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What is Netroots for The Troops? It's a group of Kossacks who put together very nifty care packages for our women and men in uniform overseas. Tonight, Kossack bubbanomics has a challenge up: well, I'll let bubbanomics tell it:
NFTT, or Netroots For The Troops, is a loose confederation of kogs dedicated to supporting our troops. One of our big activities is the NFTT Attack of the Care Packages, in which NN 2011 will pack the fruits of your donations for overseas shipping to the troops.
For each bharn this diary earns, I'll donate $100, up to a max of $500.
What's a "bharn"? It's mojo, friends! Named after that other Bill in Portland Maine (there are, in fact, two of us but it's that short guy, not me!). Please rec up This Diary and help our fearless warriors at home help those who are in harm's way.
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Some Thoughts About the Wars
Since we're talking about NFTT, I can't avoid offering some of my own thoughts about the conflicts we find ourselves in. I am a pacifist. I don't like war, and I certainly don't like the war in two theatres that we're engaged in. I was just old enough to appreciate the quiet terror of the Cold War, which was quite enough, thank you very much. When I was in my 20's and living and studying in Vienna, Austria, I demonstrated against the first Gulf War. I still have the poster from the torchlight parade of the Young Socialists in which I marched to protest that military action. I was never any supporter of Saddam, but I have also never been any supporter of war, either. It was very meaningful to me to protest war in what was once a capitol of militarism and the centre of oppression of ethnic minorities throughout the Hapsburg Empire.
That being said, our soldiers are not responsible for this war. We must never treat them the way some soldiers returning from Viet Nam were treated. You know, I attend church every week at the Episcopal Cathedral of St. Luke here in Portland, Maine. Nearly every week, it seems, names of fallen soldiers are read out. For what, I wonder, do they fall? Folly, I think. I'm not saying that we don't face very real enemies. But I do think that our engagements continue to put very real people, very real young people, in greater danger than we here at home are likely to ever face. I wish it would stop. Right. Now.
I apologize for writing such a political diary tonight. Many of you may disagree with me. Which means we're all Democrats, I guess. However, I felt it necessary to get this off my chest. How many more must die for the inability of women and men to talk things out, for the statesmen and women who prefer to send their children into battle rather than work things out for themselves? I know it is not that simple but as a person born in the middle of the Viet Nam war and the Cold War, this country has been at war all my life. I would, for once, like to see it at peace.
And now, without further ado, on to Top Comments!!
From BlackSheep1:
In 8ackgr0und N015e's diary Sarah Palin plays the "pussy" card, IowaEdwardsSupporter had the perfect comment.
From an unknown kossack:
thenekkidtruth asks a rhetorical question in Joan McCarter's post Senior Republicans: We could drop that whole Medicare abolishment thing.
Diarist's note: and this is why we beg you to include your username!
From gizmo59:
suzq offers these pithy responses to those who claim that all credit for the bin Laden raid belongs to the military, and none to the President, from blue aardvark's diary David Koch displays his utter asshattery once again.
from commonmass:
Kossack Unit Zero talks about waterboarding in this comment in LaFeminista's diary Fox Noise: Yay Lets All Waterboard!
Thank you all so much for reading. Diaries are wonderful, but what makes the Daily Kos the Daily Kos are our comments on them. Dialogue heals the world, and sometimes, it's even funny! Keep 'em coming to Top Comments. Peace, my Kossack sisters and brothers!