Guest blogged by Winter Patriot
I wouldn’t want you to miss this excellent new column by Tom Engelhardt. I’ll even give you a few excerpts to get you started:
Over the last two years, administration officials, civilian and military, have never ceased to talk about “turning corners” or reaching “tipping points” and achieving “milestones” in the Iraq-War-that-won’t-end. Now it seems possible that Cindy Sheehan in a spontaneous act of opposition — her decision to head for Crawford, Texas, to face down a vacationing President and demand an explanation for her son’s death — may produce the first real American tipping point of the Iraq War.
…
Faced with the power of the Bush political and media machine, Cindy Sheehan has engaged in an extreme version of asymmetrical warfare and, in her person, in her story, in her version of “the costs of war,” she has also managed to catch many of the tensions of our present moment. What she has exposed in the process is the growing weakness and confusion of the Bush administration. At this moment, it remains an open question who, in the end, will be found in that ditch at the side of a Texas road, her — or the President of the United States.
Please read more.
Too bad, Jim – you’d better stock up on condiments to help mask the taste of your bitter words when you (soon) have to eat them
"A mother grieving is no expert on foreign policy"
In that respect, almost noone is an expert on foreign policy. The feds even have specialisation in the field in that there are experts in middle eastern foreign policy, etc. Following your line of thought, GW shouldn’t be listened to concerning foriegn policy (not that you imply he should 🙂
"wars must sometimes be fought nonetheless"
I am not a pacifist, but I take issue with this statement, not because I disagree with the truth of it, but because of your implications based on the context. You imply that the iraq war must be fought nonetheless. Many disagree with that sentiment.
It is a sentiment. Wars should not be fought due to a spectral "terrorist threat" or ambiguous "links", not to mention the numerous other reasons we’ve heard (ever changing as they seem to be), but when death is unavoidable no matter the path you take.
Which is more damning and more insightful?
(The latest attempt at a credibiltiy smear by the wingnuts)
OR
(old news)
Jim Todd — The world will ignore you — The world will not, and has not, ignored Cindy Sheehan. She’s not going "home" — She will continue to oppose those lying murderers in the W.H. who killed her son, all those good dead American soldiers, and all those innocent dead tens of thousand of Iraqis. No Cindy will continue — it is Bushco who are going home — and I suspect their homes will be found in the vicinity of hell!
I am really looking forward to following the lawsuits against Bushcos from the Goldstar families and others. The Republicans at that fund-raising bash in Crawford better keep on giving — cause Bushco are going to need it for all the upcoming lawsuits, which they are going to lose. Bushcos have no consciences or compassion (or intelligence) — you have to hit them the only place it hurts — THEIR BANK ACCOUNTS!
This is for Jim Todd:
And think of someone who says, "We will not cut and run," but who cut and ran years ago when he was called.
Ignore a grief stricken mother of a hero, in a ditch, with temperatures between 95-97 degree heat ? Oh, now that’s one POA I would expect from chicken hawks.
You chicken hawks can preen, squawk, and peck-peck-peck ’til your …um, beaks fall off.
Cindy Sheehan will not be ignored, and she will save lives.
I’m just waiting to see what those idiots at Swift Boat Veterans for "Truth" say about Mrs. Sheehan.
Kerry was an old war horse, yet they trashed his reputation.
Now, I think they may set their sights on her.
Probably something along the lines of "well, if she were truly a heroine, her husband would not be filing for divorce."
Is it a BS statement? Of course!!! But since when did that ever stop them?
Ms. Sheehan needs to be ignored. A mother grieving is no expert on foreign policy, dead son or no. In every war there are many mourning mothers, but wars must sometimes be fought nonetheless. When the media ignores her, she will go home.
Winter Patriot,
Thank you for this thread, and especially for the link to Tom Engelhardt’s article.
There are alot of damn good writers on this blog & elsewhere, but this column might be the best I’ve ever read. Please, please READ IT.
I am moved beyond words. Moved, outraged, FIRED UP.
