Mitch McConnell on U.S. troop deaths:
By on Dec 7th, 2007 at 11:41 am
Mitch McConnell on U.S. troop deaths:
“Nobody is happy about losing lives but remember these are not draftees, these are full-time professional soldiers.” Greg Sargent writes, “It’s hard to read this as anything but belittling the importance of the deaths of troops because they’re ‘professional soldiers.’ What McConnell is basically saying here is, ‘hey, they signed up for this.’”
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This speaks volumes as to the mindset of those who engaged our military in this illegal war.
December 7th, 2007 at 11:47 amI’m sorry — did I miss something? It’s somehow more “OK” for soldiers to die if they weren’t drafted?
Wow — this is gonna make people volunteer in droves. “Nobody’s gonna care about your sacrifice, because you’re asking for it.”
December 7th, 2007 at 11:48 amAs General Patton once said:
“No bastard ever won a war by dying for his country. He won it by making the other poor dumb bastard die for his country. “
December 7th, 2007 at 11:48 amIs McConnell a veteran? My guess is NO, based on his casual attitude toward dead soldiers.
I think a boot-kick to the teeth is waranted.
December 7th, 2007 at 11:51 amIt’s a number.
-Tony “D-Bag Deluxe” Snow
December 7th, 2007 at 11:51 amI’ll remember they aren’t draftees. I’ll also remember they are americans and have paid the highest price for a lie.
December 7th, 2007 at 11:53 amI found the answer to my question. Here is a good read: http://www.villagevoice.com/news/0434,robbins,56166,1.html
McConnell served in the Reserves for FIVE WHOLE WEEKS! My hero!!!
December 7th, 2007 at 11:54 am11. In Ur-Fascism everybody is educated to become a hero.
In every mythology the hero is an exceptional being, but in Ur-Fascist ideology heroism is the norm. This cult of heroism is strictly linked with the cult of death. In non-fascist societies, the lay public is told that death is unpleasant but must be faced with dignity; believers are told that it is the painful way to reach a supernatural happiness. By contrast, the Ur-Fascist hero craves heroic death, advertised as the best reward for a heroic life. The Ur-Fascist hero is impatient to die. In his impatience, he more frequently sends other people to death.
Fourteen Warning Signs of a Fascist State
December 7th, 2007 at 11:55 am-by Umberto Eco
Just when you think you’ve heard it all, one of these a-holes prove you wrong. I wonder if any of his family has volunteered for the service, seriouly doubt it. What a d**k!
December 7th, 2007 at 11:55 amVet @ #6- also boot kicks aimed a bit lower. McConnell pukes up this hairball on Pearl Harbor Day?
December 7th, 2007 at 11:56 am“nobody’s happy about losing lives, but…” But the christofascists, the Bush crime family and its warmongering supporters… And don’t forget, Halliburton and Blackwater and other corporations are making millions of dollars in profits off this bit of fascist aggression…
December 7th, 2007 at 11:56 amHere Mitch, I’ll phrase it more delicately for you:
December 7th, 2007 at 11:58 amThe necessity of losers never should be undervalued. Without losers, winners would be just beneficiaries.
I guess that’s why we want them to repay enlistment bonuses if they get limbs blown off or their eggs scrambled too early to get our full use out of them? And then they have the temerity to want disability pay and healthcare? How unprofessional! They are only our mercenaries? Cripes, how does Kentucky put up with the likes of him? How do we?
December 7th, 2007 at 12:00 pmHey Mitch! A goodly number of them are not full-time, professional soldiers, they are weekend warriorers who signed on to back up the military in case of emergency, not to be used as full-time, professional troops. And you hypocrites don’t even push to have the laws ensuring them their jobs are enforced because it would be too big a buirden on business to hold jobs open for so long and so often. Let’s ship a division of Congressmen off to Iraq for a couple of tours.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:05 pmYou don’t deserve to die if you were drafted, but since you voluteered, YOU ASKED FOR IT.
What a whack job.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:05 pmObigidiot has opened mouth and inserted BOTH feet.-as usual.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:07 pmChauvinistic propaganda and idiotic indoctrination in Hall 12…
December 7th, 2007 at 12:08 pmComment by O. Bigfoot — December 7, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
You are right that our troops deserve our respect and admiration. But you lost me when you said “McConnell is absolutely correct.” Belittling our troops by suggesting that American lives lost in battle is somehow mitigated by the fact they volunteered is neither respect nor admiration. It’s shameful.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:13 pm“They’re mercenaries. They get paid to die…..”
