reply to a rant on Craigslist

Looking around Craigslist (Portland) on the Rant and Raves section I see a lot of post by liberal and conservative about the Iraq war. Lots of name calling, lots of stupidity on both sides. So I replied a short reply.

Reply to: pers-167036905@craigslist.org
Date: 2006-06-01, 4:16PM PDT


Going to college at U of O when I saw the Nick Berg video. He was a dumb shit for being over there, but he didn't deserve to die in the manner he did. It also showed me the fanaticism (as if 9/11 wasn't enough) of some of the elements involved. I've got three such videos on my computer to show people who think that everyone in the world just needs a handout, a hug, and some education to become a European-type liberal. Evil exists and it lives in the heart of man. But so does good, and it is good that causes people to go into harms way to, to draw a line in the sand, and to say 'no further'.

I am a former Marine and had been out ten years. I joined again, asked for a rifle, and flew over to Iraq to join the Oregon unit already in Baghdad. First day outside the wire, we got mortared and in a short three hour firefight.

Nobody on this friggin list knows everything that is going on over there. Not the candy-ass liberals that want to give the world a hug, or the foaming-at-the-mouth conservatives that want to invade anyone that disagrees with them.

Guys in my squad were all shades of politics, from far out (man) liberal to Christian Coalition conservative. Some hated President Bush, some loved him. One thing for sure, they love their country and they love the brothers they were fighting next to, and they all believed in doing their job, in why we are there.

Is it possible, just for a second, for those of you stuck in your political spectrum, to think outside of the friggin box for a moment and to see Iraq as the insanely complex event that it is? You can't say that it is all oil, or all humanitarian, or all staegic interest, or many more things. By sticking to your conservative/liberal bias, the lens that you see the world, you limit your understanding. The elements involved in all the different sociological, political, historical, economic, and religious influences on what is going on are enough to study for years and is ample ground for scholars to study. You think that some body on Craigslist, sitting at home, knows anything about Iraq? Get out of the coffee shop and get into a library. If some of the flame posts are from scholars, then they are not posting as such and have lost their academic standards.

Is it possible for the Iraqis to love the American troops and yet want them to leave at the same time? To appreciate them and yet be insanely frustrated by them? What about your local police department. Chances are you are nervous when you see them behind you in the rear view mirror, and perhaps you think there are too many of them. But I bet you are happy to see them when you've been robbed, or you're glad to see one cruise by when you are walking home late at night and see some shady characters watching you.

If you think it is easy to patrol an area the size of Los Angeles, to be friendly to everyone, yet keep ready for car bombs and roadside bombs that are ready to take you out, piloted by people that look like everyone else, you try it. You get jaded and you get complacent and you get paranoid all in one big ball of wax.

Support the troops over there doing the best they can. Mistakes happen, yes. But there are two types of error, one where you die and one where others die. Think it's easy to always act in accordance with the last one? It aint.

Both sides of this debate should reaize that truth in an argument lessens in proportion to the yelling and name calling involved. The more you show your ass, the less you show your brain.

Try being thoughtful and intelligent for a change.

Sgt Black
2-162 C Co Infantry