Kerry Says what We're All Thinking
And Bush thinks he should apologize.
What sorts of people make up the bulk of the soldiers on the ground in Iraq? Are they mostly West Point trained? Are they mostly upper-middle class sons and daughters? Is the proportion of people of color to whites comparable with the population of the US? I don't have the firm answers or statistics but I know what I've seen.
I've recently seen an active-duty military person bring his baby into my ER for a choking incident. He and his wife were white. They were living in a motel at the moment. I know people who are in the reserve or National Guard who've only gotten into the military for the educational benefits.
Can anybody get me some stats on the number of soldiers on the ground in Iraq who have college degrees? As opposed to those who are there in the hope of obtaining a college degree and ticket to a better life through a stint in the service...supposing they survive.
Come on, Michael Moore pointed out years ago in Farenheit 911 that military recruiters target people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
This isn't to say that serving our country in the military is not honorable. God bless our troops! I wish nothing more than for every one of them to make it home whole and sound (and sooner rather than later). But facts are facts. The military machine is run on the blood, sweat and tears of the poorer people in this country. It's not the sons and daughters of lawmakers who are over there losing their lives. Many / most of them are ordinary slugs like you and me who were looking for a way to improve their lives and got no other help from our government that an offer to put their lives on the line for four years in order to earn some college money.
I know it's unpopular, but Kerry's only said what much of this country's known and been saying for over three years. The government created a situation where poorer people could not find a way to get an education then offered the carrot of educational benefit for risking life and limb in the military. Who do you really think took them up on that? It wasn't my son (thank God) because I was able to make sure he got four years in college instead. It was the children of the people who could not afford to do for their sons what I was able to do for mine.
If anybody should apologize, it should be Bush and the Republicans who have stripped so much away from so many over the last dozen years!
Rant over.
tags: Bush / classisim / Kerry / racism / US politics
posted by Cheryl @ 11:09 AM
4 Comments:
It wasn't until the White House and the media jumped all over Kerry's statement that I even considered it was disparaging. How absurd, eh? Especially when you consider Bush's statement today in an AP interview:
"...Bush said he did not foresee a change in the immediate future in the number of U.S. troops in Iraq. 'They've got what they can live with...'" Wonder if the media will pick up on that.
I agree that Iraq is absolutely fubar and we have to look no further than W, Dick, and Rummy for blame. Being a former conservative, I come to realize how W has succeeded in vilifying the GOP to a generation of kids who won't know who Richard Nixon was. I say that to immutably state that I am not a W or GOP apologist by any stretch of the imagination. However, Kerry was way out of line to say what he did. Regardless of what he meant to say or what joke he says he botched, what he said smacked of wealthy elitism and he should apologize to our troops for insinuating that they're in Iraq because they're not "educated." A recent survey has found that 99% of all enlisted men and women have High School Diplomas (not GED's) and over 97% of Officers have Bachelor Degrees. What he said was insensitive, crass, and frankly, stupid. Having said that, Kerry isn't the only one who should line up an apology. W, Dick, and Rummy should go door to door apologizing to soldier's families for getting their sons/daughters killed in a bullshit war that we have absolutely no business fighting. Love your blog. Keep up the good work. :)
"Make the world a better place, punch George Allen in the face."
The best defense is a good offense, RfR. The damn shame of it is Kerry is now getting booed over this when I understood it to be an indictment of the administration and the military's abuse of poor people in this country. If you want a better life and you're part of the middle or lower-middle classes who are being gradually squeezed out of college degrees, what other choices do you have? Of course recruiters target the poor. Damn shame folks can't see beyond the rhetoric to the real issues of class in the military.
And why would the media, which is as we all know strongly liberal biased, pick up on something untoward to spring from the mouth of Bush. You've almost got to wonder what naked pictures Rove has got of editors and tv news producers in this country nowadays.
Hiya Should..."fubar" = F**ked Up Beyond All R???
I agree Kerry should apologize for any misunderstanding but I fully appreciate his intent. The current administration and last several Congresses have wreaked havoc on the ability of lower and middle class families to send their children to college. How many kids have seen their chances, short of scholarhips, dwindle to the point where they see on other choice but to serve in the military in order to afford a college education?
And how's this for a radical, liberal idea...mndatory military service for all able-bodied citizens. Two years' service from everybody, including congressperson's children. Let's see how likely the hawks arer to involves us in some idiological conflict when their own sons and daughters might be placed in harm's way!
Apparently, George personally signing almost 3,000 letters of condolence to surviving family members of casualties is deemed sufficient by this administration.
Love the George Allen line!
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