Oh, God. This one made me cry. I said goodbye to my Marine at probably this exact same spot almost three weeks ago today. The worst was seeing the Marines who were fathers having to leave their kids behind, especially when the kids are begging them not to go. It's heartbreaking and I pray everyday that they all come home safe. Good luck, 3/10! #camplejeune
Jeez. I know the exact route these guys will be taking to Cherry Point, the lines they will stand in, the gear they will account for, shit, even some of the Marines that will load their stuff onto the bird. They'll ride in buses that pass under bridges that have banners posted on them wishing them luck, they'll arrive at Cherry Point, smoke cigarettes, listen to iPods, wait around, watch the flat screens at the APOG, then finally stand in a long line on the flight deck and fly away.
@ihateyourescalade: "I was taking a larger view" and "I'm just spouting things without really thinking them through" are close relatives.
For example, Saddam's Oil for Food program was a notoriously corrupt, fairly efficient way of getting Iraq's oil to the West, and Saddam had proven plenty of willingness to play ball with us in the past. Secular strong-men are convenient like that. If we simply wanted profits from Iraq's oil, which of the following ways strikes you as a better way to get it:
1) Launch an incredibly costly war that will decimate Iraq's infrastructure and cost far, far, far more than any marginal difference in oil profits you'd get by 'cutting out the middle-man'?
2) Strike a deal with Saddam?
Or, hey, how about:
3) Realize that oil is a fungible commodity, and so who pumps it out of the ground usually isn't the real issue. As one secret classified intelligence source They Don't Want You To Know About (Wikipedia) puts it:
"Fungibility is the property of a good or a commodity whose individual units are capable of mutual substitution. Examples of highly fungible commodities are crude oil, wheat, orange juice ... "
Along with your 'wearing your politics on your sleeve' username, this is the sort of unthinking liberalism that gives the rest of us liberals a bad name. It's a homemade Chimpy McBusHitler sign as a substitute for grappling with the actual issues at hand.
BearDownCBears promoted this comment
Edited by CrapCommentFromADude at 11/05/09 12:34 AM
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@CrapCommentFromADude: You surely extrapolate a lot from my one sentence. But that's probably because you're so much smarter and more informed than I am. Thanks for your thoughtful and educated reply. You've totally changed my mind!
Off to go change my screenname now to Chimpy McBusHitler. Or maybe FungibleCommodity. That has such a nice ring to it.
@ihateyourescalade: All it took you was one sentence to say that we're currently in a war over oil. That's a bold, risible claim that just so happens to be flat-out wrong. Stand by your claim or don't, it's up to you, but the "Don't act like you know me!" shtick is a bit much.
My goal is less to change your mind, per se, than to not let such statements pass by unchallenged. There's one of you; there are dozens of people in the peanut gallery. Hopefully if any of them have any question in their mind as to whether or not we're in a war over oil, they can look at your statement, look at mine, and sort things out for themselves.
@CrapCommentFromADude: Hey, thanks again for clarifying just how stupid and wrong I've been! (But at least I'm amusing, with my silly unfounded claims! That's something, isn't it?)
Seriously, though: Thank goodness for cogent arguments like yours. If I may speak for all the other Unthinking Liberals in the peanut gallery, how else would we get our information? I personally might have gone on like this for years had you not taken the time set me straight. Because, you know, I'm too busy being an enemy of liberty and freedom to read the newspaper. (Oh, dear...which, come to think of it, is controlled by Unthinking Liberal Media Elites!)
Should I not respond to you again from here on out, please don't be sad. It's likely I'm off at a pro-war rally with other Thinking Liberals like you. See ya there! And to all you other Unthinking Liberals who may still not have made up your minds: Hope you'll join me!
Kisses,
Chimpy McBus Hitler (Still love that name!)
I definitely read that and thought maybe Girl Talk was giving up the college tour circuit to go to Iraq or Afghanistan and have some dangerous concerts over there.
I broke four toes at a Girl Talk concert and I was the LEAST injured of all of my friends (and we weren't even in the middle of the floor)
@momentsofabsurdity: Luckily, the time we saw him we were dancing on the stage, so no injuries, but I sweat in drips for the first time ever in my life.
