Don't go, Don't kill - The hypocrisy of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell

[Makalakumu]

Ms. Sheehan wrote a powerful essay on the hypocrisy of repealing Don't Ask Don't Tell.

http://www.infowars.com/dont-go-dont-kill/

The recent repeal of the US military policy of “Don’t ask, don’t tell” is far from being the human rights advancement some are touting it to be. I find it intellectually dishonest, in fact, illogical on any level to associate human rights with any military, let alone one that is currently dehumanizing two populations as well as numerous other victims of it’s clandestine “security” policies.

Placing this major contention aside, the enactment of the bill might be an institutional step forward in the fight for “equality”; however institutions rarely reflect reality.
Do we really think that the US congress vote to repeal the act and Obama signing the bill is going to stop the current systemic harassment of gays in the military?


While I am a staunch advocate for equality of marriage and same-sex partnership, I cannot – as a peace activist – rejoice in the fact that now homosexuals can openly serve next to heterosexuals in one of the least socially responsible organisations that currently exists on earth: The US military.

There are several examples that could be cited here.


http://www.commondreams.org/headlines01/0121-02.htm
http://www.projectcensored.org/top-...million-iraqi-deaths-caused-by-us-occupation/
http://www.collateralmurder.com/
http://www.truth-out.org/the-torture-bradley-manning66147

It is hard to separate this issue from the activities of the military. War might be a “racket”, but it is also the most devastating act one can be involved in, whether you are the aggressor or a victimised civilian, no one can shake off the psychological scars of war. No one.
Its effects on the individual as well as collective human psyche are terminal. Championing equal rights is an issue of morality, war is immoral, and the US military is heading further and further down the path of immorality.


Even with the advent of WikiLeaks, transparency and accountability of US military activity has been sucked into a black hole of silence. Drone attacks, illegal cross-border interventions, extra-judicial assassinations all occur in the name of national interest. It is not in the interest of equal rights activists to support an institution that is intent on ignoring every protocol of human decency.

More then that, the troops themselves are used up in kinds of experiments and ill deeds. Do homosexuals really want to be part of this?


http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2205254052040284660#

Joining the US military should never be an option for the socially conscious while our troops are being used as corporate tools for profit, or hired assassins for imperial expansion. Soldiers are called: “Bullet sponges,” by their superiors and “dumb animals” by Henry Kissinger, the former secretary of state.

While soldiers are dehumanised and treated like dirt, they are taught to dehumanise “the other”, and treat them as less than dirt. It is a vicious cycle, and the way to stop a vicious cycle is to denounce and reject it, not openly participate.

Well said, Ms. Sheehan. It's not the words that matter in the end, it's the deeds. On the Eve of the Celebration of Christs Birthday, please consider the deeds and consider choosing Peace.

 

[billc]

I very much consider peace, which is why a strong U.S. millitary is necessary. The world is full of evil people and laying down your arms is exactly what they hope for. To world peace on Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas to our troops, the men and women who keep us safe from harm, at great expense to themselves and their families. I hope they too find some joy on this holy day.

 

[WC_lun]

Ms Sheehan has experienced one of the most painful experiences a human can experience, the loss of a child. Given the nebulous and sometimes deceitful reasoning for our involvement in Iraq, her son's death became an even harder pill for her to swallow. However, I think she forgets that the military's job is actually to keep us from war. No one hates war more than someone who has actually experienced it. I think her time would be better served keeping politicians' feet to the fire regarding war than disparaging those that have volunteered to serve in our armed forces.

 

[Makalakumu]

Ms Sheehan has experienced one of the most painful experiences a human can experience, the loss of a child. Given the nebulous and sometimes deceitful reasoning for our involvement in Iraq, her son's death became an even harder pill for her to swallow.

It wasn't sometimes deceitful, it was a lie. The Pentagon created a case for war by manipulating the intelligence. Col. Karen Kwiatkowski blew the whistle on this. She was actually part of the Office of Special Plans and revealed the nature of how we actually got into Iraq.

"I witnessed neoconservative agenda bearers within OSP usurp measured and carefully considered assessments, and through suppression and distortion of intelligence analysis promulgate what were in fact falsehoods to both Congress and the executive office of the president."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karen_Kwiatkowski

Her son Casey, and countless other sons and daughters of America died for a lie.

However, I think she forgets that the military's job is actually to keep us from war. No one hates war more than someone who has actually experienced it.

Noting how the Pentagon created the case for war out of falsehoods and then obfuscated the truth, I think we can plainly see that the military will not keep us from war. The bottom line is that a military never keeps us out of war if the state is engaged in empire.

I think her time would be better served keeping politicians' feet to the fire regarding war than disparaging those that have volunteered to serve in our armed forces.

If our soldiers are engaged in something dishonorable, is it disparagement to call it what it is? Perhaps the word "honor" ceases to have any meaning other then a marketing tool? It's the difference between words and deeds and I think that Ms. Sheehan does our young people a service by pointing out the very real difference.

