Comments on: Was Soldier's Coffin On Cart With Luggage?

Former Army Reservist Says Flag-Draped Casket Was On Airport Cart With Other Bags

[firststate]

It would be another in a long line of maltreatment afforded to our finest. The war is nuts, but our soldiers can never be shown too much respect, especially any who have given their lives in service to our country. That person has given more than any of us able to post can claim.

Some of these guys probably disagreed with the war, but they observed the oath they took when they joined.

[jn122736]

alphaa10 Said,...Ever heard of the oral tradition? That has worked for thousands of years to record and codify a people's experience. With America the oldest democracy, it is time we begin one of our own. No tales around the campfire, but an honest witness by example to our children and grandchildren of what we believe-- they are desperate for the counsel.

There are many posters on this site, like yourself, who give me hope that we can indeed again communicate the unvarnished truth between ourselves.
This is not exactly oral communication but it is very close to the same thing including, being refreshingly open.

[alphaa10-2009]

jn12273 said, "The greatest threat posed here is that they may never be held accountable. Which in turn makes it almost certain to be repeated in the future by them or others."
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Ever heard of the oral tradition? That has worked for thousands of years to record and codify a people's experience. With America the oldest democracy, it is time we begin one of our own. No tales around the campfire, but an honest witness by example to our children and grandchildren of what we believe-- they are desperate for the counsel.

Bush will suffer the pains of the damned, because-- left to himself-- none is equipped better than he to understand his own failure, especially the loss, pain, injury and death he caused others. As with most of us, his biggest obstacle in that journey back is himself.

Ever the unprincipled opportunist, Bush will try to reinvent himself for the neocons and other opportunists of his party. For the true conservatives he misrepresented and deceived, Bush will remain a pariah for a while-- at least until the hungrier conservatives yearn again for White House power. And then, the old game will start, once again.

As we survivors of this misspent six years attend to our future, we must engage with enemies of America whenever we meet a false or misleading doctrine. This means a relentless effort to make sure democracy thrives in our neighborhoods and cities. If we cannot witness for democracy at home, how can we expect to matter when national events overtake us?

[randalds]

If it did happen then there is no excuse for it. None whatsoever.

[icorus]

I don't think what was seen by the woman in question is true. I was a combat medic for 12 years in the army and part of a honor guard that did funerals in the Army. I have never,ever heard of such treatment of our fallen troops, as a matter of fact Im sure there is a regulation against it.....If it's anyone's fault it's the airport personel....don't blame the commander or the Army for such a blunder.....Wake up America

[jn122736]

This administration has wantonly and even illegally exploited anything and everything from the constitution to the honor and integrity of our military to maintain their grip on power.

From using the term.. Supporting our troops%u2026 as a weapon against their opponents to castigating medal winning soldiers or even the mother of a fallen soldier or indeed anyone who would dare oppose them%u2026 All this from those who used everything in their power to avoid serving personally.

The enormity and extent of their abuses over the past 6 years have resulted in these things being viewed as normal by the general public
%u2026The greatest threat posed here is that they may never be held accountable. Which in turn makes it almost certain to be repeated in the future by them or others.

[alphaa10-2009]

FritzAlvarez said, "Please open your mind a bit. This is not about dead bodies. It is about the living. it's about culture and society... Please understand that special treatment is a part of the concept of honor. Even gangs have theories of honor, for God's sake."
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Well said. I might remind you, however, your indignation at poster Agnim falls upon his self-deafened ears, his own attempt at a Triple Monkey Defense (eyes covered, ears covered and mouth covered). Despite his best effort, however, Agnim's figurative mouth fell open at last, revealing the smug cinder of pride which is somehow left to him.

Agnim is a "scientist", and with his science, Agnim has chosen to annihilate his own humanity. If we are confused or even amused at the conceit, that irritates Agnim. After all, his own fierce, professional-grade weltschmertz is what drives him to respond. Some might call this a personal hell of absurdity-- whatever you say about yourself is true, and equally meaningless.

In his misled spirit, Agnim elsewhere attempted a defense of the assassination of Alexandr Litvinenko, on the rationale Litvinenko once had been a peer of his in moral outlook, if nothing else. What agitates Agnim to despair is when others recognize Litvinenko became a symbol for something better than himself, and a courageous, patriotic witness for democratic reform in Russia.

[alphaa10-2009]

The Authorization for the Use of Military Force--- Take Away the Car Keys
Dead soldiers on the baggage loading ramp? What could explain such casual, off-handed treatment from the same Bush administration which prohibits photos of coffins arriving at Dover AFB? This shocking juxtaposition has nothing to do with official respect-- it has everything to do with an orchestrated effort to keep the cost of the Iraq war as hidden as possible from the American people..

The virtual press blackout of military funerals and severely wounded amputees and burn victims in VA trauma units is an unwitting part of that effort to deceive, because only such graphic and awful coverage brings the Iraq war home in its deeply troubling political cost.

Politicians, above all, realize the power of Hollywood-- of media spin, waving flags, cheering crowds and rousing symbolism. Emotional appeals drive Americans into war as surely as they did Nazi-era Germans. Americans especially love simple wars. They loved Reagan when he invaded Grenada and suffered not even a scratch, and when Bush, Sr., offered an encore, shooting up Panama with righteous indignation, allegedly in search of Noriega. After all, this is the way Hollywood always said wars should be won.

[alphaa10-2009]

Take Away the Car Keys-- 2
But let Americans discover the lethal and tragic aftermath of six years of politically-misbegotten Bush politics in Washington, and they leap to the warpath. Above all, Americans feel cheated and misled, as the last election brought home to Bush all too well.

The deep malaise at having been misled about Iraq comes from revelations of not only official corruption, but an effort to deceive at the most fundamental level. The tragic drama of Iraq is not over until all the false stage props of official deception are put away for good. Chief among the props is the AUMF (Authorization for the Use of Military Force)-- the celebrated congressional document Bush always cites as the justification for his having waged war on Iraq, but without a declaration of war. That Bush rationale is a brazen fraud and illegal act, but remains within his official reach until the AUMF is withdrawn or tightly redefined by Congress.

[alphaa10-2009]

Take Away the Car Keys-- 3
The AUMF was passed immediately after 911. That authorization for use of military force was issued against international terrorists, but not against Iraq either literally or figuratively, and Iraq is found nowhere in its text. Yet Bush ran through the AUMF like a political credit card, and lied shamelessly about his authority when he wanted to invade Iraq.

At the risk of another Iraq-- say, an impromptu invasion of Iran-- Congress needs desperately to rein in Bush, the opportunist demagogue who mistrued his authority, pretending the AUMF is a blank check from Congress. The AUMF legislation, written in the white-hot aftermath of 911, is embarrassingly amorphous and all the more open to abuse. The AUMF needs to be abolished, or at least tightly redefined to prevent any president from exceeding his Constitutional war powers, and waging war without full, deliberate consent of Congress.

Congress must be roused to its full responsibility-- ultimately , it was a failure by Congress to rein in the Bush executive which led to Iraq. That failure of due diligence came from GOP dominance of all three branches of government, yet another argument for a truly multiparty political system.