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Sunday, September 07, 2008
Dear Mr. Obama
I believe that this entire video, which runs less than two minutes, is worth your time.
(H/t The Return of Scipio.)
Posted by Beldar at 12:57 PM in 2008 Election, Global War on Terror, McCain, Obama, Politics (2008) | Permalink
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» A few things from Texas Native
Tracked on Sep 8, 2008 7:32:43 PM
Comments
(1) Roberta made the following comment | Sep 7, 2008 1:28:21 PM | Permalink
May God Bless Him and all our Champions.
(2) Mary Kay made the following comment | Sep 7, 2008 3:54:43 PM | Permalink
I'm crying as I write this. God bless this hero! And please get this to Senator McCain so that maybe he will make this into the best ad ever.
(3) cdor made the following comment | Sep 7, 2008 4:41:40 PM | Permalink
In the vernacular of the day,
"Oh My God"
(4) Bingo made the following comment | Sep 8, 2008 8:36:36 AM | Permalink
A terrific tribute from a remarkable patriot, and the narrative is inspirational.
That being said, please allow me one criticism. It is time to retire (with honor let me hasten to add) Lee Greenwood's "God Bless the USA". It was fine in it's day, but the melody and composition are just too long in the tooth anymore. It has become, for me, symbolic of a hardening of the artistic arteries of conservative America and grates on me almost as much as "Kumbaya" or any other melodic relic of leftist America.
We can, and should, do better.
(6) A.W. made the following comment | Sep 8, 2008 3:45:35 PM | Permalink
"Worth your time?" Talk about an understatement.
More like powerful and moving, and devastating to Obama.
And the interesting thing is he links Iraq to vietnam as both struggles to bring freedom to others. There are two narratives about nam. the first is we couldn't win. the second was we could, but failed to find the will. i used to think that my fellow americans would never intentionally "throw" a war, like a corrupt player might throw a game. But the last few years have been an education. My eyes have been opened as to how hateful so many people can be to this country.
I just wish i knew how to fix it. i don't want to say bring it back to the way it was. the way it was was not acceptable either, for injustices that existed like segregation. But this self-hatred of our own country is almost as large a problem, almost as serious a moral failing.
One more thought. This is yet another way the people can talk back to the elites. I doubt that "movie" cost more than $20 to make, but it is more devastating than many of the slickly produced ones that probaby cost at least a few hundred thousand dollars. And, potentially, it will reach many, many people as it goes "viral." Its reminds me of the time John Kerry said our troops were stuck in iraqi because they were stupid, more or less. So then our soldiers made that wonderful picture, saying, "Halp us Jon Carry, We R Stuck in Irack." He maligned our troops and instead of just having to take it, they talked back to him. It was a marvelous thing to watch. This is of the same species as that.
(7) Beldar made the following comment | Sep 8, 2008 5:00:53 PM | Permalink
A.W., I am not often accused, accurately or otherwise, of understatement, but this time I plead guilty, and I agree with your other remarks as well.
Bingo: I agree with you that the music is unnecessary. No artifice at all is needed.
(8) Peggy made the following comment | Sep 8, 2008 10:10:57 PM | Permalink
The video is no longer available. I'm shocked, I tell you.
(9) Fnord made the following comment | Sep 8, 2008 10:50:20 PM | Permalink
I respect the service and valor of the soldier, but the hard decisions have to be made by strong leaders. His sacrifice is noble but this war is absolutely a strategic mistake. The longer we continue the occupation of Iraq, the more we sap both the material and the moral strength of America.
Thank God the surge seems to be working, and give McCain credit for his efforts to change the disastrous course of the fight. But a sober mind must admit that the smarter fight would have been never to launch this war.
(10) Beldar made the following comment | Sep 9, 2008 12:27:23 AM | Permalink
Peggy, I still seem to be able to view the video. Try again, or maybe try with a different browser?
(11) LPhillips made the following comment | Sep 9, 2008 7:29:09 AM | Permalink
Looking back at history, there was another president that was criticized for going to war, for his strategy, for his choice of leaders, ...