@westie1984: The restriction on women in combat stopped making sense a long time ago. If it's a matter of physical strength, then just make any woman who wants to be eligible for combat duty meet the same standard as the men. The female medics are already functioning as defacto combat troops, but then get shit if they do anything extraordinary (like that woman who was awarded a medal not long ago). It's stupid to put them on the front line and then turn around and say they aren't combat troops. Let the women who can do it, do it. It's as dumb as DADT.
@Shelwood: Women are "unofficially" in combat roles and have been for some time. Female gunners in aircraft, "trunk-monkeys" in Humvees, and ANY female in a security detail - as a security detail, by definition provides security and engages the enemy.
Those are weapon-firing, enemy-engaging, getting-shot-at combat roles, even if they is considered defensive and officially "non-combat" by the military for the purposes of accounting.
Women may not yet be "door-kickers" in today's military, but they are definitely in harm's way, and are definitely contributing to an enemy body-count.
I know this isn't going to be popular, but here goes... Sometimes it makes me really sad that when Jezebel posts something really great, inspiring, and around deserving of appreciation like this, there are so many negative/snarky comments. I know the man is keepin' us down and stuff, but I just wish that we could get past the fact that the military is ruled by patriarchy, but these girls are doing something FABULOUS. Also, very dangerous. These girls are still our sisters and deserve more than snark about the fact the are in the military and female. I do know that most of it is sarcasm, but can we give credit when credit is due without pointing out the fact that the military can be shitty? This is just my opinion, and I am biased, but I had to say something about the lack of pride and congrats these women are getting.
@HeatherNumber1: Thanks for insulting a group of people who, by and large, are completely awesome guys who probably work much harder and more selflessly than you do.
@Marya: AMEN!! I am getting so discouraged by constantly hearing our military being put down. I honestly wish at times it would become required that everyone would have to serve for a period of time in some form of service in the United States.
I am constantly hearing how awful the military is about covering rape up.
Well guess what I don't know of anywhere that it isn't. GO to any college, high school, police dept.,law firms or whatever and it happens. Is it right NO but as long as this world is looking at he says-she says it will happen and it SUCKS! I have been raped so yes I know and I have been there and done that and didn't want the fucking t-shirt but guess what I absolutely will NEVER blame an entire institution for what a sick bastard did. Should I call all lawyers trash or worse because of what happened to me?
Yes I am livid as I find that my greatest respect goes to those men and women who are putting their asses on the line day in and day out whenever they are called upon. I know we have a few here that have served or have family that have and those I thank. My family members have since the United States formed and we continue to. Presently I have several that are in both Iraq and in Afghanistan serving. How many others here would willing serve today?
@GirlSailor: @BrutallyHonestZombies: Real gun works better, somebody might see the leadership dildo and have her kicked out of the armed forces for being a lesbian. Don't ask don't tell you know.
No surprise that women are more timid in Afghanistan than Iraq. Whatever else can be said about him, Saddam Hussein did much to raise the profile of women in Iraqi society, which the US and UK politicians helped drive right back down again to the Stone Age.
11/04/09
11/04/09
Please come home Capt. Baby Izzie needs to know you better. #camplejeune
11/04/09
Good luck guys. #camplejeune
11/04/09
Please bring this soldier, and all of the other soldiers fighting this unwinnable war over oil, home. His baby girl needs him.
Respectfully,
Escalade #camplejeune
11/04/09
Sigh. #camplejeune
11/04/09
11/04/09
11/04/09
11/05/09
For example, Saddam's Oil for Food program was a notoriously corrupt, fairly efficient way of getting Iraq's oil to the West, and Saddam had proven plenty of willingness to play ball with us in the past. Secular strong-men are convenient like that. If we simply wanted profits from Iraq's oil, which of the following ways strikes you as a better way to get it:
1) Launch an incredibly costly war that will decimate Iraq's infrastructure and cost far, far, far more than any marginal difference in oil profits you'd get by 'cutting out the middle-man'?
2) Strike a deal with Saddam?