America is involved in five wars at this moment. We are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Algeria. In order to have peace, people need to not only hold the feet of the politicians to the fire, but, as Ms. Sheehan has recognized, they must call these wars what they are. If the politicians won't listen, perhaps they will when no one signs up to do their dirty work anymore.

 

[Makalakumu]

I very much consider peace, which is why a strong U.S. millitary is necessary.

How do they create peace? America is fighting five wars.

 

[Big Don]

Mrs Sheehan is an unrepentant loon who has been ruthlessly used by anti-war and anti-American types.
Her son wasn't drafted, he voluntarily enlisted, and served and died honorably. What is a shame is the only way he'll be remembered in years to come, is that his death unhinged his mother.

 

[billc]

Five wars, which ones? I know about the Iraq and Afghanistan theatres in the war against islamic terrorists. That would be one. Much like the pacific and european theaters in ww2.

 

[Makalakumu]

Her son wasn't drafted, he voluntarily enlisted, and served and died honorably.

How did her son die honorably? Are we confusing tragedy for honor? If a man signs up for an ideal, goes to war based off of lies and has those ideals repudiated by action, and then dies in that war, is that an honorable death?

 

[Makalakumu]

Five wars, which ones? I know about the Iraq and Afghanistan theatres in the war against islamic terrorists. That would be one. Much like the pacific and european theaters in ww2.

Americans are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Algeria. If we count action against Somali pirates and our intervention there, that makes six. I know that many people see this all as one war, but I don't know if people understand how much this thing has spread or how big it has really gotten. We've got drones and soldiers killing people in all kinds of places that most Americans have never heard about. Noting this, lets get back to the more important question, how does the military create peace?

 

[Big Don]

How did her son die honorably?

How dare you denigrate his service? He enlisted of his own free will and served. He followed orders and was killed doing his duty, yes, that is tragic. But, it is also honorable.
Don't you dare lessen the sacrifices made by servicemen just to push your preferred policies!

 

[Big Don]

Americans are fighting in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, and Algeria. If we count action against Somali pirates and our intervention there, that makes six. I know that many people see this all as one war, but I don't know if people understand how much this thing has spread or how big it has really gotten. We've got drones and soldiers killing people in all kinds of places that most Americans have never heard about. Noting this, lets get back to the more important question, how does the military create peace?

Like Bill said, you are confusing theaters of war with wars.

 

[Archangel M]

The websites you reference as "research" are laughable. For all the "Cave" references and all...when all your data comes from sources like "Infowars" and "common dreams" the shadows on the wall all start to look alike.

 

[billc]

From the book, "courting Disaster.":

"...the real purpose of Geneva. Most people think of the Geneva Conventions as a set of rules requiring humane treatment of prisoners of war. But their actual objective is much broader than that. The Conventions were created to protect innocent civilians by deterring violations of the Laws of War. They do this by offering certain protections to those who follow these laws-and denying such protections to those who do not...if(as terrorists do)he wears ordinary clothes and hides among civilians, he endangers the innocent and acts treacherously toward rival soldiers, and thus recieves no rights under Geneva...giving terrorists such protections would UNDERMINE the very purpose of the Geneva Conventions."

What you saw on the video is why terrorists should not be covered by the conventions. Innocent civilians are caught in the fighting. It is because the terrorists violate the rules of war that these civilians were killed.

 

[Archangel M]

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[billc]

Over on the martialtalk side under general self-defense there is a thread about a police officer involved in a shooting with a kid armed with a bb gun. You should probably take a read over there before you accuse the shooters in this video of killing unarmed civillians and reporters, maunkauma. If it is a tough judgement call for police officers, wether to shoot or not shoot, it is 100 times tougher in the middle of a war zone with terrorists hiding among and using civilians as shields.

 

[Archangel M]

Should have just shot them in the leg or something...

 

[billc]

Better yet, they should have shot the guns out of their hands.

 

[Makalakumu]

The websites you reference as "research" are laughable. For all the "Cave" references and all...when all your data comes from sources like "Infowars" and "common dreams" the shadows on the wall all start to look alike.

Weren't you the guy who warned people against telling other people they were in the cave? LOL!

 

[Makalakumu]

How dare you denigrate his service? He enlisted of his own free will and served. He followed orders and was killed doing his duty, yes, that is tragic. But, it is also honorable.
Don't you dare lessen the sacrifices made by servicemen just to push your preferred policies!

I simply asked a question. Listen, if you want to define honor like that, do so, but there are some unintended consequences that I'm sure you never thought of. Anyone who just follows orders and is killed as a result is now honorable? Perhaps you have redefined honor to suit your own political preference? LOL!!!

 

[Makalakumu]

Like Bill said, you are confusing theaters of war with wars.

Or perhaps you are conflating the separate wars into one big overarching narrative that doesn't make sense? Can you imagine that there might be a difference between all of these places, between all of these people? Can you imagine that their might be a difference between the muslims in one area and muslims in another? Can you even imagine that not every one of the people who live in these regions are muslim? What reason does an "enemy" in Iraq have to kill us? Is that different then an "enemy" in any of those other places? The more you know, the harder it gets to stitch your narrative together.