Billmon:
In any case, here’s as crisp a military salute as this civilian can manage to Lt. Commander Swift, Col. Sullivan and the other military dissidents still fighting the good fights ..
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July 1, 2006
WB: Men of Honor
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cooks and liars links to mathews swift interview
SWIFT: It‘s not whether they deserve it or not. It‘s how we conduct ourselves. It has to do where if we say that our opponent can cause us not to follow the rules anymore, then we‘ve lost who we are. We‘re the good guys. We‘re the guys who follow the rule and the people we fight are the bad guys and we show that every day when we follow the rules, regardless of what they do. It‘s what sets us apart. It‘s what makes us great and in my mind, it‘s what makes us undefeatable, ultimately.
Posted by: annie | Jul 2 2006 3:33 utc | 1
I thought few people used such outdated concepts as “honor” these days. But since Billmon is doing so here, let me state that such men few of courage notwithstanding, it seems to me that the conduct of the US troops in Iraq, has brought lasting dishonor on themselves and their nation. That is, in addition to the total dishonor already earned by their political masters. Did they expect that when they set out in 2003, all gung-ho and optimistic?
From the outset, the only honorable course was to refuse to fight in this war, such as Lt. Watada is doing. Anything else makes them complicit in a criminal war of aggression, and each and every one of the soldiers had the means to know that going in. So spare me the false pieties whenever a few more of them get killed where they had no business being in the first place. My sympathy is all for the Iraqi victims.
Posted by: mira | Jul 2 2006 4:00 utc | 2
tonight i watched
possibly powell was the ultimate disappointment, but really all of them failed us. it is some bizarre testimony the ones that came forward and acknowledged their failure, their enabling of the lie. their method to the madness. still, what did they have to lose? what internally did they sacrafice to tow the line? what was it worth, it wracks my brain. were they under some spell?
what kind of david faces goliath w/no fear? w/the confidence he is truly doing his duty? who loves the ideal of his country, his constitution, his dream, his belief that doing whats right against all odds and it’s a no brainer? what separates him from the rest. it is one thing to claim it at the comfort of our computers and i for one think if called upon would sacrafice all for justice. but not only swift (love the name) , i think there are great patriots imbedded in our military, great people who have given their lives to defend their oath, thier dream of america. he gives me hope. i have some hope justice will prevail ultimately.it may take awhile, and we may not have much time, willing we have the time, but there was a victory this week, a victory for all of us. the stage has been set for redemption.
after watching the men interviewed for frontline, the men who prepared under pressure the lie of the nie the anguish the regret the failure to do the right thing, i can onlt appreciate and honor this Lt. Cmdr. Charles Swift . maybe i will try to meet him if he stays in seattle.
Posted by: annie | Jul 2 2006 7:11 utc | 3
“what kind of david faces goliath w/no fear?”
– the kind that has no family or circle of friends who could/would be harmed, perhaps for many years to come, if not outright physically, in terms of being blackballed, excluded from the halls of power?
Only a guess. Watching Darkside and all the sorrowful revealers testifying now about the hoax of the Cheney “intelligence”, the quashing of their doubts, I could not refrain from shouting at the screen: Where WERE you guys? Why not THEN? Daniel Ellsberg was begging for whistle blowers to take a stand, to come out of the shadows. Do they get better book deals now? What? What?
Posted by: Hamburger | Jul 2 2006 18:26 utc | 5