Cheers,
December 7th, 2007 at 12:15 pmComment by O. Bigfoot — December 7, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
————————————–
Are you seriously retarded and don’t understand the meaning behind McConnell’s comments, or are you just trying to use your skills as a Troll to mess with the thread?
WTF does his statement that it’s basically OK for soldiers to DIE because they signed up for it have to do with your glowing endorsement of those of us who actually did serve???
December 7th, 2007 at 12:17 pmAre you seriously retarded and don’t understand the meaning behind McConnell’s comments, or are you just trying to use your skills as a Troll to mess with the thread?
Comment by Vet
He will read what he wants to read.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:20 pmIt’s not OK that they’re dying, but he’s right, they signed up for this.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:21 pmDennis Miller once suggested on his radio show that once a U.S. Citizen serves his or her country in the military, they should be exempt from personal Federal income taxes for the rest of their lives. A very good idea, I think, and only a small token of what our appreciation should be for these people who give so much without question.
Comment by O. Bigfoot — December 7, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
Dennis Miller may be onto something. But it needs a little tweaking. First, let’s limit this perk to those who actually get shot at. I served in the Navy in the 1970’s. I never saw combat. Two reasons — we were between wars and there WAS no combat at the time, and even if there was I couldn’t have been in it because I am a woman. I was never in any personal danger during all the time I served — not even from the chow hall food (which was pretty good). I would not for a moment suggest that I should be exempted from paying income taxes as a result of my service.
But even exempting those who do the actual fighting from paying income taxes for the rest of their lives will have enough impact on revenue that it will hike up taxes for the rest of us. This could be a very good thing, if it gives Americans a reason to pause before rushing into a war.
Personally, I’d just like to see the G.I. Bill improved for vets. And that’s actually doable.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:21 pmO. BigDick, there have been dozens of soldiers who have committed suicide rather than be sent back to Iraq or Afghanistan or continue to serve there. These people volunteered to defend their country, not waste their lives for some Bushco oil-stealing nightmare. But as long as you’re here, please tell us how the Israelis are to blame for what McConnell said.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:26 pmOtto, your first sentence contradicts the rest of what you say–most of which I agree with. (except that ‘idolation’ isn’t a word.)
Our military men and women deserve our respect and support–they deserve to have adequate armor for their vehicles, and the deserve adequate time off, and they deserve a pay raise.
They also deserve better that sending them off on a disastrous military adventure without clear goals and without a clear exit strategy. They deserve a country that doesn’t torture their prisoners. They deserve a country without secret prisons and secret police, and where freedom of speech and assembly, and the right to a speedy trial, to counsel, to confront one’s accusers, and the right to be secure in one’s home and one’s person,are all upheld, so that they can be clear in their minds and hearts that they are fighting for the good guys.
You,of course, don’t believe that America can ever be anything but the good guys. That’s where we part company.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:26 pmBig Mitch, another Republickan supporting the troops. But the sad part about it all, the military votes for these repukes on a regular basis.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:28 pmDennis Miller has a show??? I thought he was banned from performing for life after his Monday Night Football embarrassment.
Regarding his Income Tax idea… I’m all for it, for strictly selfish reasons!!!
December 7th, 2007 at 12:28 pmO.Bigbutt, why do you show up here and display you’re extreme stupidity day after day, you have got to be one of the foulest, loathsome morons from the Fascist ReichWinger side of the lying propagandist that we have ever seen.
But keep coming back, it shows just how loathsome your side is.
Bush/Cheney
Hague Trials ‘09
Buck Fush
December 7th, 2007 at 12:30 pmbigfoot is just regurgitating words from the whitehouse. He doesn’t need to think about what he’s saying, he just swallows whatever dan bartlett vomits into his mouth, then he comes here vomits onto the thread.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:32 pmIn typical right wing ideological fashion, “It was their choice. No one forced or drafted them into the military.” The implication being, “They are responsible for the consequences.”
