Here comes da war (for real, I guess)...

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A friend of mine just posted this:

"Well, I got my marching orders. We activate at 0700 on Tuesday Morning. Can't talk much now, but I'll be getting back to youse all on monday or something."

― Scaredy Cat, Sunday, 12 January 2003 01:40 (twenty-two years ago)

Is this about Iraq or are they just attacking random locations in the Middle East as they've been doing?

― Curtis Stephens, Sunday, 12 January 2003 01:46 (twenty-two years ago)

I really dunno, ever heard of the saying war is peace and peace is war? I think this is complicated and goes beyond me... I mean unless we know every little detail and motive of the people who are feeding this to us then I'll say yes or no....

― newb, Sunday, 12 January 2003 01:53 (twenty-two years ago)

"activate" doesn't necessarily mean war.

who exactly has been attacking random locations in the Middle East?

― gabbneb, Sunday, 12 January 2003 01:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, "random" is most certainly not the proper word, but I'm not known for my skill with words :P

― Curtis Stephens, Sunday, 12 January 2003 02:04 (twenty-two years ago)

"activate" doesn't necessarily mean war.

Yup. Calling up troops is all that's been happening (and obviously there's been a lot of that). Attacking something this Tuesday would seem extremely strange given that the administration has been putatively following the general UN schedule, and the next big report is the 27th.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 12 January 2003 03:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe Scardey Cat's friend just got fired.

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 13 January 2003 01:36 (twenty-two years ago)

out of a cannon!

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 13 January 2003 01:41 (twenty-two years ago)

They're using human beings as bombs!

― N. (nickdastoor), Monday, 13 January 2003 01:44 (twenty-two years ago)

Yes, our latest program is to fire human bombs from robot airplanes - it's deadly effective, scares the shit out of the enemy, plus it's horribly difficult to move armor or aircraft or even launch missiles when everything's covered in G.I. innards, pieces of PFCs and the occasional disembodied chunk of lieutenant. Really gums up the works.

My friend just got back from Afghanistan and I haven't heard anything from him. Hopefully he won't get redeployed in too much of a hurry, though he did say his next station was likely to be in Korea. Oh, what fun.

― Tom Millar (Millar), Monday, 13 January 2003 02:04 (twenty-two years ago)

north korea, south korea, marilyn monroe.

― RJG (RJG), Monday, 13 January 2003 02:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Oh, good luck to your friend. :- (

― lyra (lyra), Monday, 13 January 2003 02:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Rumsfield just deployed 60,000 more troops to the Gulf area. Perhaps that is what your friend is a part of. This doesn't necessarily mean that war is a certainty, however.

― Amateurist (amateurist), Monday, 13 January 2003 03:06 (twenty-two years ago)

>Rumsfield just deployed 60,000 more troops to the Gulf area. This doesn't necessarily mean that war is a certainty, however.

While I agree that war is not a certainty, I must say that at this point I cannot envision Bush Jr. backing down. I don't think Rumsfeld, et al. would let him, sadly. And while I am great fan of Powell, I have come to the depressing conclusion that he's the only sane one in the bunch, and he's being both ignored and pushed aside. I recall an interview on the CBC as the U.S. was about to invade Afghanistan. A commentator said something to the effect that all of this would turn-out okay if W. listened to Powell. But she then continued to say that the world was screwed if Bush chose to listen to Cheney and Rumsfeld. (And I do apologize for that paraphrasing, but that was the jist of things.) I think he projection was correct, though at the time I somehow believed that the Pres. would come to his senses. Now I believe that he isn't thinking at all, but is being steered by selected advisors. Maybe this is why Karen Hughes (another one I am not fond of)chose to leave?

I just feel sick about the whole situation. I am the child of a 'Nam protestor and a disabled 'Nam vet. I was raised as a flower-child. And I do believe in the power of the people to bring about change. But right now I do not see that power being exerted. There is little to no American news coverage about the anti-war movement, and I am frightened by that fact. And there seems to be little uproar against the civil liberties that are being blithely tossed aside. It feels like we're moving toward a severely restricted society (I know I cannot be the only person who shudders as the phrase "Homeland Security," with the shades of facism and propaganda). I am ashamed to be an American, now.

Even though I believe that I do the "right" things, from voting to being politically active to volunteering to educating, it all feels ineffectual. Every day brings more disheartening news, and I am finding it increasingly difficult to see the points where we might turn aside from this path our leader has chosen.

