I am not surprised at all by the latest news. How quickly we forget the ineptness and failures regarding pre-911 threats that our Bush administration failed to address. Perhaps, if the hurricane had hit Florida (instead of New Orleans) during the presidential campaign of 2004, then the adminstration may have had a greater sence of urgency.

I can not wait to hear the overtly hedious explaination that Bush, I mean Karl Rove will come up with to defend the failure to assist the victims of New Orleans. It makes you wonder if our administration cares more about Iraqi’s than our own American citizens. How ironic that the information surfaces while our commander in chief is in Asia.

Citizen Soldier in #4490 wrote, in part, “Sir I will follow your orders…I am a soldier and with that comes obeying my commanders/leaders with out question…”

And that, in a nutshell, is the fundamental error in logic and reason that all “followers” make, whether military or religious. (I know I’m not going to make any friends with this one. I know it’s off topic too, but where else can I respond to Mr. Soldier?)

I know… I know… it would be an unthinkable chaos if everyone just did what they felt like doing. It’s drummed into “free” Americans to follow orders… ANY authority’s orders no matter how illegal, stupid or dangerous… because to actually think for yourself and make decisions accordingly would simply be “UN-American.”

The writer claims he’s a soldier. I love the definition Webster provides, in part: “one of a caste of wingless, sterile termites usually differing from workers in larger size of head and long jaws.”

Joking aside, a soldier is a glorified HIRED GUN… an enforcer… paid to do the dirty work dreamed up by billionaires who are far too cunning to actually put themselves in harm’s way anymore!

If you asked this soldier WHY he’s a soldier, I’ll bet the first thing out of his mouth would be something like… “to keep America free” or “to bring democracy to people around the world” or “to serve my country.” Surprise! I don’t disagree with the goals! But the methods leave a lot to be desired!

Since WWII, the US government has ordered, in the name of freedom and democracy, the BOMBING of China, Korea, Guatemala, Indonesia, Congo, Peru, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Grenada, Libya, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Panama, Iraq, Sudan, Afghanistan, Yugoslavia and others… some of them more than once. And how many of these invasions to bring democracy have resulted in freedom and democratic governments? You guessed it.

So let me see. The USA keeps on doing what doesn’t work and in the process MURDERS millions of innocent civilians in countries where, to put it politely, it is trespassing. And you, Mr. Soldier Of Fortune, are honored to do this work? (To murder = to unlawfully and deliberately kill. Just because the US government “authorizes” killing doesn’t make it a legal or moral act!)

Suppose the USA did NOT wage war with any of the abovementioned countries? Do you really think ANY of them would be worse off today than they are?

It’s my view that the USA will continue it’s murderous foreign policies until it either runs out of money to fund such idiocy (maybe not long), or some country grows to be the bigger BULLY (maybe not long to wait) and bombs the bejeezus out of major US centers. Then we’ll see whether it might just dawn on the brilliant US leadership that perhaps it would be advisable to MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS and let the rest of the world do the same.

If current US policies WORKED to achieve stated goals, I’d perhaps be a supporter. BUT THEY DON’T WORK. Even the most stupid of us eventually stops doing what doesn’t work!

So Mr. Soldier, just keep on doing what you’re doing… it doesn’t work but what the heck. You’re getting your paycheck, free food and clothing and medical and don’t forget travel. You keep saying “how high” when some nitwit with more brass than you yells “jump.” Perhaps someday it will dawn on you too that you’re a MAJOR part of the problem, not the solution. Being “freed” by you is like being liberated by the mafia!

I’ve often wondered how gung-ho folk like you would be if there were NO PAYCHECK!

Bush may have lied when he said no one anticipated the breaching of the levees, but I didn’t see anything on the tapes about breaching. Breaching means structural failure, not just overtopping.

“Heckuva Job” to whomever is responsible for putting this tape out there, furthur exposing the Bush Administration as the shameless fraud it really is.

I really cant believe what I am looking at…man is it so hard to say “I F@#^ed up” and what about the support during the storm and after…my grandfather after waiting out the storm waited on a roof top for 2 days before finally finding a “blow-up” boat (way he put it; it’s a life raft btw) and found his own way to the superdome…he cried when he told me about the conditions there…and my leader says “…there is a lot of help coming, I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees…” help coming!!!!! Why was it not there??!!!??!? 

Sir I will follow your orders…I am a soldier and with that comes obeying my commanders/leaders with out question but sir please Honor what it is to be a leader (I honor what is to be a soldier even if I don’t agree)…the attack was coming from the south you had information telling you of stress points, estimated casualties, and the point of attack, days in advance yet you did nothing pretty much rolled over and let the citizens of New Orleans fend for themselves awhile before jumping in; talking about helps coming. Whatever….

AHHH it just makes me mad to see my brothers and sisters in arms, in the sandbox (where you sent us) don’t get that much info anytime a attack is coming or we’re driving down the road yet we press; doing everything we can to get the job done and help those around us yet our leader can’t even send a bus, hell a van, to help out some of the people in the gulf coast…

I love my country but I have no confidence in my country’s leader all I want to do is finish what we started and put it behind us…anyway we took saddam out of power that was the goal right and now we have taught the “good guys” how to fight, now let them take over with out our meddling “mission accomplished” Remember…

I am not talking about “cut n run” we can still have a base there but I think we need to come to an agreement to help them (re-build, lend money, etc.) but without the majority of military force there. All we do is stir up the hornets nest.

I really cant believe what I just saw…man is it so hard to say “I F@#^ed up” and what about the support during the storm and after…my grandfather after waiting out the storm waited on a roof top for 2 days before finally finding a “blow-up” boat (way he put it; it’s a life raft btw) and found his own way to the superdome…he cried when he told me about the conditions there…and my leader says “…there is a lot of help coming, I don’t think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees…” help coming!!!!! Why was it not there??!!!??!? 

Sir I will follow your orders…I am a soldier and with that comes obeying my commanders/leaders with out question but sir please Honor what it is to be a leader (I honor what is to be a soldier even if I don’t agree)…the attack was coming from the south you had information telling you of stress points, estimated casualties, and the point of attack, days in advance yet you did nothing pretty much rolled over and let the citizens of New Orleans fend for themselves awhile before jumping in; talking about helps coming. Whatever….

AHHH it just makes me mad to see my brothers and sisters in arms, in the sandbox (where you sent us) don’t get that much info anytime a attack is coming or we’re driving down the road yet we press; doing everything we can to get the job done and help those around us yet our leader can’t even send a bus, hell a van, to help out some of the people in the gulf coast…

I love my country but I have no confidence in my country’s leader all I want to do is finish what we started and put it behind us…anyway we took saddam out of power that was the goal right and now we have taught the “good guys” how to fight, now let them take over with out our meddling “mission accomplished” Remember…

I am not talking about “cut n run” we can still have a base there but I think we need to come to an agreement to help them (re-build, lend money, etc.) but without the majority of military force there. All we do is stir up the hornets nest.