Quite frankly, "The Best Military in the World"
Ok...this is long and rambling, but the fallen heroes of the United States military, as well as those who serve and sacrifice today, deserve more than just 2 minutes of my time...
I heard Professor Schweikart on the radio about a week ago, and had to pick up what I knew had to be an amazing book. I have "A Patriot's Guide to American History", so knew I couldn't go wrong with Schweikart's perspective. For all of you who grew up on the Howard Zinn interpretation of America, this is a perfect counterbalance, to even things out. I understand that Bill Bennett also has a new history book out, too.
In wake of the Haditha Marines story, I thought I'd talk about what the mainstream media doesn't talk about enough (if ever at all): the goodness and nobility of the U.S. military.
They push every negative story on our soldiers, with little or no thoughts to the consequences during a time of war, and often seem to have already condemned them before all the facts are even in. So that accusations are treated as "it must be true". I suppose it's the nature of journalism. But it doesn't make it right. Once someone has been accused of rape or child molestation, no matter if there's nothing to the story, the damage is already done once the story is blurted out by the media, with blaring headlines (many people only look at the blurbs). The stigma is attached and the person's reputation tarnished. Similarly, we have mischaracterizing and misleading headlines about the NSA Surveillance programs, leading people to believe President Bush is "wiretapping" and listening in on your personal phone calls...that he is "domestic spying" . And if one doesn't follow the truth of the story, one is led to believe that abuses have happened at Guantanamo. Well...yes they have- but abuses to our soldiers by the detainees. Even before this recent event, which did get some airplay, other abuses by the prisoners to their guards have not been as widely reported: feces, urine, and semen routinely being flung at the guards as they delivered food and water; of how guards found it necessary to blacken out their dog tags, because of threats from the inmates to contact al Qaeda operatives to look up their families on the internet. The real stories should have been on how guards would be assaulted, and given orders NOT TO RETALIATE. One soldier smacked a prisoner with a handheld radio to try and get him off of another MP. That soldier was dropped in rank. Another MP sprayed an inmate with a water hose, after the detainee doused the MP with water from his toilet. The MP was charged with assault. That is the kind of story that the media should be picking up on. In a backward kind of way, though, our military, in its public relations PC-driven policy-making, does ultimately help us look better in the eyes of the rest of the world. What any sane-thinking person will see, is how we are treating prisoners at "Club Gitmo" better than we treat our own people. 3 meals a day, including honey-glazed chicken and rice pilaf?! When the media complains about "torture" by reporting how some of the prisoners don't have working air conditioning- a luxury that our own soldiers aren't enjoying- who is made to look the more foolish?
While Representative Murtha is quick to condemn our soldiers publically and prematurely, while we are in the middle of a war, the history of our military's integrity and sense of justice and lawfulness, speaks otherwise. When 60 Minutes "broke" the Abu Ghraib story by airing the photos given to them, the military was already conducting its own investigations and had months earlier, given a press release about it. Our nation and our military most of all, does not deserve to have thirty consecutive frontpage stories printed on the Abu Ghraib "abuses" from April through May of 2004.
As Schweikart writes,
More common than atrocities committed by our soldiers, are the acts of compassion...of bravery...of selfless sacrifice.
The Howard Zinn historians will want you to believe that racist America demonized the Japanese and interned our own citizens....failing to mention that our soldiers also risked their lives rescuing the Burmese, Filipinos, and others from Imperialist Japan. "Where is the racism that produced volunteer American pilots who arrived in China in the summer of 1941 to defend the Chinese?", writes Schweikart. While demonizing the Japanese enemy, we celebrated our Chinese, Filipino, and Korean allies as being heroic.
Even in the treatment of our prisoners, how can anyone not believe that ours is the most humane military in the world? Unless you honestly believe that playing Christina Aguilera music constitutes torture (all kidding aside); that giving government-paid-for Korans and prayer rugs to killers who use their religion to fortify and justify their will to fight us, doesn't go far enough in "humane treatment" to our enemies.
When foreign armies are performing vivesections on their POWs, Bataan death marches, and other ghastly, inhuman deeds, American soldiers will risk their lives for even those trying to kill them.
Yesterday I went, by myself, to see United 93. I was at Century City Shopping Center, newly reconstructed in which they invested $150 million to upgrade the AMC theater movie experience and built a beautiful dining veranda.