Sheesh, now I'm down in the dumps. Better go find some cheery music and a good book. And maybe a steaming cup of hot chocolate to make me believe, for a moment, that I am back in the perceived safety of childhood, when things seemed so much simpler (and yes, I know that they wren't, but I am talking how it felt to me at the time) and I believed that all people were good.

― LCD (Ms Laura), Monday, 13 January 2003 06:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I guess I shouldn't bring up the 1 million person- strong Anti "evil US imperialists" rally that was held in Pyongyang this Saturday, as it would not make you feel better oops

― Vic (Vic), Monday, 13 January 2003 07:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks, that's cheering news. Maybe the problem is just that I am living in the wrong area of the wrong country. I need to get back to the West Coast!

― LCD (Ms Laura), Monday, 13 January 2003 07:19 (twenty-two years ago)

http://images.ucomics.com/comics/bo/2003/bo030113.gif

― Ed (dali), Monday, 13 January 2003 10:58 (twenty-two years ago)

hopefully it'll go nuclear, that way everyone can have some excitement without having to join the fuckin' army and get up at 0400 every morning

― dave q, Monday, 13 January 2003 10:59 (twenty-two years ago)

RJG that was so funny. made me snort loud.

― piscesboy, Monday, 13 January 2003 14:12 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe somebody mentioned this before, but if not, here's why I'm deeply depressed about the war if it all comes to that:

* quick American victory = overweening triumphalism and probably a lot worse, chance of BushCo in for a second term far greater

* grind-down quagmire = possibility of somebody harder right/crazier than Bush seeking election 'to do it right,' -- alternately, BushCo driven from office and all, but at the cost not only of who knows how many Iraqi dead but thousands upon thousands of Americans and more

Neither situation makes me thrilled.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 13 January 2003 15:32 (twenty-two years ago)

i thought american military policy since viet nam has been to avoid quagmires by paving them before sending in the boys

i think bush & co are hard right/crazy enough themselves to preclude the 1st part of your 2nd option

― Fritz Wollner (Fritz), Monday, 13 January 2003 15:51 (twenty-two years ago)

i think bush & co are hard right/crazy enough themselves to preclude the 1st part of your 2nd option

I know. That's the point. Imagine if somebody worse decided to come along.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 13 January 2003 15:52 (twenty-two years ago)

I know Time isn't the most reliable source and it's polls are like preaching to the converted, but it is nice to know that some folks have a clue....

Why does the U.S. want to attack Iraq?

To disarm Saddam
4.8 %
To effect regime change
12.1 %
To get Iraq's oil
75.8 %
To make the world a safer place
7.4 %

Total Votes Cast: 2367

― brg30 (brg30), Monday, 13 January 2003 16:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Make that 2368, I cast for 'To get Iraq's oil'.

― Momus (Momus), Monday, 13 January 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

they omitted other possibilities:

'To succeed where his Father failed thus saving the family name some face'

'Cos Dubya really is loonier than Reagan after finding out the dog gulped down his last green jellybean'

'Revenge...for...that thing...cos we can't get the other guy'

'To divert attention from domestic economic problems mishandled by the Bush administration'

'Cos they can'

'All of the above'

― stevem (blueski), Monday, 13 January 2003 18:06 (twenty-two years ago)

perhaps GW Bush, in trying to defend against accusations of stupidity, went out and bought a copy of 1984. due to some freak printing error, the text on the back of the book ommitted the word "negative" or "anti-" which preceded the word "utopia". Due to this error, Bush read the book as advocating an ideal, and decided that in order to bring about Orwell's grand vision, he must take it upon himself to begin the endless process of threatened conflict himself!

― Aaron Grossman (aajjgg), Monday, 13 January 2003 18:46 (twenty-two years ago)

the correct answer is sooooo 'cos they can'!

― James Blount (James Blount), Monday, 13 January 2003 18:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Anyone see the article in the WashPost a couple days ago about the decision-making process - or lack thereof - for this war ? a bunch of far-right wackos who've got this almost religious obsession with Iraq and have convinced W Bush that the attack had to happen - and that by Sept 17 2001, war plans were being drawn up. it's absurd is what it is. Does anyone know anyone who WANTS the war ? besides a couple of prominent webloggers and pundits ?

― daria g, Tuesday, 14 January 2003 06:53 (twenty-two years ago)

Everyone I know seems to think war for oil is a bad idea. Everybody I know is also in the bottom 50% economics-wise. Who do they think is going to be affected by massive economic collapse? Somebody else? Wars for oil are more rational than wars for superstitious ideals

― dave q, Tuesday, 14 January 2003 10:56 (twenty-two years ago)

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