The Bush administration promoted the misguided and destructive war in Iraq by targeting five core concerns that often govern our lives--concerns about vulnerability, injustice, distrust, superiority, and helplessness. Looking ahead, the continued occupation of Iraq--or an attack on Iran--will likely be sold to us in much the same way. I examine these warmongering appeals--and how to counter them--in the new video above, entitled Resisting the Drums of War.
(also available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=81UKnb5zJbM).

Video clips showing Barack Obama speaking about American intervention in Iraq from the beginning to the present.

What is this Country waiting for?

This is Our Government, those in Washington work for Us!

Little georgie likes to say "His Government", it ain't his, He Works For Us, as do everyone appointed and hired to federal jobs!

The Government we have isn't just Incompetent, It's Totally Corrupt!

Remember this photo? I'm sure you've seen it a dozen times as it's made it's way around the web. Her name is Katherine Cathey and she's a mother, a mother of a son who never met his father Marine 2nd. Lt. Jim Cathey. Katherine mentions this photo in a video, of which I'll give you the link to in a moment, one you should view.

Recently NPR's Fresh Air aired an interview with journalist Jim Sheeler who won a Pulitzer Prize for his series about Marine Colonel Steve Beck and the families of the fallen soldiers. Katherine Cathey was one of those families that Col. Beck helped. The interview was called A 'Final Salute' to Fallen Marines and you can read abit at that link, as well as listen to, or you can click here to bring up the NPR player to listen in, it's abit over 31min. long and well worth the listen.

Author Colby Buzzell Being Sent Back to Iraq

Colby Buzzell, author of My War: Killing Time in Iraq one of the best Iraq memoirs out there--has been called up from the IRR and will be returning to Iraq. For reasons that I've specified in the past, this is utter horseshit. Our country is in sad shape when cowards like Matthew Continetti and Jason Mattera are allowed to refuse to serve--instead choosing to cheer from the bench--while people like Colby Buzzell are forced to go involuntarily again and again.

This is nothing less than a backdoor draft. And it's wrong. We need to either have a draft or not have a draft. But one way or the other, these IRR mobilizations need to stop.

Here's part of Buzzell's take on his own situation (though you should go read the whole thing in the San Francisco Chronicle:

SNIP

Crossposted from Left Toon Lane, Bilerico Project & My Left Wing


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The war in Iraq refuses to be dismissed. Its ongoing cost in blood and treasure will be at or near the top of our concerns for as long as it lasts. It stays there no matter how much political elites want us to look elsewhere or media elites want to keep from highlighting the painful, ongoing slog. I believe the vast majority of us grieves a little each time we hear the day's price.

Conn Hallinan who is a Foreign Policy In Focus columnist has a writeup over at Foreign Policy in Focus, go figure.

It's titled Basra: Echoes of Vietnam, and while some is about the recent cheney debacle in Basra, and yep he had to have requested the Iraqi action in his resent visit, looks too much like what he's done these past 7plus years, in short it shows the ignorance and failed policy decisions, once again, that this Nation has been subject to as we destroy others.

Let me first go to something he wrote near the bottom of the piece, that frankly has been said over and over by many others in almost the exact same way or in other ways to get the point across, especially by us 'Nam Vets who saw, and lived, what was going on.

How important is getting the U.S. out of Iraq to you? At the Democratic presidential debate Wednesday night in Philadelphia, both Clinton and Obama were asked how determined they were to stick to their plans to get the U.S. out of the war in Iraq. (Clinton’s position has been that within 60 days of taking office she will begin withdrawing one or two brigades a month. Obama has pledged to have us out of Iraq within 16 months or less.)

Moderator Charlie Gibson added this scenario to his basic question:

Let me get this straight, we invaded a Country for No Reason At All, or if you are to believe the civilian and some military leadership a Number of Reasons that Kept Changing!

We're now into the Sixth Year and We're Training{?} a new Iraq Military Force as well as a Police Force!

Well lets hear, once again, the Iraqi side,

Is Iraq about to Blow Wide Open, 19 U.S. Killed so far this week, and it might be just the beginning.

I'm hoping some Sense comes into play here, or it's back to what it was or Worse!

Sadr says US will always be enemy

"I have no enemy but you. You are the occupier," Mr Sadr's statement said.

Shorter Iraq Deployments Aim to Ease Strain on U.S. Forces

Assessing the burden on soldiers