It struck me, again, just how rich our country is. Not just in wealth, as a nation, but in the diversity of people. I watched one little girl led by the hand toward the restrooms, bawling with waterworks all over her cheeks, "I don't want to go potty!" A few teenage boys were acting like idiots.....one couple was holding hands, beaming. Everyone had their cell phones. How many of them thought about the meaning of Memorial Day? There have been times when I felt angry at my fellow citizens for not hanging flags from every neighborhood door, for seeming to pay more attention to their vanilla lattes and be immersed in their Gamecubes than to be paying attention to the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan....to the growing threat of a nuclear Iran...to the fact that we are in the middle of a war. But that day, was not the day. No, what I felt was blessed. Blessed that I can live in a country where people have the freedom to live carefree or solemn lives; to carry on like idiots if they must; to enjoy an afternoon movie, or mull over too many choices in refreshment drinks.....to listen to rap and hip hop wherever and whenever on their ipods; to be cool, decent folk, or be a complete moron and A-hole. We each have the freedom to live our lives however we choose. And all of that freedom is made possible by our military.
I am deeply grateful for the country that I have. And I hope to do everything I can to live a life worthy of the sacrifices of so many heroes. And to do what I can to help those they left behind.
A few military support organizations:
Operation Homefront
Soldiers' Angels
Wounded Warrior Project
Today is Memorial Day. Let's make sure that every American citizen understands the full significance of that. Forget what I wrote earlier, about not caring about people's carefree ignorance. That was earlier.
Thanks to all the enlisted men and women, and the retired veterans, as well. You are my brothers and sisters; my fellow countrymen who I love for protecting everything and everyone that I love. May those who currently serve overseas in the war, arrive home safely to their loved ones. I know they mean the world to you; and you to them. God bless you all! And God bless this, the greatest nation on God's green earth!
If you have a moment, help out Kat with Operation: Thanks for Freedom. She's just asking for e-mails/cards.
Mon, May 29 "America's Victories" will be featured on "Special Report with Brit Hume." Don't know the exact time segment yet. Earlier that morning, I'll be on Wisconsin Public Radio, 9:00 a.m.
Some previous posts:
Photos of U.S. soldiers "terrorizing" Iraqi children.
Terrorism is not the answer.
Anti-war is not Pro-Peace.
Heartening News from Abroad
I thought about linking to others...but the thing is, everyone's doing Memorial Day tribute posts. My recommendation? Just click on any of the links to my sidebar. I haven't come across a single post I haven't thoroughly enjoyed (well...at least the ones coming from the right side of the blogosphere, at any rate).
I heard Professor Schweikart on the radio about a week ago, and had to pick up what I knew had to be an amazing book. I have "A Patriot's Guide to American History", so knew I couldn't go wrong with Schweikart's perspective. For all of you who grew up on the Howard Zinn interpretation of America, this is a perfect counterbalance, to even things out. I understand that Bill Bennett also has a new history book out, too.
In wake of the Haditha Marines story, I thought I'd talk about what the mainstream media doesn't talk about enough (if ever at all): the goodness and nobility of the U.S. military.
They push every negative story on our soldiers, with little or no thoughts to the consequences during a time of war, and often seem to have already condemned them before all the facts are even in. So that accusations are treated as "it must be true". I suppose it's the nature of journalism. But it doesn't make it right. Once someone has been accused of rape or child molestation, no matter if there's nothing to the story, the damage is already done once the story is blurted out by the media, with blaring headlines (many people only look at the blurbs). The stigma is attached and the person's reputation tarnished. Similarly, we have mischaracterizing and misleading headlines about the NSA Surveillance programs, leading people to believe President Bush is "wiretapping" and listening in on your personal phone calls...that he is "domestic spying" . And if one doesn't follow the truth of the story, one is led to believe that abuses have happened at Guantanamo. Well...yes they have- but abuses to our soldiers by the detainees. Even before this recent event, which did get some airplay, other abuses by the prisoners to their guards have not been as widely reported: feces, urine, and semen routinely being flung at the guards as they delivered food and water; of how guards found it necessary to blacken out their dog tags, because of threats from the inmates to contact al Qaeda operatives to look up their families on the internet. The real stories should have been on how guards would be assaulted, and given orders NOT TO RETALIATE. One soldier smacked a prisoner with a handheld radio to try and get him off of another MP. That soldier was dropped in rank. Another MP sprayed an inmate with a water hose, after the detainee doused the MP with water from his toilet. The MP was charged with assault. That is the kind of story that the media should be picking up on. In a backward kind of way, though, our military, in its public relations PC-driven policy-making, does ultimately help us look better in the eyes of the rest of the world. What any sane-thinking person will see, is how we are treating prisoners at "Club Gitmo" better than we treat our own people. 3 meals a day, including honey-glazed chicken and rice pilaf?! When the media complains about "torture" by reporting how some of the prisoners don't have working air conditioning- a luxury that our own soldiers aren't enjoying- who is made to look the more foolish?
