Why Anti-War? A Response to Thoughtless Ranting

Because I haven't posted recently, I will post this here:
A friend rebuking me on Facebook, and then my response.
Have you viisted the country recent. No you have not...... sooo how can you make comments as to our involvment or lack of involvement... you were not their and was present. I get so tired of people passing judgement when they do have any clue as to wants going on in foreign countries and what our government and allies are doing to retain peace with out bloodshed....\

You are free in this country to do what ever you want .....not so in soooo many other countrires...your freedoms are restricted.....is that what we want here in the USA Sheldon????......My father fought to keep the USA and YOUR FAMILY as well as MY FAMILY Free from terrorism abroad. Did you serve in the arm-forces????......no you did not. As a Air-force brat I followed my Dad from airforce base to airforce base.....you have no clue what airforce dependants go through when there father or mother is deployed on a mission of "national security"and we wait...we wait.... to hear positive or negitive news that your loved one is OK or Dead.....Sheldon you have no clue.....and it saddens me that the "Liberal Left" will never understand what it takes to be "Free" under my Dad and millions of Vets and the military as a whole to keep this country free. Shame on you and all of the others that do not support our miltary.

In response:
Yes, I am relatively free in this country, and I plan to use that freedom to think critically, investigate, and speak freely. What I posted is not about the people that serve in the military, nor their waiting and suffering families. I know that many people who serve have noble intentions and I respect that. But it is not soldiers who make decisons about going to war, but political-corporate elites.

I actually attempt to keep myself informed about present and historic foreign affairs far more than most people. I know of your antipathy towards Obama. Do any of the news sources you currently read or hear ever mention the innocent civililians that are killed by Obama's wars in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia? I don't imagine so. Because in fact the Democrat and Republicans are both imperialist war parties.

Back in the 1980s the Reagan administration told us lies about the government of Nicaragua, and sponsored a terrorist war against that country. I did go there and worked and lived for 6 months and wandered freely into opposition political party offices that our government claimed were not there.

The Democratic Kennnedy and Johnson administrations told us lies about Vietnam (the gulf of Tonkin) and got us into a war that cost hundreds of thousands of lives of both Vietnamese and U.S. soldiers.

The Bush administration told us Saddam Hussien had WMDs, to lead us into a disastrous war, but we know now that he didn't. I learned this was likely the case before the war by listening to what former U.S. Marine and arms inspector Scott Ritter had to say.

I have actually taken the time to listen to all of the Iraq War Veterans Winter Soldier testimony available online which enrages me and breaks my heart to see how good young men and women are used to fight the wars of rich and powerful elites. http://www.ivaw.org/wintersoldier

Everything I have said here are known historical facts. So don't just tell me I don't have a clue when you have not questioned me why I think the way I do. I welcome any civil and rational discussion with you about these matters. 

The fact of the matter is, while it may take a military to keep us free, it also takes critical thinking people willing to dissent to keep us free.

Quote and Link of the Day..Obama escalates in Yemen – again - Salon.com

Obama escalates in Yemen – again - Salon.com: "As usual, to the extent that most Democrats mention any of this, it will be to celebrate its political value: how it proves that Obama is so very Tough and Strong on national security. Because nothing exudes Strength — or the values of the Nobel Peace Prize — like continuously escalating secret wars and targeting people for death via remote-controlled aircraft from thousands of miles away without even knowing their names.  The innocent corpses, the trampling on accountability and transparency, the ongoing fueling of Endless War, must not be permitted to interfere with the President’s re-election, so all of this is just best ignored, again. Dead Yemenis will be kept out of sight and out of mind, and on those rare occasions when we hear about them, we’ll just tell ourselves that the President is a Good, Magnanimous Man who just wants to Keep us Safe. "

'via Blog this'

Thoughts on the Trayvon Martin Killing

Some thoughts on the Trayvon Martin killing by Zimmerman. 


Racists with guns are a dime a dozen. All the focus on Zimmerman's alleged individual racism is serving as a distraction from the larger institutional racism of the Sanford police department and the District Attorney. Black kid gets shot dead, and they shrug their shoulders and hem and haw whether to charge manslaughter? (Really? MANSLAUGHTER?!?!) With all the evidence that they had that Zimmy killer pursued Martin? And the relatively minor injuries he had, and they still pass off that police report and say one of the witnesses' reports supports Zimmerman's story? And the media, including the more liberal MSNBC are giving them a pass and hardly raising tough questions about the racist corruption of the Sanford police and District Attorney?


Zimmerman's PR campaign keeps saying once the facts come out, those facts will clear him. That BS is collapsing quicker than the Twin Towers on 911.


And Fox News and the Righties. They carrying on about MSNBC and who they call the "race-baiters" (Sharpton and Jackson) as "exploiting the story". Well it appears to me that Fox News is exploiting the story to attack Jackson, Sharpton and MSNBC (and hoodies!). The fact of the matter is, it required the media and civil rights leaders to bring this story to national attention. And without that, there would have never been a second look and a special prosecutor investigating this case.


Finally, It was reported that Trayvon Martin was suspended for having a baggie with MJ residue. Big Whooopie! Does anybody have an idea how many people in this country, including white male teenagers have baggies with MJ residue or more in their possession? Give me a Fucking Break!

Does Management Exploit Capital? Not Really, Because Labor Creates Wealth

Does Management Exploit Capital?: "If it's true that the CEO community has created a cartel of interlocking insider-dominated boards that conspire to pay executives above their prevailing wage, the people being victimized are not the firm's low level employees but the firm's owners. You'd be looking primarily at a redistribution of wealth from one set of rich people to another set of rich people. "
'via Blog this'

I am sure there are plenty of better and more sophisticated Marxist critiques of Yglesias/ view,  but its good to remember,  it is labor that creates value, and thus is the exploited  party.

Quotable from Paul at Café of the Cosmic Dance

Café of the Cosmic Dance: "I am a strong believer in the notion that, although everyone has a right to his or her opinions, not all opinions are created equal. Some opinions are forged of sound logic and a weight of evidence. Some other opinions are forged of logical fallacies and bullshit. Many people believe that differences of opinion never reflect differences of intellect. I disagree. Some opinions are so stupid their owners, if not merely ignorant, must be stupid."

'via Blog this'

Things Could Be Different, But Won't Be--David Harvey

The Best Kind of Soldier-A Disobedient One

In honor of Veteran's Day, the trailer for one of my most favorite documentaries. Sir, No Sir!