December 7th, 2007 at 12:43 pmBigfoot must really be mad at the admninistration then, for treating our “warrior class” the way they have
sent them – ill-prepared and underequipped
(no urgent reason to do so)
letting halliburton serve them fouls watter and shitty food
(when they used to do it fine themselves)
leaving them untreated and unpaid
(not even dennis miller would do that)
letting them commit suicide at a staggering rate
(because that’ll be cheaper than life-long VA care)
and letting lowlifes, gangsters and convicts serve side by side with them
(because recruiting “standards” have been all but dropped)
Y – Bigfoot must be mighty pissed at the CinC and the DoD right now
December 7th, 2007 at 12:43 pm– if not, he’s just plain full of shit.
This Kentucky hillbilly is the proto-typical chickenhawk, making excuses for why soldiers should be thought of as cannon fodder.
Note to citizens of Kentucky: Recall this idiot or face the shame that comes from having him represent you.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:45 pmand just because we exstend the non-draftees forever,lie to them,don’t give them the VA they need, they VOLINTEERED. In other words they are sucker bate because they asked for it? The men at the VFW would like to see you out back sir.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:47 pmCOme to think of it, our Armed Forces have always practiced a sincere cultural hatrd for mercenaries, too – but now we have Blackwater’s Flag being saluted by Sailors and Marines at Fleet Week in San Diego.
Saluting a Corporate Mercenary Flag over our own Stars and Stripes
Esprit d’Crps??
Don’t think so.
Erik Prince and Dubbie might as well go take a piss on the tomb of the unknown soldier. They are utterly without the honor codified and lived up to by our volunteer Military.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:48 pm17 – Furthermore, Mr. Bigfoot…
37 percent: Number of military-family members who “approve of the job Bush is doing as president,†according to a new Bloomberg/LA Times poll. Just 36 percent of active-duty military, veterans, and their families believe “it was worth going to war in Iraq,†compared to a 2004 survey that found “64 percent of service members and their families supported the war.†VetVoice has more.
you can go ahead now, and put the other big foot in your mouth.
December 7th, 2007 at 12:52 pmNice job of reporting there, too. “our friends on the other isle” — what are they, Brits? Irish?
December 7th, 2007 at 12:54 pmYeah, I think that was supposed to be “aisle.”
December 7th, 2007 at 1:10 pmWhen people volunteer for the military, they are taking it on faith that their leaders are competent and that they will only put troops in harm’s way for the best reasons. The volunteers are willing to put their bodies on line line–all they ask in return is for their civilian leaders to make damn sure that the use of the armed forces is the last and best resort available, and above all is for the good of the country. Our leadership hasn’t lived up to their side of the bargain–not even close. And our soldiers most certainly didn’t “sign up” for that.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:17 pmI’m sure the troops greatly appreciate Senator Wimpy McChinless’s take on their responsibility in all of this… especially the National Guard units who volunteered to take care of their respective states’ security.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:31 pmyou like those mercs, dontcha biggie – you don’t honor our flag, you honor the crooks!!!!
you’re not a patriot, you’re a liar.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:39 pmHey Bigmouth, do you think people join their state’s National Guard because it’s a state militia or because they want to fight in foreign battles? Come on now. You’re such a truthful guy – I’m sure you can come up with an answer that has lots of truthiness.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:48 pmBigmouth: “Our military serves at the pleasure of our Commander in Chief, no matter who he or she is or what he or she does.”
Not true. The President is subject to the same constitutional rules as everyone else and the military takes an oath to preserve the constitution, not support the Commander in Chief.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:50 pmBigfoot = Traitor no more, no less.
December 7th, 2007 at 1:52 pmeww, sucks to be the one who pulls the “pleasuring the President” duty.
December 7th, 2007 at 2:04 pmCan you imagine the outrage on the right if John Kerry or Dick Durbin had said this. They would demand an immediate apology.
December 7th, 2007 at 2:09 pm.
WHY DOES MITCH MCCONNELL HATE THE TROOPS?
.
December 7th, 2007 at 2:21 pmMcConnell is to America what Mark Foley is to children.
December 7th, 2007 at 2:55 pmMcConnell is absolutely correct. I havn’t met a single military person who has experienced Iraq who would have preferred to sit home and opt out.