While Representative Murtha is quick to condemn our soldiers publically and prematurely, while we are in the middle of a war, the history of our military's integrity and sense of justice and lawfulness, speaks otherwise. When 60 Minutes "broke" the Abu Ghraib story by airing the photos given to them, the military was already conducting its own investigations and had months earlier, given a press release about it. Our nation and our military most of all, does not deserve to have thirty consecutive frontpage stories printed on the Abu Ghraib "abuses" from April through May of 2004.
As Schweikart writes,
"When a Lieutenant Calley is discovered, he is prosecuted, as were four American soldiers in Sicily in July 1943 after they gang-raped an Italian woman. When those soldiers were arrested and their identities provbed beyond a reasonable doubt, all four were tried and hanged within two months. Two soldiers convicted of rape in France in 1944 were also hanged."In comparison, Schweikart asks, "is there any evidence that the Japanese punished their own soldiers for these atrocities [referring to mass rapes and slaughter in Nanking, Java, Borneo, and elsewhere]?" Frankly speaking, military justice is dealt out to the aberrations within our own midst, and we don't need the NY Times or Newsweek or 60 Minutes to inflame our enemies and the rest of the world against us, in the process.
More common than atrocities committed by our soldiers, are the acts of compassion...of bravery...of selfless sacrifice.
The Howard Zinn historians will want you to believe that racist America demonized the Japanese and interned our own citizens....failing to mention that our soldiers also risked their lives rescuing the Burmese, Filipinos, and others from Imperialist Japan. "Where is the racism that produced volunteer American pilots who arrived in China in the summer of 1941 to defend the Chinese?", writes Schweikart. While demonizing the Japanese enemy, we celebrated our Chinese, Filipino, and Korean allies as being heroic.
"Americans win wars because we value the dignity and worth of the individual, because we leave no man behind, and because we find the loss or incarceration of a single POW unacceptable."
-Larry Schweikart
-Larry Schweikart
Show me any other military in its 200 year history other than the U.S. military that has ever been anything but "benign in victory". What military other than ours ever conducts POW rescue missions? Or risks a "company to save a private, a division to save a company"? I don't believe there are examples of any of America's opponents ever making attempts to free their own prisoners by force of arms. Only the American military, will "leave no soldier behind". Such is our value placement on the sanctity of life. "Americans win wars because we value the dignity and worth of the individual, because we leave no man behind, and because we find the loss or incarceration of a single POW unacceptable."
Even in the treatment of our prisoners, how can anyone not believe that ours is the most humane military in the world? Unless you honestly believe that playing Christina Aguilera music constitutes torture (all kidding aside); that giving government-paid-for Korans and prayer rugs to killers who use their religion to fortify and justify their will to fight us, doesn't go far enough in "humane treatment" to our enemies.
When foreign armies are performing vivesections on their POWs, Bataan death marches, and other ghastly, inhuman deeds, American soldiers will risk their lives for even those trying to kill them.
"Historian Samuel Eliot Morison wrote of innumerable incidents of treachery, such as a wounded Japanese soldier who stabbed to death a surgeon working to save his life; a drowning Japanese sailor who reached for a gun and shot his American rescuer as he turned to give him a cup of coffee....The Bushido-trained enemy, however, had no such conerns about prisoners. In the Gilberts, 22 Americans were beheaded by a single commander, and at Ballale, Japanese guards bayoneted 90. Even with those incidents clearly in mind, Americans remained willing to take prisoners, "
“Contemplate the mangled bodies of your countrymen, and then say 'what should be the reward of such sacrifices?'- Samuel Adams
Yesterday I went, by myself, to see United 93. I was at Century City Shopping Center, newly reconstructed in which they invested $150 million to upgrade the AMC theater movie experience and built a beautiful dining veranda.
