Charles Rangel (D-NY)
You know, a week or two ago I had some earnest idiot try to convince me that the leadership of the Democratic Party neither despises or hates Soldiers.
"I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of educational benefits. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment. If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq."
Charlie the Scumbag is right about one thing. We aren't out here fighting for educational benefits or a bonus (though I do appreciate them both). But then again, like most rich liberals, he is purely a Marxian economic animal and is incapable of understanding non-economic reward systems. Having no soul, he cannot comprehend things which motivate Soldiers.
In other words, things like 'honor' and 'comradeship' and 'duty' and 'patriotism' and knowing you aren't letting down your buddy. That's not something Democrats can understand. The things the Army offers, he can't wrap his tiny little brain around.
I've deployed three times, two of them to Iraq. I've reenlisted twice, both times in Iraq. Rangel and his crowd don't understand me and can't understand me. I'm not too worked up about it, though. I'll keep doing my job, and if I do it right then he'll never understand. Of course, faced with reality, he'd likely curl up into a ball and die rather than have a moment of discovery. But that's not my worry.
"I want to make it abundantly clear: if there’s anyone who believes that these youngsters want to fight, as the Pentagon and some generals have said, you can just forget about it. No young, bright individual wants to fight just because of a bonus and just because of educational benefits. And most all of them come from communities of very, very high unemployment. If a young fella has an option of having a decent career or joining the army to fight in Iraq, you can bet your life that he would not be in Iraq."
Charlie the Scumbag is right about one thing. We aren't out here fighting for educational benefits or a bonus (though I do appreciate them both). But then again, like most rich liberals, he is purely a Marxian economic animal and is incapable of understanding non-economic reward systems. Having no soul, he cannot comprehend things which motivate Soldiers.
In other words, things like 'honor' and 'comradeship' and 'duty' and 'patriotism' and knowing you aren't letting down your buddy. That's not something Democrats can understand. The things the Army offers, he can't wrap his tiny little brain around.
I've deployed three times, two of them to Iraq. I've reenlisted twice, both times in Iraq. Rangel and his crowd don't understand me and can't understand me. I'm not too worked up about it, though. I'll keep doing my job, and if I do it right then he'll never understand. Of course, faced with reality, he'd likely curl up into a ball and die rather than have a moment of discovery. But that's not my worry.
posted by Just A Decurion at 11/29/2006 11:53:00 AM
7 Comments:
I can NOT believe he said that....
Things like "honor", "comradeship", "duty", "patriotism", and "solidarity" (to use the technical term for not letting down your buddy, as communist as it may sound) aren't difficult to comprehend. In fact, they work under any circumstances, whether one fights for a good or a bad cause, a winning or a lost cause.
I don't think they should replace judgment.
I hope he faces reality soon then!!
On an entirely unrelated note, John. My friend Tim was a Soldier, and specifically a sniper with many confirmed kills during Vietnam. He lays dying of liver cancer in a Chicago hospital.
He cannot grasp that God can forgive him of the men he killed...at least one in hand-to-hand combat. He believes in God, and in fact accepts the authority of Scripture. But Scripture, and my words seem to bring him no peace. He will not accept that forgiveness.
First: can you pray for him, as one Soldier prays for another. Second, have you any idea what I can say for him.
As you know, I am rarely at a loss for words. But all I have are words now. All I have are characters forming on a text screen and these are no substitute for a real relationship. I am clueless.
It drives me crazy that politicians and the media seemingly have so little regard for our troops (I'm British, not American, but as far as I'm concerned our nations are in this together, or at least should be).
I do know that our soldiers ARE on the minds of the leaders of our main political parties at the moment, I just wish that it was less about photo oppertunities and more about giving the soldiers the support that they need to do the job
Have you ever visited EU Referendum? Although it's primarily about the EU, there's a lot of coverage about the hypocrisy of politicians and analysis on the effectiveness of the equipment and vehicles supplied to our soldiers (if they actually ever get them in the first place).
I've never served - I wanted to join the army or the marines after school, but wasn't eligible because I developed asthma as a teenager. I still have the highest respect, though, for the people who have been in the armed services and for those who still are.
I really wish that the public would read blogs from people like you who've actually been on the ground, instead of accepting the crap that the MSN feeds us (by law I have to pay the BBC for the right to watch TV, but if it was the other way round and they wanted to pay me to watch them, I'd tell them where to stuff it).
Anyway, you're doing a great job over there and there are still people who support you. God bless, and thank you for your posts.
You know you're talking about a man who was awarded a Bronze Star and the Purple Heart when he led what was left of his engineer company out of an overwhelming assult by the Chinese in the depths of a Korean winter? Right? His segregated engineer company. As a high school drop-out. After Korea he'd go on to use his GI Bill and get an education, and now he represents (and really does a good job when you consider his constituency) the state of New York.
Really I think a lot of what's going on with Mr. Rangel is him being taken out of context, and I find it very amusing that the last time he sponsored a bill for a draft (which he voted against in committee) no one said a word.
Hey John, Why don't you write a blog about the pope's visit to the Patriarch in Turkey?
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