The awesome film Sir, No Sir! details how U.S. soldiers in Vietnam stopped fighting in what they considered was an immoral war. They laid down their arms, started over 300 antiwar newspapers around the world, and even began killing their own officers by tossing fragmentation grenades in their bunks at night.
As stated in this article here, U.S. soldiers in Iraq are beginning to do the same. Demoralized, and disenchanted with their commanding officers, they are avoiding confrontation with the enemy. This is bad news for war hawks like Clinton, Guiliani, Romney, McCain, Obama and others (except Ron Paul, who wants to bring the troops home now), because they have plans to wage war for the unforseeable future.
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4 comments:
HA! I like the McCain ad at the bottom...
Unfortunately for all, vets are not taken seriously by the peace movements early enough. At first the returning vets who have become opposed to the war are paraded around by groups like CodePink but never really given a place to participate meaningfully. It's only deep into a war when their numbers begin to actually overtake the tiring weekend warrior peace activists that things begin to happen. Peace Activists fear vets are too new of converts or that their want for peace isn't genuine enough. This is not the case or the point. They are the strongest asset a peace movement can have. This is an absurd paradigm.
Uprise, along with Iraq Vets Against the War (IVAW) did a good job a few summers ago, when they had a tour bus of Iraq vets traveling the country giving counter-recruitment workshops, speeches that show the ties between empire and corporate globalization. Also IVAW has a program where vets of Iraq can get a free copy of "Sir, No Sir" and soldiers currently fighting can get a copy of "Iraq for Sale: The War Profiteers".
Ron Paul's commitment to peace came from having served as a bombadier in WWII. Same with Haward Zinn, who was involved in the fire-bombing of Dresden, but now serves as one of the leading voices of dissent in America. It's their service that makes their voices worth listening to.
I'm going to have to get a copy of that movie you mentioned, Iraq for Sale. Ron Paul was in the air force during the 60's - he's too young for WWII!
The Air Farce, eh? He just had the distinction in his face that I associate with the "greatest generation". Like one of those beat up '40s baseball glove.
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