Doonesbury lets chickenhawks have it.

[trogdor]

I mean, totally.

[baldguy]

1. "...people with limited options in life, who don't have a future..."

What sort of future do you think she had?

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2765369#2765607

[John Gauger]

4. I bet she had quite a future.

Sadly, that's all gone now. This is the waste of war; this is what we need to consider before making the decision to go to war. We didn't, and now she is dead. Although, I don't suppose DUers are the one that need to be told that.

[Bucky]

7. I hate that picture

I can't look at that picture and think functionally for several minutes after. I hate putting a human face on the people dead because of this war. I hate the thought that a woman who gave so much of herself, who cared so much for others, who was bright and ambitious and was destined to change people's lives for the better was cut out of history by a big goddamned oil grab. I hate to think about how much I owe people like her. I hate it when I understand what my obligation to her memory is... to fight tooth and nail to end this war with as little bloodshed--American and Iraqi--as possible.

[baldguy]

8. You understand.

People who want to continue the war don't.

[underpants]

2. "And I truly believe I can better serve my country at a hedge fund"

:rofl:

too funny

[Nickster]

13. The really sad thing is, I've had that exact same argument hurled back at me so many

times. Just insert different job titles for "hedge fund" and I've had that same argument used on me.

[DisgruntledVet]

3. I really hate

the implication that everyone who joins the military has no other options. I had plenty of options, and the military neither harmed nor helped them. And none of the guys I served with were bad off either. I won't throw a hissy fit about it or anything, but I just don't accept the "limited options" analysis based on my personal experience. I liked the military, and would have been happy to stay in. And I am proud of what I did when I was in. But, so it goes I guess.

[Pacifist Patriot]

5. Sounds like Trudea hates it too.

[demnan]

6. Welcome to DU!, DV

I agree. Once upon a time the military was considered an honored service, and our soldiers were cherished, and I believe we hesitated before sending them in harms way. The Chickenhawks have no respect for service or the people who perform it. They don't mind getting us into pointless wars. When my brother went off to Vietnam, we knew that was a pointless war, and the leadership in this country was just clueless about how to win or extract us from that conflict. I'm not a pacifist, but you better give me a good reason for getting involved in a conflict, because odds are, someone in my family will feel obligated to be there.

[Bucky]

9. Thank you for serving us, DV.

People who serve in the uniformed services are absolutely essential to our way of life. I'm proud of my students who choose to join up and I've seen the positive effects of military life on many of them. The problem that Doonesbury is pointing out is that the people who profit the most from the military are people who do not honor or believe in the value of the service.

Welcome to DU, by the way. I'm encouraged by all the vets we have on this board.

[BOSSHOG]

10. Roger that and Welcome Teammate

Navy Vet here and there was nothing limiting about my experience in uniform. Educational opportunities abounded and now at least an Associates Degree is required for advancement to E-8 (in the Navy, I'm not sure of the other services.) Hell, you can get a college degree while steaming in the Pacific.

The guy in the cartoon is a future abramoff or rove, doing things that don't require an education just a strong desire to lie, cheat, steal and be totally fucking evil.

The only thing approaching a negative thought about my military career is after 24 years my wife and I were just tired of moving.

Welcome aboard, lots of Vets here at DU.

[John Gauger]

11. There are some,

I'm told, that join because they have no other options. I'm sure as the Iraq war gets worse those that have other options are taking them more and more. I grew up in an affluent suburb in one of the most conservative areas of the country. No one in my high school joined the military if they had any other options. There were a lot of patriotic types, but none so patriotic as they would lift up a rifle and risk their hides for it. I know a guy that's toying with the idea of joining the Navy. He's thinking about it because he wants to get a scholarship so he can be a teacher. While he's not desperate, technically he is joining because he has no better options. But he isn't really that kind that joins for lack of any other option. I have a friend here at college whose brother joined the Army because he was terminally unemployed; it was either that or jail. He got blown up by an RPG, but once he's healed up he's joining again. My friend is pretty upset about it. He didn't really care about politics, and still really doesn't, but he became a pacifist pretty quick after his brother got that Purple Heart. Anyhow, yeah, there are those who join out of patriotism, and if you were one of those you deserve our praise (thank you regardless of why you did it,) but there are those who join out of desperation. I knew a guy in high school who was like the fucker in the cartoon; he supported the war wholeheartedly, but he said, "I have better things to do with my life than get blown up in the military. I know that sounds awful, but that's how I feel." My gov teacher said that that was totally understandable, but I was so pissed I was speechless. I was really surprised, but I guess she has gotten that from her students in the past. My brother flipped out when he heard that (please pardon the language:) "Oh, so the mission is worth someone's life, but not yours. 'Freedom' in Iraq is worth the life of an American, just not you. It's okay for some nigger kid from the ghetto to die, but not precious (name) from the 'burbs. Can't have any whites dying for their Imperial masters!"

[Arkansas Granny]

18. Welcome to DU and thank you for that reply. All three of my sons

served in the military and regard their experience as positive. Although the options offered by the military certainly were part of their decisions, they were not the only options they had. They are proud of their service and so am I. I sincerely believe that the discipline and camaraderie that they experienced added a great deal to their maturity and gave them a sense of responsibility and love of country that might have otherwise taken much longer to develop.

[Doctor_J]

20. The point Garry is trying to make is that these

College Republicans and other flag-waving cowards DO think they're better than the people who actually go and get shot at. Most of them are afraid to even face honest questioning about WHY they don't sign up for the wars they're so proud of. It's the very definition of cowardice and hypocrisy.

[AllegroRondo]

21. Thats how I read it, too

attacking the college republicans who think the war is such a great idea, but that they are too good to have to put their lives on the line for it.

[semillama]

12. Man, does any support the troops MORE than Trudeau?

That guy is the dictionary definition of a true patriot.

[Glorfindel]

14. That smug attitude is the ONLY thing that would make me consider

supporting the reinstituting of the draft. Just to be a fly on the wall when that sneering, preening slime received his draft notice would be pure bliss. Having said that, I don't support the draft (God forbid!), but I wish something - SOMETHING - would happen to make the hordes of current and future chickenhawks aware of what utter trash they are.

[in_cog_ni_to]

16. Draft REPUBLICANS....ONLY.

:evilgrin:

I know that's not possible because all of a sudden every U.S. citizen would be a Registered DEMOCRAT!:rofl:

BUT, I LOVE the idea.;)

[MikeNearMcChord]

19. Here is a website dedicated

to the subset of the Chickenhawks, The Yellow Elephants.
Operation Yellow Elephant
http://www.operationyellowelephant.blogspot.com/

[abluelady]

15. I Had This Conversation with My Congressman's Aide

I went to speak to my rep about getting out of Iraq someday, but of course only got to speak to the aide, who supported the mess. This young man told me we would always have a volunteer army and we would still be in Iraq in 15 years. Well, I proceeded to tell him I hoped my grandson would serve his country sitting in a congressman's office just like he was! Needless to say, he didn't have much to say to me after that statement.

[sinkingfeeling]

17. I thought he's been nailing College Republicans!