John Kerry the Good Soldier - worth a re-read in light of recent events.

[_dynamicdems]

Most of you have probably read this before, but in light of recent statements made by the PPO ("porcine political operative") and other Repugs, the massacre in Haditha, the reemergence of the Swifties and http://origin.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/cuba/14760173.htm?source=rss&channel=miamiherald_cuba">Olie North, the underhanded ploy to cut off debate on Iraq in the Senate and all the other feces shrapnel whizzing about in regard to what is patriotic and what is not, you might want to read this article again.

I've been working on setting up a page called, "Good Soldier, Bad Soldier, No Soldier," to address the issue of patriotism, military service and chickenhawks. Oh those Chickenhawks! Obviously the title was inspired by the Larocca article. Since there is going to be more discussion on the nature of patriotism going forward, it seemed like a good idea to gather all the thoughts together on one page. In any case, here's the terrific article about John Kerry:

Published on Sunday, February 13, 2005 by Intervention Magazine
The Good Soldier
John Kerry, the Good Soldier, Continues His Fight for Morality in the Military
by Liz Larocca


I think I understand why John Kerry went to Iraq. It wasn’t exactly for the reasons he said, although I’m sure he did want to express his gratitude to all the soldiers and the Massachusetts National Guard troops in particular. Nor was it merely opportunistic, an attempt for personal political gain so he can position himself for another presidential run in 2008. Kerry went to Iraq because he is still a soldier, and he is continuing to fight the war that he began as a young man.

The war that Kerry is fighting is not a military conflict, but a cultural one. It is the war against the "good" soldier.

What is a Good Soldier?

The American idea of a "good" soldier, created by the military and fully absorbed by most civilians, is a wholly obedient soldier. Our armed forces are not particularly concerned with creating comparatively clever soldiers that can think on their feet, as some other militaries are. Our soldiers are taught how to carry out directives and how to move the enemy's body count higher. Period. There is apparently no discussion of the ethics of warfare; the military prefers that our soldiers see themselves as combatants for the U.S., as opposed to protectors of all civilians and their allegedly inalienable rights. Right and wrong is whatever their commanding officers say it is.

By contrast, an actual good soldier, one with a conscience who fights for the safety and freedom of all people, needs to believe certain things. He must believe that his army and his government are acting righteously, that they follow the rules of war, and they are ultimately fighting to make the world a better place. When those beliefs are shaken, his image of himself as a good person whose actions will lead to a better future is shattered. This is what happened to Kerry in Vietnam, which is why he later led a group of anti-war veterans and threw his ribbons away. Thus began his fight for morality in the military and in its civilian commanders

....more - it is worth the read http://www.commondreams.org/views05/0213-10.htm

Another article you might find interesting:

Lt. Col. Oliver North, USMC (Ret)

"Ollie" is, without question, America's favorite traitor. He helped the Reagan administration commit a bunch of felonies, then destroyed evidence as fast as he could before the Iran-Contra investigation got into full swing. But people just seem to adore the guy anyway, despite his continual lies and total disregard for the U.S. Constitution.

North once had a job sitting behind a desk in the bowels of Ronald Reagan's White House, working for the National Security Council. As Assistant Deputy Director for Political-Military Affairs, he managed the day-to-day operations of a clandestine agency operating completely outside the law, without any form of oversight whatsoever. According to North's sworn testimony, his primary effort was coordinating covert sales of weapons to the government of Iran, and then funneling those profits to buy weapons for the Contra army in Nicaragua.

The only problem is, those actions were completely illegal. The Boland Amendment banned the U.S. Government from funding the Contras. Ollie claimed that he had only been following orders, but that's bullshit. According to the Uniform Code of Military Justice, it is a soldier's duty to disobey illegal orders. (North spent a year in Vietnam. Is it possible that somehow he never heard of the My Lai Massacre?)

But North had the best possible reason to wipe his ass with the American flag: cash money. Ollie was buying his weapons through a business owned by Richard Secord, a retired Air Force Major General. In May of 1996, Secord stuffed $200,000 into a Swiss bank account earmarked for tuition fees for Ollie's children. The previous year, Secord had personally handed over thousands of dollars in cash.

more here: http://www.rotten.com/library/bio/usa/oliver-north/

[karynnj]

1. Quite a contrast: Kerry and North

I never knew he was paid off - which makes him even less admirable.

[blm]

2. Great post - - share it in GD or GD-P

.