Saturday, July 14, 2007

Who are the terrorists, again?

Another couple quotes from the other war

In Iraq, Specialist Middleton said, "a lot of guys really supported that whole concept that, you know, if they don't speak English and they have darker skin, they're not as human as us, so we can do what we want."

...

Those few veterans who said they did try to reach out to Iraqis encountered fierce hostility from those in their units.
...

Probes into roadblock killings were mere formalities, a few veterans said. "Even after a thorough investigation, there's not much that could be done," said Specialist Reppenhagen. "It's just the nature of the situation you're in. That's what's wrong. It's not individual atrocity. It's the fact that the entire war is an atrocity."

...

"Just the carnage, all the blown-up civilians, blown-up bodies that I saw," Specialist Englehart said. "I just--I started thinking, like, Why? What was this for?"

"It just gets frustrating," Specialist Reppenhagen said. "Instead of blaming your own command for putting you there in that situation, you start blaming the Iraqi people.... So it's a constant psychological battle to try to, you know, keep--to stay humane."

"I felt like there was this enormous reduction in my compassion for people," said Sergeant Flanders. "The only thing that wound up mattering is myself and the guys that I was with. And everybody else be damned."

1 comment:

Megs said...

It's so wrong. I feel helpless. Eowyn (aged 1) and I marched in a Peace Protest in downtown Seattle the day the US invaded Iraq. We were RIGHT and now many people agree, but still that _________ GWB goes ahead and vetoes each voice telling the USA to get out of Iraq. I don't understand the complacence in this USA, where people can happily be fat and happy and totally not care about the suffering their nation is causing the world.

I just thought you were walking into the room behind me and then realised you're in New Mexico.

I like being married to you Bens!

Love you,
Meg