was stockpiling.

"A force intensively trained for its mission finds itself improvising at every turn, required to exercise exquisite judgment in extreme circumstances," the magazine said. "They complain less about the danger than the uncertainty ? they are told they're going home in two weeks, and then two months later they have not moved."

 

[GrGr]

Militarism, one of the cornerstones of fascism. Yay.

 

[bulldawg]

Originally posted by: dmcowen674
12-21-2003 Time Names U.S. Soldier as 'Person of the Year'

"The American Soldier" was named on Sunday as Time magazine Person of the Year, giving credit not to those who formulate the foreign policies of the United States but those who face bullets and grenades as they execute those policies.

President Bush and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld were candidates, but "the very messy aftermath of the war has made it clear that Washington's policy was going to have to be carried out day by day by the soldiers on the ground," Kelly said.

"We thought the title belonged to those people."

Sounds good to me. God bless the troops!

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: GrGr
Militarism, one of the cornerstones of fascism. Yay.

Fool.

 

[Lonyo]

They swept across Iraq and conquered it in 21 days. They stand guard on streets pot-holed with skepticism and rancor

I guess no one helped them then? Arrogant [expletive deleted].

 

[Dari]

Originally posted by: Lonyo

They swept across Iraq and conquered it in 21 days. They stand guard on streets pot-holed with skepticism and rancor

I guess no one helped them then? Arrogant [expletive deleted].

I agree with you, but the ratio of US to other coalition forces, british included, was more than 10:1.

 

[Napalm]

Let me get this straight - the time "person" of the year is the poor and victimized "U.S. soldier" who puts his/her life on the line acting as a human pawn in an ultra right-wing administration's excellent adventure in the middle east?

Was there really nobody out there this year who made a tangible contribution to the planet? Sorry to be so blunt, but this is truly pathetic.

N

 

[Napalm]

Let me get this straight - the time "person" of the year is the poor and victimized "U.S. soldier" who puts his/her life on the line acting as a human pawn in an ultra right-wing administration's excellent adventure in the middle east?

Was there really nobody out there this year who made a tangible contribution to the planet? Sorry to be so blunt, but this is truly pathetic.

N

 

[GrGr]

The Military is the one institution left in the US that has almost undivided admiration and loyalty among US citizens. Time Magazine simply wanted to kiss the flag but since Bush and Rumsfeld et al are crooks they went for the Unsung Hero.

Militarism:

Quick definitions (Militarism) from OneLook web dictionary

noun: a political orientation of a people or a government to maintain a strong military force and to be prepared to use it aggresively (sic) to defend or promote national interests

Cambridge Dictionary: militarism:
the belief that it is necessary to have strong armed forces and that they should be used in order to win political or economic advantages

Webster: militarism:
1 a : predominance of the military class or its ideals b : exaltation of military virtues and ideals
2 : a policy of aggressive military preparedness

 

[MonstaThrilla]

Let's be realistic here guys. The major reason people join the military now is for the college scholarship they will earn. These are young people who come from lower/middle class families who can't pay for their tuition, so they choose a bold and gutsy path: service to the military as the means of getting that education. They're not warmongers. They didn't choose to go to Iraq. Stated simply, they chose to serve their country and in return received a significant helping hand in achieving a college education. Faced with a difficult decision, they chose to put their lives in great risk in order to improve their lives for the future.

And for that, in this drab year of human history, its obvious that the common soldier is deserving of Time's accolade more than anyone else...

 

[GrGr]

Then maybe it would be just to change the system so that poor people could afford to go to college without having to gamble with their lives by serving in illegal wars, started by corrupt politicians, in order to get the education that is their right?

 

[MonstaThrilla]

Originally posted by: GrGr
Then maybe it would be just to change the system so that poor people could afford to go to college without having to gamble with their lives by serving in illegal wars, started by corrupt politicians, in order to get the education that is their right?

Yes it would.

 

[Jadow]

While I think our soldiers need to be honored, I think its a copout for Time to cheat and do this. They have the person of the year, it should be ONE PERSON. I hate it when they do these sorts of things.

 

[Jadow]

"The major reason people join the military now is for the college scholarship they will earn"

BULL

 

[xxxxxJohnGaltxxxxx]

Originally posted by: GrGr
Then maybe it would be just to change the system so that poor people could afford to go to college without having to gamble with their lives by serving in illegal wars, started by corrupt politicians, in order to get the education that is their right?

Please show me where it is written (except perhaps by Karl Marx) that everyone has a right to an education...nice emotionally-loaded/fallacious argument.

 

[CaptnKirk]

Army Website Pics

 

[GrGr]

Originally posted by: xxxxxJohnGaltxxxxx

Originally posted by: GrGr
Then maybe it would be just to change the system so that poor people could afford to go to college without having to gamble with their lives by serving in illegal wars, started by corrupt politicians, in order to get the education that is their right?

Please show me where it is written (except perhaps by Karl Marx) that everyone has a right to an education...nice emotionally-loaded/fallacious argument.

UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights see Article 26

Isn't you the one always harping about how poor people should get an education so that they can get a decent job?
"Or, perhaps they should try to obtain more marketable skills needed in today's workforce?"

 

[MonstaThrilla]

Originally posted by: Jadow
"The major reason people join the military now is for the college scholarship they will earn"

BULL

Then what is it? The vast majority of American troops serving in Iraq right now there are from ROTC programs they joined to earn college scholarships.

 

[alchemize]

I bought two soldiers lunch yesterday at the airport. Helped that they were cute privates (girls)

GrGr and Napalm would have probably spit on them.

 

[Lonyo]

Originally posted by: GrGr

Originally posted by: xxxxxJohnGaltxxxxx

Originally posted by: GrGr
Then maybe it would be just to change the system so that poor people could afford to go to college without having to gamble with their lives by serving in illegal wars, started by corrupt politicians, in order to get the education that is their right?

Please show me where it is written (except perhaps by Karl Marx) that everyone has a right to an education...nice emotionally-loaded/fallacious argument.

UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights see Article 26

Isn't you the one always harping about how poor people should get an education so that they can get a decent job?
"Or, perhaps they should try to obtain more marketable skills needed in today's workforce?"

Ah, but the US doesn't care what the UN says, so why should they subscribe to that particular idea?

 

[MonstaThrilla]

Originally posted by: alchemize
I bought two soldiers lunch yesterday at the airport. Helped that they were cute privates (girls)

GrGr and Napalm would have probably spit on them.

Is that a joke? Its not very funny...

 

[Jadow]

Monstathrilla wrote:
Then what is it? The vast majority of American troops serving in Iraq right now there are from ROTC programs they joined to earn college scholarships.

he also has a "Dean for America" link in his signature. If this moron is the typical dean supporter, then Howie is in big trouble.

 

[MonstaThrilla]

Originally posted by: Jadow
Monstathrilla wrote:
Then what is it? The vast majority of American troops serving in Iraq right now there are from ROTC programs they joined to earn college scholarships.

he also has a "Dean for America" link in his signature. If this moron is the typical dean supporter, then Howie is in big trouble.

Why don't you explain exactly why I'm wrong instead of acting like a 5 year old and calling me names?

EDIT: I just reread my post. I do realize that ROTC stands for reserve OFFICER training corps, and I neglected to include the other forms of tuition assistance the military provides, like from the G.I. Bill. So if that's what qualified me as a moron, then I guess I'm guilty.

 

[magomago]

It is true- I don't know too many people who would go to the military and forgoe the $$ for education.