On Jun 29, Jo Firey posted:

I know just what you mean. If you know what I mean.

The thing I was reacting to, as I struggle to avoid and
generally succeed in that task, was the chanting of a
mantra, a pro-US military mantra at that, on an
international newsgroup, that clearly had the built-in
assumption that everyone would agree with it and the issues
such mantras promote.

While the lovely vague statement you make here is an
admirable one, it is simplistic in it's assessment of world
events to say the least. Many people around the world are
horrified by the US's continued breaches of fundamental
principles, its transparent spin to avoid dealing with the
demands for explanations that make no sense other than a
clear intent to establish a military dominance over each and
every other nation in the world, and the continuing illegal
and immoral kidnapping and detention of civilians from many
nations in torture camps like GBay.

As the last time any country behaved like this was in 30s
Europe, and involved the support of pretty much the same
dynasties as today's "adventures", you'll understand why so
many fear what the US has become in the world, what it now
represents, and what that keeps on manifesting.

If responses to vague pro-what-the-US-is-now patriotic
chantings is not to one's liking, one could always refrain
from assuming that the rest of the world agrees with them
and just not post them on a medical support NG.

As for those "troops"...

Do you mean those kids with no other future who wish the
**** they'd not joined up, who shoot at anything that moves
through fear, who's psycological preparations for their
"operations" in other people's hometowns unclude violent
video games and having heavy metal tracks like "Burn
muthafucka burn!" piped through their headsets?

These are not the "international police force" some people
seem to have the strange idea they are. Assuming that many
nations actually wanted foreign troops marching about in
their country, which many don't, these kids are not it.

You wanna "support" them? Bring them home. Let them live.

(Lets just forget about all the dead civilians in other
countries for the moment shall we?)

The image of some strong representative of justice striding
through the world bringing peace and democracy to other
countries (whether they want it or not) is something still
in the British psyche, and to see the same rehashed
propaganda being accepted and even celebrated, does prompt a
reaction to challenge it. Just as your reaction was to
challenge what you found in my followup.

You wanna chant? Go ahead. Its a free world.

Just don't get in a twist when challenged.

As I mentioned,

www.killinghope.org

...along with other resources, does put a new slant on things.

God bless America, and Iraq, and Iran, and Russia, and
China, and East Timor, and Syria, and Palestine, and...

...you get the idea...