Hey, American Conservative! You stupid fuck. Yes, you. Put the porn on pause for one second and watch this video:
It's from Operation Truth. I'm really interested in your spin on how this soldier's loss of a limb is worth fulfilling your vision of world conquest. (Not really.)
Thank you, Spc. Robert Acosta. You're a hero.
(Via Digby.)
The headline of the post that linked to this story at Atrios was Humvee Veterens for Truth .... in this guy's future.
No doubt.
Posted by: eRobin | October 16, 2004 at 03:45 PM
Did he not volunteer to be a soldier? I wonder what he thought soldiers did.
Posted by: billy-jay | October 18, 2004 at 02:46 AM
True, Billy. It says it right there when you sign up, "I agree that my political leaders will betray me."
Good point.
Posted by: MIthras | October 18, 2004 at 09:44 AM
It does say that you will obey the lawful orders of the CINC and all officers appointed over me. So, yeah, count on it.
Posted by: billy-jay | October 18, 2004 at 10:44 AM
Ah, gotta love the apologists for the liars at the top. There's more than just whether the Bush Campaignistration skated by on the thin edge of the law (and that's questionable); there's the fundamental bargain between the political leadership and the grunts on the ground.
Soldiers volunteer for duty in a democracy under the implicit social contract that the civilian leadership will NEVER use their lives without complete honesty and justification. That is the deal, and the Bush Campaignistration didn't even bother to live up to their end. American soldiers are not some praetorian guard that the caesar can march off into the barbarian wilderness just to prove his power, but that's almost exactly what the Bush Campaignistration did with these soldiers.
Or doesn't it bother you, billy-jay, that none of the reasons the Republicans gave for going to war before the war were true or that the plans for the occupation were "to be provided"?
Or are you just an armchair warrior, looking forward to your tax cut?
Posted by: paperwight | October 18, 2004 at 11:10 AM
So, yeah, count on it.
Count on going to war with no plan for winning the peace.
Count on hanging our wounded soldiers out to dry.
Count on alienating hundreds of years of support from Allies (No, I didn't forget Poland.)
DON'T count on the Supremes bailing out half-wit again.
BillyPetGoat, it does seem you paused the porn. Nice work.
Posted by: UncleHornHead | October 18, 2004 at 01:22 PM
Soldiers volunteer for duty in a democracy under the implicit social contract that the civilian leadership will NEVER use their lives without complete honesty and justification.
This complete honesty and justification has been pretty lacking through the course of US history...and probably the rest of earth history.
And, the US has never been a true democracy.
Other then being rather undereducated I can't think of any reason why someone volunteering for the US military should not expect to be used for Iraq like purposes.
This, of course, does not take away from Mithris' original point.
Posted by: Steve | October 19, 2004 at 12:23 AM
Billy-Jay,
If he volunteered BEFORE Bush's War, then he placed his trust in the civilian leadership BEFORE they had a chance to misuse it. He may have a legal responsibility to obey orders, but the civilian leadership has a legal / moral responsibility to not abuse that trust.
Posted by: Jeff | October 19, 2004 at 01:20 PM
First of all, I'm sorry I missed a day to reply, as I've been busy at work.
Now, down to business. I am not a Bush apologist. I happen to think he's been a terrible president, and I was opposed to the war in Iraq. However, I think Acosta made a poor decision and doesn't want to accept responsibility. Say what you want about Bush, but the fact is soldiers do not have a say in when or how they are used. And what the hell is implicit social contract? That's right, it's just another way to say no contract at all.
Posted by: billy-jay | October 20, 2004 at 07:01 AM
So what have we learned? The soldiers have a right to expect to have their lives used honorably. When that doesn't happen, they shouldn't be surprised. But they have the right and probably the obligation to speak out as long and as loudly as they can in order to take down the administration that betrayed them. BushCo et al got caught starting a rotten, ill-conceived, dishonest war. They wasted the lives of thousands of people to do it and they should pay the price. The soldiers certainly have.
Posted by: eRobin | October 20, 2004 at 09:31 AM