Comment by O. Bigfoot
Gee, is that why only 36% of the active military think that going into Iraq was the right thing to do. You certainly do have a select circle of acquaintances.
December 7th, 2007 at 3:01 pmComment by Menehune — December 7, 2007 @ 1:17 pm
Comment by O. Bigfoot — December 7, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
You’re both partly right. Yes, when you volunteer for the military, you are obligated to go where you are sent, and to follow the orders you are given, no matter how you feel about them personally.
And yes — volunteering does require a certain amount of faith and trust in the hands you are putting yourself into. When I signed up, our involvement in Vietnam had just ended, and I told myself that surely our leaders had learned a valuable lesson — and we would never get into such a pointless quagmire again. Even though the chance I would see combat was slight (but not non-existant, since there was talk about putting women in combat even back then, and combat training for women had just started), I was fairly confident that any combat our country got involved in would be for true defense only. So I volunteered.
When this faith and trust in our leaders is lacking, people are less likely to sign up, which is why our country now has to give bigger and bigger signing bonuses just to get people in uniform, lower entry standards, and STILL have difficulty getting quotas met.
Oh, and one more thing — when you volunteer, it’s for a set period of time. When your contract is extended against your wishes per the stop loss policy, you are no longer a volunteer.
December 7th, 2007 at 3:33 pmBigmouth salutes the Blackwater flag, and wishes he could be a paid killer too.
Soldier of Fortune subscriber, aren’t ya Biggie???
December 7th, 2007 at 3:41 pmç√Our military serves at the pleasure of our Commander in Chief, no matter who he or she is or what he or she does. Our soldiers did “sign up†full well knowing that they might be sent into combat for whatever reason at whatever time. They can disagree with the reason, however, they must still do their duty and serve. And the vast majority of them do so with no qualms whatsoever.
Comment by O. Bigfoot — December 7, 2007 @ 1:40 pm
well, of course, you are a liar, or you have no understanding of thelaw. Our military doesnot serve at the pleasure of the President. that’s an idiotic, weak, lie. That ends it for you, traitor. You have no idea of what you say. if you do, than you are a proven liar. Whether you’re comfortable with that or not just goes to the level of your psychosis/
December 7th, 2007 at 4:10 pmActually, I thought I was wrong once, but it turned out I was incorrect about that.
Comment by O. Bigfoot — December 7, 2007 @ 1:44 pm
True. ou were incorrect about being wrong once, when in point of fact, you’ve never been right once. It’s the hallmark of a traitor to be comfortale with his treason; that’s why you are called that so often by so many.
and there is no way you’ve ever met anybody who returned from active duty in Iraq. You lie.
December 7th, 2007 at 4:12 pmMcConnell is absolutely correct. I havn’t met a single military person who has experienced Iraq who would have preferred to sit home and opt out.
Comment by O. Bigfoot
I have
December 7th, 2007 at 4:21 pmI think Andrew Horne puts it best, though. Horne, who has posted on here, and served with the Marines in Iraq, released the following:
“I would say that Mitch McConnell owes every member of our service and the families of the fallen an apology, but no apology from him can take back the venom he has spewed at our troops, this time. For anyone to believe that casualties of war are somehow more acceptable because they were not draftees is disgusting. For the Republican leader in the United States Senate to say that is beyond repugnant.”
“This is just Mitch McConnell once again demonstrating that he has no idea of – and has no interest in learning – what our troops have sacrificed. Whether it is filibustering a bill that would give proper time at home for our overextended troops, or voting against increased funds to take care of veterans who have come home, Mitch McConnell has shown nothing more than complete ignorance about our military and those who serve our nation in it.”
“To my fellow service members and veterans, let me apologize on behalf of Kentucky for Senator McConnell’s putrid comments. He most certainly does not represent our views, nor the high regard in which we hold you and your families.”
December 7th, 2007 at 5:18 pmhttp://www.vetvoice.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=220#1389
Thanks to Chris L. for posting Lt. Col. Andrew Horne’s response to McConnell putrid despicable comment about our soldiers who died in Iraq.
In Kentucky, we are working hard to remove McConnell from the Senate. Please help us in any way that you can. Mitch has gotta go.
Check this excellent website: http://www.ditchmitchky.com
December 7th, 2007 at 9:02 pm