Frankie say "WAR"!!
In order to support Canadian troops around the world, everyone's been asked to wear red
tomorrow. Sounds good to me, so I spread the word around work. I was looking for stuff online about it and wound up on a forum - well Holy Idiots, Batman!! People saying that now they'll have to be careful not to wear their red clothes on Fridays or it will appear they're supporting an "illegal conflict", blah, blah, blah. Excuse me. It doesn't really matter whether you support the war or not - you can still support the troops. You might not like it, but our soldiers are dying and need to know we don't think its for nothing. Get your heads out of your asses please people.I'll be wearing a red "Canada" t-shirt AND my camo pants!!!
I'm a little freaked out about a document I was directed to by Human which is a transcript of a speech given in 1987 by John Stockwell, a former CIA spook. In it, he talks about covert operations that had taken place since about 1960. Now, everyone knows or has heard about nasty stuff perpetrated by the US Gov't over the years but this really takes the cake. If you're up to it, read it, read it ALL. You'll understand why I'm oh-so-curious about which cookie jars they've had their hands in since then. Not to mention how many of the current conflicts going on in the world were caused by them. On purpose. Because frankly, I think Bush is about on par with Reagan for bloodlust. (I mean, didn't Pete just post on CIA agents looking for insurance against criminal suits? Isn't that kind of a clue that some shitty stuff is still happening?)
It blows my mind to think of these people teaching how to torture, supplying arms, and smuggling drugs. All for their own aims. What kind of person could do that and live with themselves?
Alright. Enough. For now at least. The dog is driving me right round the bend begging for treats anyway, and if I don't do something about it soon, I'm going to commit doggie-cide. (Is it just me, or do you think of really great stuff to blog when you're away from your computer and then go "d'uh" when you're sitting in front of it ready to write? Better start carrying a note pad.)
Not to mention I'm dying to peruse the Wikipedia entry for the CIA... ; )
posted by Boo @ 7:57 PM
6 Comments:
The quickest search term to use is 'CIA's greatest hits' I did a piece back in May when I was just starting to blog. It just concerned democratically elected leaders in South and Central America who were assassinated or removed from office during Republican administrations, and was done without benefit of my actually doing any research to speak of. How Republicans Show Their Respect for Democracy
Boo
Much of what Stockwell wrote looks true and much looks untrue. His assessment of deaths and his way of applying responsibility is seriously simplistic. Some reads like oft touted claims that 2 million Iraqis would have been born if not for UN sanctions during the 1990s - "therefore America killed 2 million Iraqis"
Large intelligence organisations, especially if they have paramilitary wings (such as CIA, DIA, DGSE, FSB and Chinese intelligence) are involved in nasty wars with nasty leaders or factions to choose between. They all have their moment doing terrible things.
Blood is on many hands especially third world leaders, rebels and soldiers. It takes a very America centric person to say its all the fault of the CIA (almost all of whom are American) or US leaders.
Pete
"It blows my mind to think of these people teaching how to torture, supplying arms, and smuggling drugs. All for their own aims. What kind of person could do that and live with themselves?"
i am going to say- a person who has no soul. i really believe that these people are sociopaths with no real ability to feel anything about anyone. they are the same as serial killers- in fact they are mass murderers- and feel no remorse for any of it. i think that they were born that way and stayed that way. we all know that there is no hope for sociopaths.
thanks for the link Sad.
I can take it with a grain of salt Pete, it still stinks.
Bet, I have a friend who is ex-military and served in Bosnia. Its not quite the same, but he said when you're there, in that kind of environment, you do things that you regret when you get home...
First of all, I want to tell you that I have a bumper sticker that says:
"Honor the Warrior, not the War"
on my car.
There are so many ways to interpret the support for the individuals that go off to war. Too much to decipher here.
I invite you to go to my blogs and scroll into the archives. I have written much about the subject. As a Veteran from Vietnam, I have a perspective from that experience that may surprise you.
Heart Melody and More Stories are the titles.
Bottom line for me is two fold. Number one, I won't let another tell me what to think and how to act.
The other is a quote from Utah Phillips, a Korean Veteran and folk singer, that is, " I won't ever let anyone ever tell me who my enemies are"
I'll have a look spado, thanks.
I have a friend in the US who retired a colonel. He flew helicopters in Vietnam... I'm definitely interested in your perspective.
Post a Comment
<< Home