At some point Tom says that for those of us who have never lost a child, grief such as Cindy’s is "beyond imagining".
As a mother, I have to, most respectfully, disagree; and I hope that Cindy Sheehan might forgive my presumptuousness for what I feel compelled to say.
My heart feels full to bursting with compassion for her. Full to bursting, too, with frustrated outrage at the endless lies of which Tom so eloquently writes; these lies which have resulted in the deaths and the maiming of thousands of our children, of the world’s children.
I picture to myself the scene that took place when the president’s top lackeys came out to speak to her. I imagine their "respectful" demeanor,; I imagine the somber but honeyed tones they used to try & "win her over" to their point of view; and I imagine their crisp white collars wilting, their eyebrows scorched & singed, as they were confronted with the calm wall of righteous, furious, flaming grief that is Cindy.
I hope she would forgive me the presumption of feeling–as a mother whose love for her children is really beyond my power to describe–that I CAN imagine such grief. I can imagine it, and I think that it is this that the black-hearted killers cannot ever comprehend:
that once they have taken your child, you have nothing more to fear from them.
They cannot intimidate. They cannot threaten. The power they wielded once–these big, important, worldly men, these black-hearted men–is as empty and meaningless to a mother’s heart as the wind that blows over her child’s grave.
It is of no consequence.
Maybe I say too much, maybe I wax sentimental, I don’t know. I just know my mother’s heart weeps with her, and with every mother from every country who, because of the greed and the lies of these men, must now grieve for her child.
I wish them strength and peace.
Peggy,
Thank you for that link. A heartbeaking tribute. God, what a sinful, criminal waste of young life.
Do you think this will go unnoticed:
"At this moment, it remains an open question who, in the end, will be found in that ditch at the side of a Texas road, her — or the President of the United States."
It comes down to this: submit or die. It’s that simple sunshine. Wake up already. Stop brainwashing people with lunatic ideas.
(Dear Soulmates: Since there is at least one other blogger using my name, Jerry, I have changed my blog name to Truth Seeker.)
I just heard part of a London newspaper article read by Randi Rhodes on Air America. The article reports that over 1,100 Iraqi Shiites were executed in Baghdad city during the month of July 2005 alone. The Bush Crime Family of Liars set the stage for this to happen. This is a civil war now. The liars cannot stop it. They can only make it worse. Bring our children home from Iraq!
My wife and I will be at a vigil with friends in Long Beach, California.
ummm…"submit or die"?
Yes John , it’s that simple our enemy’s of the US not here in the US but overseas will only offer you that and not "some" of the crap you post here. With them in charge you won’t be able to post some of the crap you post here. And I’m referring to this original post.
"What she has exposed in the process is the growing weakness and confusion of the Bush administration. At this moment, it remains an open question who, in the end, will be found in that ditch at the side of a Texas road, her — or the President of the United States."
That’s uncalled for you damn well know it. You have a responsibilty to your readers not to incite, imply etc the harm of the president of the United States. It’s that simple. Joke or pun it’s BS and I call like I see it. The rest of your site is fine for the discourse etc etc I’m all for it but this one is over the line. Period.
So next time stop buring up some many brain cells with a "ummm…"submit or die"?" reply. Your part of the problem not the solution when you do that and post crap like this. I’ll say again the other stuff on your site is fair game but not this. Never.
Nice try, Ray. But if you don’t like ‘crap’, take your stupid ass outta here. Now.
re #15. Sorry, Ray. Free speech is free speech. You don’t get to draw any lines around here.
Jesus, Ray honey, if your post was a little more readable it would be alot easier to reply.
Why are you getting your bloomers in a twist? Is it because you’re as unfamiliar with metaphor as you are with grammar & spelling? Maybe you, too, are "buring up some many brain cells", some many that you jes caint think straight no more.
btw, it’s Joan, not John.
Sorry, WP, I’m ‘talking to the wall’ as my grandma used to say, I know. I’ll shut-up now.
I’m buring up tome many brain cells anyway.