He was extremely unpopular, not an eloquent speaker, was called an idiot....
He knew, however, that what he was doing was the right thing to do. He knew that the sacrifices would be worth it in the end. Not only for our country, but for a group of people that wanted freedom but couldn't fight for themselves.
If he had led by what the polls said, we wouldn't be where we are today. We have to trust that our leaders have the experience and have access to information that allows them to make the right decision. There are so many things the public does not know about that are leaders have to base their decisions on. Hindsight is always 20/20. Ask Abraham Lincoln.
Lincoln died not knowing what effect the decisions he made had on the world. Yet, he made them despite the fact that the majority of the population despised him.
Only history will tell about the impact of the decisions made today. I only hope that those history books are not written by muslim extremists.
Thank goodness we still have a majority of people in this country that have taken advantage of the education provided to all and have learned from history, They are also willing to put their country first. Unfortunately, we are quickly becoming a minority.
And, I hope that one day, George Bush will have a holiday too.
(12) Eric made the following comment | Sep 14, 2008 11:30:16 PM | Permalink
1.2 millions Iraqis have died in this war since the invasion. I can assure you that they are not better off now by any means. Their country is ruined and more fractured just because Bush had a personal vendetta against Saddam. I honor your personal sacrifice, but honestly freedom also means to question your government orders when they ask our brave soldiers to go kill and die for some cause.
(13) Kyle made the following comment | Sep 20, 2008 2:46:19 AM | Permalink
Eric, please show me where you got your info for the "1.2 million" Iraqis that lost there life? Try 300,000. Yes that is way too high. But Saddam would have killed them in 2 years. Saddam also sponsored terrorism, we needed to take him out, so that's what G-dub did.
(14) Jeffrey made the following comment | Sep 25, 2008 7:46:43 PM | Permalink
Here is a Marine with a different point of view:
(15) Beldar made the following comment | Sep 25, 2008 9:02:31 PM | Permalink
Jeffrey: Thanks very much for your comment and that link!
Reasonable and patriotic Americans can honor both of these veterans for their service, and we all should respect their right to come to sharply different decisions about the Iraq War and about politicians.
(I've edited your comment to capitalize the M in "Marine" and convert the URL you left to a hyperlink so more people can see the clip.)
Notwithstanding his service and sacrifice, his right to express his views, and his eloquence, I ultimately am unpersuaded by the Marine in the Obama campaign's clip. I'm not sure when his service ended, but I credit the reports of the benefits of the Surge; he seems instead to be describing the situation as of 2005-2006 or so. I would agree with him that pulling out of a hopeless situation doesn't necessarily dishonor the service and sacrifice of those who've already fought before the pull-out; but I strongly disagree with him that Iraq is hopeless, and without casting any aspersions on this Marine or anyone, veteran or not, who agrees with him, I do believe it would be a tragedy to capitulate to our enemy and abandon our Iraqi friends after so much progress has been made.
Finally, and most importantly, I disagree with him that Barack Obama has ever shown anything but bad judgment when it comes to Iraq. This Marine says it's a good thing Saddam is gone — well, who does he think could have displaced him but the U.S. Marines (and the U.S. Army, and our stalwart allies from the U.K., Australia, and newly free countries like Poland along with dozens of others who formed the Coalition of the Willing)?
I grieve for that Marine's lost arm, but Saddam fed entire Iraqi families into tree shredders — not just to kill, but expressly to terrorize the survivors. He killed hundreds of thousands of his own countrymen and constantly warred with his neighbors. He flouted solemn international agreements and mocked the world. Far from being no risk to us and ours, his air defense forces did their best every day for years to try to shoot down American and British aviators patrolling the "No-Fly Zone," and every single shot they fired at his command was another act of war against us that in an previous less-ambiguous era would have led to our taking military action, unilaterally if need be, years earlier.
Both of the veterans shown in these two clips are sincere and honorable men, let us stipulate. Let us recognize too, however, that because their views are so diametrically opposite, one of them must be wise, and the other naive. I believe the young man in the video I first posted is the wise one, but I hope God will bless both of them, their families, and their colleagues and comrades, past and future.
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