"I Was Only Following Orders"

I'd rather that Rove simply not be around in the political arena, but since he is, I suppose that I would want him on my side.

smart enough to be dangerous. like an M-80. Like an M-80 that had to wiggle. Wiggle its way out of the presidents hand.

Well then, you're surely in the 28% that support this failed presidency. But that's your issue and you can deal with it. Just like you can the failed foreign policy that is costing your family's and neighbor's lives in Iraq and Afghanistan, the miserable energy policy that costs you every time you fill up at the local Exxon, the awful trade policy that affects you every time your kid eats lead paint from a Chinese import toy from Wal*Mart, and all that great benefit from Federal funding of stem cell research.

Nothing but success. You're right.

so successful that we are winning! right? winning everything! hurray! high five faxi!

Ouch, man. A lot of the people who signed up did so before 9/11 when everything was Hunky Dory and the military was looked at as nothing more than a decent, secure job. Remember those ads? "Earn valuable technical training in your chosen field and get $20,000 towards school when you're done." Even more were caught up in the post-9/11 patriotism and saw the military as a way to do their part for their country and get out of their shitty neighbourhoods at the same time. And you can bet the recruiters downplayed the possibility of going overseas to get them to sign on the dotted line.

So was their decision to join the military therefore shortsighted? Yes it was, but a lot of these guys were bloody 18 year-old kids when they signed up. How many brilliant decisions did you make at 18? Should they have to pay for that mistake with their lives? They're human beings for crying out loud, and like it or not they're over there on your behalf, so I think they're deserving of a little sympathy, and at the very least, a little respect.

Not everyone in this country is born rich or even middle class. Poor people are the ones who end up fighting rich men's wars. They do give the choice some thought--at least, my cousins and my dad did. They thought about being able to send money home, more money than can be made working minimum wage, without having to have your folks pay your room and board. They thought about being able to help their families that helped them so much.

They knew there was risk when they joined. There was also a reasonable expectation that their lives wouldn't be risked needlessly. That's where President Bush comes in.

Your statement is so off-base, I don't know in which way I should dismantle it.

Are you the gas-price expert? Is your appraisal more valid than ours? Just because you have enough money not to care about the rising price of gas doesn't mean that the price isn't high, it just means you have enough money not to care.

As for your statement about the men and women who die serving in the military, you, sir, are a callous, apathetic, unthinking individual. Let's look at this two ways.

1) Do you feel bad when drivers get into a collision and are killed by drunk drivers? Didn't they have any idea that they might get killed? They deserve your scorn just as much as soldiers.

2) Not every soldier *wants* to serve. Many poor people are in economic situations in which they are almost forced to enlist, and thus accept the risk of death. But really, I'm glad you take the lower-class into consideration when you heartlessly disregard the people who fight and die for your freedom.

lol! keeeep talking fax! u r hilarious in the most macabre sense imaginable. heres a summary of what you wrote:

Im livin' high on the hog! People who join the military are obviously suicidal and/or stupid!

Youre scary. I hope I dont meet you in a dark alley. You'll probably hurt me with youre edgy views. heh...meh...