It struck me, again, just how rich our country is. Not just in wealth, as a nation, but in the diversity of people. I watched one little girl led by the hand toward the restrooms, bawling with waterworks all over her cheeks, "I don't want to go potty!" A few teenage boys were acting like idiots.....one couple was holding hands, beaming. Everyone had their cell phones. How many of them thought about the meaning of Memorial Day? There have been times when I felt angry at my fellow citizens for not hanging flags from every neighborhood door, for seeming to pay more attention to their vanilla lattes and be immersed in their Gamecubes than to be paying attention to the battles in Iraq and Afghanistan....to the growing threat of a nuclear Iran...to the fact that we are in the middle of a war. But that day, was not the day. No, what I felt was blessed. Blessed that I can live in a country where people have the freedom to live carefree or solemn lives; to carry on like idiots if they must; to enjoy an afternoon movie, or mull over too many choices in refreshment drinks.....to listen to rap and hip hop wherever and whenever on their ipods; to be cool, decent folk, or be a complete moron and A-hole. We each have the freedom to live our lives however we choose. And all of that freedom is made possible by our military.
I am deeply grateful for the country that I have. And I hope to do everything I can to live a life worthy of the sacrifices of so many heroes. And to do what I can to help those they left behind.
A few military support organizations:
Operation Homefront
Soldiers' Angels
Wounded Warrior Project
Today is Memorial Day. Let's make sure that every American citizen understands the full significance of that. Forget what I wrote earlier, about not caring about people's carefree ignorance. That was earlier.
Thanks to all the enlisted men and women, and the retired veterans, as well. You are my brothers and sisters; my fellow countrymen who I love for protecting everything and everyone that I love. May those who currently serve overseas in the war, arrive home safely to their loved ones. I know they mean the world to you; and you to them. God bless you all! And God bless this, the greatest nation on God's green earth!
If you have a moment, help out Kat with Operation: Thanks for Freedom. She's just asking for e-mails/cards.
Mon, May 29 "America's Victories" will be featured on "Special Report with Brit Hume." Don't know the exact time segment yet. Earlier that morning, I'll be on Wisconsin Public Radio, 9:00 a.m.
Some previous posts:
Photos of U.S. soldiers "terrorizing" Iraqi children.
Terrorism is not the answer.
Anti-war is not Pro-Peace.
Heartening News from Abroad
I thought about linking to others...but the thing is, everyone's doing Memorial Day tribute posts. My recommendation? Just click on any of the links to my sidebar. I haven't come across a single post I haven't thoroughly enjoyed (well...at least the ones coming from the right side of the blogosphere, at any rate).
Labels: book review, Memorial Day, military, Veterans
posted by The WordSmith from Nantucket at 5/29/2006 12:07:00 AM
9 Comments:
We owe our military a debt which can never be repaid. God bless them all, past and present!
May we all honor them as our own flesh and blood....for they have sacrificed of their flesh...and their blood.
Even though you and I don't agree on the war, we can agree that the ultimate sacrifice made by our military men and women is very high indeed. Let us be in prayer for those families who are grieving right now.
Take care and thanks for the "template" advice.
We are all accountable to those men and women who have given their lives for our freedom. Live so that their sacrifice was worth it.
I'm reading God Saw Them Through by Glenn Thomas. It is about 2/8 Marines whose faith in God and faith in prayer gave them strength and saw them through the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom without losing anyone.
Dang, Worsmith... that's some post! It's easy to see you put a lot of work into it.
Thank you for being who you are and for caring. Blessings! :)
Thanks wordsmith.
God bless 'em...
I can't tell you how awesome this post is. Excellent!! I agreed with all of it and it was soooo well said!!
Let me know what you think of the book when you're done. It looks good.
Chatterbox,
If you took the time to read such a long post, thank you. I know that whenever I make long posts, chances are no one wants to take the time to read it all. I can understand, as there is so much to read in the blogosphere. Who has the time to visit every blog in their sidebar on a daily basis? Never apologize for your absence.
The book is good, but I've taken a break to finish up the slavery chapter in a Thomas Sowell book. I have about 15 books that I muddle through, little by little, as the mood strikes me.
Salmonella, thanks for the points. They are good ones to make.
This is yestermonth's post, though, and I'm not in the mood to go through a lengthy debate with you on an old post. But I will say I agree with aspects of what you say, throughout your comment. But it's a bit skewed, as you seem to project onto me, everything you know or think you know about what I think...even if it's not actually in my post.
My grief isn't with negative news or with attempts to downplay making our soldiers look bad. And I agree wholeheartedly with your last paragraph. Well, aspects of it.
No one is justifying torture and rape or making excuses for it. There are none.
And there are plenty of soldiers who are pissed about not just the soldiers who do commit atrocities, but with the media obsessing over it.
Thanks again for laying into me with your two cents.
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