Castigating Bill Arkin. Where the hell does he get this from?
These soldiers should be grateful that the American public, which by all polls overwhelmingly disapproves of the Iraq war and the President’s handling of it,do still offer their support to them, and their respect.
Through every Abu Ghraib and Haditha, through every rape and murder, the American public has indulged those in uniform, accepting that the incidents were the product of bad apples or even of some administration or command order.
Sure it is the junior enlisted men who go to jail, but even at anti-war protests, the focus is firmly on the White House and the policy. We just don’t see very man “baby killer” epithets being thrown around these days, no one in uniform is being spit upon.
So, we pay the soldiers a decent wage, take care of their families, provide them with housing and medical care and vast social support systems and ship obscene amenities into the war zone for them, we support them in every possible way, and their attitude is that we should in addition roll over and play dead, defer to the military and the generals and let them fight their war, and give up our rights and responsibilities to speak up because they are above society?
It has been said elswhere but let me add my greetings. Bill Arkin, here is a cheery FUCK YOU!
I may disagree with the war, but writing this type of crap does no one any good. What is really pitful is that this lunkehead probably gets paid well.
“The troops” are pretty smart people. They have a lot of folks who understand that things are not rosy, but they just want to get the job done. Soon, so that they do not have to go back. However as long as they are there, they are going to do the best that they can. Its what they do. They do it regardless of who is President. Why this reporter cannot see that is simply beyond belief.
I would also take issue with his last statement. They are not paid well, certainly less than this useless guy makes. And the families are not being taken care of near as well as they should be. Read some of the rest of your paper Bill, and write about that. Guys like you owe them. You owe them a huge debt of gratitude……and whatever your feelings about the war are, you are simply wrong and full of shit.
Yes I know there are swear words here. But even I, have my limits. This is wrong.
Please feel free to e-mail this post to the Washington Post. I just did. Bastard.
