The War On Terror - Your Thoughts?

[Wagon]

We used to call them "Crusaders". Crusaders always got people killed for no f'ing reason. You tried to steer clear but.......

 

[JarHed]

I was in VietNam, if there was ever a contrived war that's gotta' be in the top 10 of stupid ones at least. Sneaky gov't agreements and alignments with old countries from previous wars don't make for good bed fellows. We never knew what the plan was if any, as far as winning that thing. Just went from place to place and got shot at and good men died for no god damn reason. It never seems to change. The expression 'those that don't learn from history are destined to repeat it' pretty much fell on deaf ears.

When I returned home, I was spit on in the train station. Nice, huh. There I was glad to be home and then that. The cops had to escort me to my train. When I asked what the F**K was going on, a cop, the older one, probably server in Korea said "Things have changed a lot while you were away. I'm glad you made it back kid". That was the only home coming cerimony I received.

Wars are just an excuse for the rich and those in power to get more powerful and more rich while those that can't avoid it get killed. I hate to say it but I don't think that's gonna' change much for a long time to come, if ever.

They always say stuff like can't we just get along and why does there have to be war. It's because people are stupid and can't recognize the monitary interest in keeping these things going. I can remember interogating NVA soldiers and what I found is that they were no different than us. Just guys caught up in a political war, getting shot at, not any real plan either and a long way from home and the ones they loved. It at times seemed like we were killing the wrong people.

The wars of the mideast and 9/11 were and are a terrible waste. We just don't ever seem to get it. We waste trillions of dollars overseas and our own country is falling apart at the seams. I never thought that I'd live long enough to see what I do now. Even if I didn't have all the crap that I do to deal with I'd still like to just live under a rock and not know what's really going on. But once you've seen it your eyes are forever opened. As Forest Gump would say 'Stupid is as Stupid does'. Sorry for the R&R (rant and ramble).

 

[reddevil1111]

Jarhead. I waseted a lot of time on this myself. I am filled with resentment. I was involved in the war-on drugs/ I fought in the 1st gulf...er...oil war.
The lessons will never be learned as long as those who warmonger have little to lose. They have a lot to gain. Every bullet makes money. Every bomb. Each time we deploy somewhere contracting companies drool. Its a mess and it wont ever fix itself. The only thing I realized even after the gulf war when we would be shot at and couldnt shoot back....when you come out of a base in Kuwait to find landmines planted all along the roads leading into border patrol areas...
In the end you look left and right...you pray your friends come home and you make it as a whole man. I think every one of the Marines I served with no matter how scared at any time only wanted to do the best and make the fellow marines proud of them. To come home and be woundeed was my biggest fear. And it came true. There was no parade...no clapping in the airports. No one said thanks for a long time and when they did it just made me mad and frustrated. Thanks? hell they had no clue what happened.
I am not looking for anything from anybody thats not what I am saying here. I am upset we waste our troops and the best men and women America has die for causes no one belives in and have no real defined end in site. It sucks and thats that. One day we might wisen up I hope its not to late.

 

[JarHed]

Hey Red

I was doing a lot of thinking last night about this issue and some of the things that ya'll wrote.

When I first came back I became active in talking to people about what was really happening over in Nam. No one really cared, as long as it wasn't them. It's still the prevailing attitude. When you look back in history, and no matter how far back you go it's always been the same. Power, money they go hand in hand, always have and always will. I stopped working on informing people and trying to do something because it was like pissin' into the wind. It's also the realization that you have to totally and I mean totally dedicate yourself to the task of trying to make it change. I have no money, power or influence. If the powers that be wanted to they could have just made me disappear. I'm surprised they didn't.

I kind of feel this way about it. You gotta' do what you think is right and to whatever degree that is pertainant for you. I think soldiers are trained to serve, that's our lot in life. It's also a proud one. You should be proud that you served. That service has a long line of traditions, good ones. Honor, Duty, Country. War is made by politicians and those that stand to make money or gain power from it. It's a guarantee that they or their families don't and won't serve.

At this point of my life I just want to exist. That's a hard enough job right now. I would just say this; no matter who is elected, or which party comes into power, nothing of a positive nature will happen to positvely impact my life. I'm the one that has to go out and make that happen, that's always been that way, at least for me.

I do pray for a day when a child will go up to his dad and ask, 'Dad, what's a war?' It's a hope, for the future anyway.

 

[Ned]

About halfway through my time some subconscious penny dropped. I stopped wondering 'what's my motivation?' and just looked after my mates and the people I was responsible for.
And stopped caring about promotion. Got bloody good at soldiering, mind. Also gave up on getting into discussions back home on leave.
They wouldn't have liked most of the people I trusted, anyway. Or what I thought. About them...