Ok, finally Rumsy says something I agree with. He wants to hold elections, regardless, and so does Allawi. If the Iraqi’s want to bitch about not being involved in the elections, then they can get off their ass and kick the insurgents in that area, that are hindering the democratic process, out. If they really don’t want us there and are serious about us leaving and want the elections then they can assist us by helping us quell the riots and insurgency.
In other news, I’m no longer squeaking. I’ve lost my voice. Gotta love the flu, ain’t it grand?
Got the care package all prepped, tomorrow I seal it up and ship it out. Hope they like it! I also need to write my letter to my newly adopted soldier. I now have help in getting things, for those of you who are interested, I’ll post websites for you to donate stuff to, or you can hand it to me and I’ll ship it out. I’m going to see if my boss is willing to help me out, or see if we can set-up an adoption of a local soldier/marine. Or maybe, if they’d help me out with MGYSG.
This is where my issue with the anti-war movement is, I’m not thrilled with the fact we’re over there, but we’re there. Support your fellow citizens who don’t really have a choice of what battle they’re fighting. They are under-prepped because of a congressional budgetary fuck-up that says “we love what you’re doing, but we’re not going to help out by providing you with support. Thanks for volunteering.” I have no issue with the publishing of the coffins coming home, that was a family choice. I take issue with the use of them for propaganda. Respect them, and respect what they are a symbol of, don’t spout off that this is why we shouldn’t be there. Coffins are not a reason we shouldn’t be there, come up with something solid that isn’t a cheap shot to the training and dedication that those men and women went through.
I’ll leave it that. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
Freakchylde's 
I’m anti-war (well, anti-THIS-war), but I’m not anti-troops, esp. not with both my mom and my stepdad being former squids, and my cousin’s bf only just home from the front last year. They’re the ones getting royally fucked over in the end, for the pointless and thankless job of trying to keep the peace in a country that, largely, doesn’t want our involvement. Elections are pretty much useless in a society/culture that does not think highly of democracy or western values in general, especially when they run counter to the prevailing Arabic/Islamic customs; we can see just how much good it did (or not) in Afghanistan, which has been reverting to the old ways, not to mention the repeated assassination attempts on the guy they elected to lead.
It’s not the fault of the soldiers that the decisions of this administration has engendered so much anti-American sentiment, but they (along with the contractors there to help rebuild) are the ones dying for it.
It just ain’t right. If they can’t come home, we can at least work towards an administration that has genuine humanitarian concerns in Iraq rather than sheer ignorance and greed.
/imo
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very much agreed, on all counts. we just need to get them stabilized, and let them create the government that works well for them. i believe in self-determination, and if democracy doesn’t work for them, then they need something that will, and we shouldn’t force feed it to them.
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