Not joking, he just said that on C-Span.
The context, you ask? The parroted assertion of Iraq being the central front of the war on terror...as function of this importance, "Iraq is somewhat akin to Normandy..."
Now, I'm only 27 years old. And I'm far from a war historian. But I did have two grandfathers that served, both of whom were wounded and heavily decorated in WW II. Does that give me any credibility? Only in the sense that I've heard the stories, and seen the evidence of their sacrifice (in the case of one, an absent right arm, in the case of the other, limited use of his legs from an attack on his paratrooper company).
All that said, pardon my language...who the FUCK do these people think they are??
You CANNOT just throw "Normandy" around in off-the-cuff comments. Is it just me, or is that utterly reprehensible? Where is the outrage? Am I overreacting?
This is at least the second time in a week there has been a passing allusion to WWII in reference to Iraq...let's deconstruct this fallacy, please add on to things that I miss (which will undoubtedly be numerous):
- The Iraq miltary paled in comparison to the power of the German forces, to say the least. Some of the aformentioned stories referenced the tactical expertise and quality of technology the Germans employed...in short, an army unmatched across Europe in its overall ability.
- Last time I checked, Iraq did not possess anything remotely close to expansionist aims...and the last time they invaded a sovereign land, that "threat" was dealt with. But dealt with due to fear of regional destabilization? The aformentioned expansionist aims? No. The three-letter world, of course, that is more on the lips of everyone in this country than ever before.
Allied Forces were most decidely NOT fighting for oil at Normandy.
- If a member of the Foreign Relations Committee actually thinks that there is a "central front" to combating terrorism, then I'm pretty sure we're all screwed...but more to the point, the policies that this adminstration advances, policies supported by Allen, further fragment "terrorism" every day.
This is a nameless, faceless enemy. Madrid proved that. London proved that. There are no Germans, or Japanese, or Italians. There are no uniforms, there are no flags. I DARE you to attempt to paint terrorism with the broad and inherently peaceful brush of Islam.
Apologies for the lack of focus of this diary...but Allen's comment really struck a cord with me. I am tired of (again, pardon) this kind of bullshit rhetoric going unchecked in our society.
When will SOMEONE call a spade, a spade?