Tucked away in fine print in the military spending bill for 2006 was a lump sum of $20 million to pay for a celebration in the nation’s capital “for commemoration of success” in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Congressional Republicans have now written into spending legislation, and approved by the Senate and House, language which allows the $20 million to be rolled over into 2007.
The original legislation empowered the president to designate “a day of celebration” to commemorate the success of the armed forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and to “issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe that day with appropriate ceremonies and activities.”
Of course, with more soldiers dying in Baghdad yesterday than in any single day since 2005, it makes me more than a little bit sick that the Republicans seem more concerned with planning “Mission Accomplished” self-congratulatory PR stunts and celebrations than actually, oh I don’t know, planning the war itself.
…and even sicker that if, by some miracle of a rush of sudden voter intelligence or spontaneous failure of rigged Diebold voting machines, the Democrats actually return to power — If they pull us out of this god-awful mess, they’ll be painted as “cutting and running,” despite the number of lives it will save.
Chest-beating and “kick-yer-ass” slogans have always been more popular than rational thought. I don’t see that changing at any point in my lifetime.
Hey G…
I was just thinking…
since you seem to be having “issues” with the Red and Blue balls guy…why not make your posts friends only? or make a politics filter…??
Just a thought…
on a related note… to your post… ever since Desert Storm I’ve been amazed by the ratio of deaths from our soldiers to the deaths of theirs…people freak out when 8 soldiers die…and that IS tragic…I AM in their corner…
But no one seems amazed when we wipe out 5700 Iraqis in a day…y’know??
I’m without words
Ugh.
BOO.
Re: Hey G…
why not make your posts friends only? or make a politics filter…??
Because:
a) I’m not going to give myself extra work just because of one NeoCon assclown, or to protect the sensibilities of head-in-the-sand “I’m not political” types.
and
b)I have literally hundreds of people who read this thing (some I know, some I don’t, some for the gaming stuff, some for politics). Setting up a filter would be problematic.
But no one seems amazed when we wipe out 5700 Iraqis in a day
Oh, I think we do. It’s just that some (like me) don’t see that as a good thing. There is no “we got more of them, so it’s OK’ in my mind. I can’t do that kind of cold math.
Re: Hey G…
a) I’m not going to give myself extra work just because of one NeoCon assclown, or to protect the sensibilities of head-in-the-sand “I’m not political” types.
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**pulls his head out of the sand**
what, I didnt hear you… ;)
But how is that protecting the sensabilities?? being a “Im not political” type…how would that be protecting my sensibilities??
b)I have literally hundreds of people who read this thing (some I know, some I don’t, some for the gaming stuff, some for politics). Setting up a filter would be problematic.
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Well thats my point, if you religate a filter to strictly political posts…then those who want to read it for just that, “get their politic on” wit’cha…
Like i said in a previous post…Im not political, but that doesnt stop me from reading your stuff…
now onto something REALLY important…are you gonna do the Hellboy RPG? Am I gonna be invited…??
Re: Hey G…
It’s protecting sensibilities by keeping you from having to see the stuff.
On to the more important:
Yes, I want to run HELLBOY. If I do, you’ll get the call.
Can’t we spend that 20 mil to, I don’t know, educate kids, pay teachers, protect the environment, help Americans displaced by hurricanes, help the families of soldiers who were killed in this war? Something, anything that will actually make this country a better place for people who need it?
Re: Hey G…
I think aside from a minority…and this is simply supposition on my part…
I think the genreral populous doesnt take that into consideration…
I mean, you see it on the front page “8 SOLDIERS DIE IN ONE DAY!!!”
And the american public are like “Those horrible bastards”…
And then simply move on to the Sports page when they see a headline that says 42,000 iraqis killed in carpet bombing…
***NOTICE: Please do not take this as Im some bleeding heart liberal***
Im simply saying i think our culture very one sided in perception of casualties of war…