[Peace-discuss] Shameful

[C. G. Estabrook]

[The president gave a speech today to the "Veterans of Foreign Wars," a 
congressionally-chartered war veterans organization of some 1.6 million members, 
the largest such organization in the US.  Out of more than 4500 words in his 
speech, I found only 364 (below) that could conceivably touch on whatever 
justification the US has for spending billions of dollars a year to kill people 
from Palestine to Pakistan.  The argument, such as it is, is astonishingly 
superficial and mendacious.  No wonder that even a majority of Americans are now 
opposed to US aggression in AfPak. --CGE]


[1]  "When fascism seemed unstoppable and our harbor was bombed, you battled 
across rocky Pacific islands and stormed the beaches of Europe, marching across 
a continent -- my own grandfather and uncle among your ranks -- liberating 
millions and turning enemies into allies.
      "When communism cast its shadow across so much of the globe, you stood 
vigilant in a long Cold War, from an airlift in Berlin to the mountains of Korea 
to the jungles of Vietnam. When that Cold War ended and old hatreds emerged 
anew, you turned back aggression from Kuwait to Kosovo."

[2]  "They're the Marines of Camp Lejeune, preparing to deploy and now serving 
in Afghanistan to protect Americans here at home."

[3]  "In recent years, our troops have succeeded in every mission America has 
given them, from toppling the Taliban to deposing a dictator in Iraq to battling 
brutal insurgencies."

[4]  "As president, my greatest responsibility is the security and safety of the 
American people. As I've said before, that is the first thing I think about when 
I wake up in the morning. It's the last thing that I think about when I go to 
sleep at night. And I will not hesitate to use force to protect the American 
people or our vital interests."

[5]  "By moving forward in Iraq, we're able to refocus on the war against Al 
Qaida and its extremist allies in Afghanistan and Pakistan. That's why I 
announced a new, comprehensive strategy in March, a strategy that recognizes 
that Al Qaida and its allies had moved their base to the remote tribal areas of 
Pakistan."

[6]  "This is not a war of choice. This is a war of necessity. Those who 
attacked America on 9/11 are plotting to do so again. If left unchecked, the 
Taliban insurgency will mean an even larger safe haven from which Al Qaida would 
plot to kill more Americans.  So this is not only a war worth fighting; this is 
fundamental to the defense of our people."

[7] "No matter the mission, we must maintain America's military dominance."

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