Right-wing spreads manure
and Sykes is there with a shovel
I wondered which Wisconsin wingnut would help shovel the pile of manure (read bullshit) that's piling up on the right-wing Internet, claiming that peace activists are planning "parties" to "celebrate" the death of the 2000th American service member in Iraq.
I don't know why, but I'm a little surprised it's Charlie Sykes. The ever-so sophisticated Sykes says the left is planning "soirees." Sometimes I give him too much credit. I thought this one, at least, was beneath him. Live and learn.
The observances, planned for the day after the 2000th death occurs, are being organized by the American Friends Service Committee, a group with a long and distinguished history of peace activism. That is the last group in the world that would celebrate any death. They are the Quakers. Their goal is to stop the killing.
The theme, in fact, is "Not one more death. Not one more dollar."
What Sykes has done is to pick up a piece of drivel that apparently began on a wingnut blog called Little Green Footballs, spread to Michelle Malkin, and then migrated to a Wisconsin site, The Madison Freedom Fighter, and to Sykes.
What seems to have added fuel to the fire is that Cindy Sheehan plans to participate. She makes them all even crazier than usual. Does anyone thinks that this grieving mother, who lost her son in Iraq, wants anyone else to die there? It is George W. Bush who says the way to honor Casey Sheehan is to send more people to their death, so that Casey will not have died "in vain."
I may try to attend a Milwaukee event. If I do, it won't be to celebrate the death of any American service men and women, nor the deaths of 100,000 Iraqis. Unlike Malkin, Sykes, and the Madison Freedom Fighter (an ROTC student), or any of the other chickenhawks, I've seen combat and death on the battlefield. It's nothing to celebrate. I'll go to lend my voice to those trying to stop it.
UPDATE: Honor the fallen at a vigil.
posted by xoff @ 8:57 AM
7 comments
7 Comments:
The only reason she drives us nuts is that the rest of her family has said Casey is rolling in his grave at her antics.
still using the chickenhawk charge is that the best you can do I can send you to an number of MIL Blogs which would differ with your opinion are you going to call them chickenhawks too? Its great you have served but how many of your comrades who are against the war/Bush have ever worn the Uniform.
So are those of us who support the war and were in the Military but never saw "combat" (doent mean I didnt almost die a couple of times),are we chickenhawks?
Could you define your chickenhawk charge for me. If you saw combat but are still for the war are you a chicken hawk what if the combat or service was in another war does that still make you a chickenhawk
just wondering if you could clear that up for us.
Regards,
GBfan
Chickenhawk n. A person enthusiastic about war, provided someone else fights it; particularly when that enthusiasm is undimmed by personal experience with war; most emphatically when that lack of experience came in spite of ample opportunity in that person’s youth.
More at the New Hampshire Gazette.
xoff:
First, if I were a chicken hawk, why would I advocate for the war to continue as I am 12 months from commissioning into the Military?? That is beside the point, you can call me whatever you want. But when you call my friends and brothers-in-arms, some of whom are now in harms way, "chicken hawks", that is unforgivable. Why do you think that ROTC is not a part of the military? You say that DHR is a chicken for doing ROTC during Korea. Have you ever been in ROTC? Don't talk about experiences you have not had. Just because you were a reporter doesn't mean that you have credibility or you have the ability to understand other point of view.
Second, the left throws around "chicken hawk" far too liberally. Did you serve xoff? You are a chicken dove because you do not know what it is like being a member of the military. What gives you the right to comment on others that have served (GWB, DHR)?
You throw "chicken hawk" at me and you are an "ex-political reporter" and "a Democratic strategist." HA! What was your view on Operation Allied Force or Operation Provide Relief? (feel free to google them). How about Operation Enduring Freedom? If you were for ANY of those, you are a HUGE hypocrite and a "chicken hawk" by your own definition.
You and your kind sicken me. You are only against OIF because Bush is in office. Remember, Kerry wanted to increase the number of US troops in Iraq if he were elected. Would you be against the war then? You will say yes, but being the "Democratic strategist" that you are, you will be thinking no. The arm-chair generals, the arm-chair Presidents.
For all of the ROTC cadets out there, I leave you with this. We are ridiculed on campuses by our fellow students, the administration, and professors. We don’t need someone like you, someone connected with the Governor and other Democrats to do the same. 60 percent of the officers in the US Military come through ROTC. 75 percent of the officers in the US Army come through ROTC. You all say that you are for the troops and then you call those that are being trained “chicken hawks”? You make fun of Bush for being in the Air National Guard and Rumsfeld for going through ROTC? Never ridicule something you don’t understand. I expect an apology. If I don’t get one, you will see
I will see? A threat?
Just for the record, I served in the Marine Corps from 1965 to 1968 on active duty. I was in Vietnam with the 1st Marine Division from April 1966 to September 1967. As a combat correspondent, I was on many combat operations and in the field most of the time I was in-country.
When I was discharged in 1968, I did what I could to end the war and bring the troops home.
I have the greatest respect for your friends who are serving. I respect your service in ROTC, but I think you will be better equipped to judge the war after you've seen it up close, not from the UW campus.
But I believe this war in Iraq is a terrible mistake.
George W. Bush, who sent Americans into harms way, avoided active duty during Vietnam.
And many of the biggest cheerleaders for this war, like Charlie Sykes, are chickenhawks of the first order.
Keep calling names like I said you going to call all the Milbloggers Chicken hawks? Sad that you believe you can censor peoples support just because they dont have military service. Hey Xoff are you saying only "Combat Vets" are allowed to have an opinion about the war. Because if that is the case 98% of your side will have to sit down and shut up.
Its great you Served but that doesnt give you the right to say others dont get an opinion. If Charlie wants to support the war effort he has a right too. Just because Bob has not finished school yet does not mean he is not entitled to support the war. Your trying to use the Chickenhawk charge to censor your opponents is reprehensible
Whats next Xoff a country like in Robert A. Heinlein's StarShip Troopers where there are two Classes of people Citizens(veterens)who got to vote and Civilians who didnt get to vote?
Seems to me that is the same line of thought you are following.
Like I said if you want to use Military Service as a form of Litmus test fine your side will not have near as many votes as mine.
There is only one Arab Democracy in the world and guess which side has a problem with that ;)
Regards,
GBFan
What prompted the Chickenhawk discussion was the claim by the right wing that those of us who planned to mark the 2000th US service death in Iraq were planning "parties" to "celebrate."
My point was that unlike many of those who are so hot to send more troops to their deaths, those who have seen combat, including me, would never celebrate or wish for another American to die in a war.
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