Or, hey, how about:
3) Realize that oil is a fungible commodity, and so who pumps it out of the ground usually isn't the real issue. As one secret classified intelligence source They Don't Want You To Know About (Wikipedia) puts it:
"Fungibility is the property of a good or a commodity whose individual units are capable of mutual substitution. Examples of highly fungible commodities are crude oil, wheat, orange juice ... "
Along with your 'wearing your politics on your sleeve' username, this is the sort of unthinking liberalism that gives the rest of us liberals a bad name. It's a homemade Chimpy McBusHitler sign as a substitute for grappling with the actual issues at hand.
11/05/09
Off to go change my screenname now to Chimpy McBusHitler. Or maybe FungibleCommodity. That has such a nice ring to it.
11/05/09
My goal is less to change your mind, per se, than to not let such statements pass by unchallenged. There's one of you; there are dozens of people in the peanut gallery. Hopefully if any of them have any question in their mind as to whether or not we're in a war over oil, they can look at your statement, look at mine, and sort things out for themselves.
11/05/09
Seriously, though: Thank goodness for cogent arguments like yours. If I may speak for all the other Unthinking Liberals in the peanut gallery, how else would we get our information? I personally might have gone on like this for years had you not taken the time set me straight. Because, you know, I'm too busy being an enemy of liberty and freedom to read the newspaper. (Oh, dear...which, come to think of it, is controlled by Unthinking Liberal Media Elites!)
Should I not respond to you again from here on out, please don't be sad. It's likely I'm off at a pro-war rally with other Thinking Liberals like you. See ya there! And to all you other Unthinking Liberals who may still not have made up your minds: Hope you'll join me!
Kisses,
Chimpy McBus Hitler (Still love that name!)
11/05/09
Sort of, but Monty Python did it better. www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOOTKA0aGI0 #camplejeune
03/11/09
03/10/09
I broke four toes at a Girl Talk concert and I was the LEAST injured of all of my friends (and we weren't even in the middle of the floor)
03/11/09
03/10/09
03/10/09
03/11/09
Those are weapon-firing, enemy-engaging, getting-shot-at combat roles, even if they is considered defensive and officially "non-combat" by the military for the purposes of accounting.
Women may not yet be "door-kickers" in today's military, but they are definitely in harm's way, and are definitely contributing to an enemy body-count.
03/10/09
Sometimes it makes me really sad that when Jezebel posts something really great, inspiring, and around deserving of appreciation like this, there are so many negative/snarky comments. I know the man is keepin' us down and stuff, but I just wish that we could get past the fact that the military is ruled by patriarchy, but these girls are doing something FABULOUS. Also, very dangerous. These girls are still our sisters and deserve more than snark about the fact the are in the military and female. I do know that most of it is sarcasm, but can we give credit when credit is due without pointing out the fact that the military can be shitty?
This is just my opinion, and I am biased, but I had to say something about the lack of pride and congrats these women are getting.
03/10/09
03/10/09
03/11/09
I am amazed the comments are not more supportive.
03/11/09
03/10/09
03/10/09
03/11/09
I am constantly hearing how awful the military is about covering rape up.
Well guess what I don't know of anywhere that it isn't. GO to any college, high school, police dept.,law firms or whatever and it happens. Is it right NO but as long as this world is looking at he says-she says it will happen and it SUCKS! I have been raped so yes I know and I have been there and done that and didn't want the fucking t-shirt but guess what I absolutely will NEVER blame an entire institution for what a sick bastard did. Should I call all lawyers trash or worse because of what happened to me?
Yes I am livid as I find that my greatest respect goes to those men and women who are putting their asses on the line day in and day out whenever they are called upon. I know we have a few here that have served or have family that have and those I thank. My family members have since the United States formed and we continue to. Presently I have several that are in both Iraq and in Afghanistan serving. How many others here would willing serve today?
03/10/09
03/11/09
Great PBS doc!
03/10/09
Pop, drop, and lock it...to peace!
03/10/09
03/10/09
03/10/09
03/10/09
03/10/09
03/10/09
not.
03/11/09
We're really in much more of a nineties revival than I realized!
03/10/09
03/10/09
03/10/09
03/10/09
That pic brings tears to my eyes.
03/10/09