tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post112457096767002217..comments2023-10-02T06:06:38.784-05:00Comments on Fires Along the Tallgrass: Their Blood Cries Out From the GroundPhil Dillon, Prairie Apologisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00933117233625601141noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124896305939551942005-08-24T10:11:00.000-05:002005-08-24T10:11:00.000-05:00Well done! I disagree heartily with about 90% of w...Well done! I disagree heartily with about 90% of what you're saying, but at least you say it well and, contra the accusation in another comment, respectfully to those who have lost loved ones in the war.<BR/><BR/>One factual correction: When the people of Halabjah were killed in 1988, the CIA's conclusion was that it was not Saddam Hussein -- through "Chemical Ali" or anyone else -- who conducted the attack. Halabjah was located near the front line of the war with Iran, and along the axis of an Iranian advance. The condition of the bodies was consistent with the use of cyanide, a weapon which the Iranians had (and used) and the Iraqis didn't.<BR/><BR/>It was only a couple of years later, when it became convenient for the US to recognize the atrocities of Ba'athist Iraq, that the US waved a magic wand over Halabjah and made it an Iraqi, rather than Iranian, attack.<BR/><BR/>Regards,<BR/>Kn@ppsterThomas L. Knapphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16271473384378782680noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124817074626768222005-08-23T12:11:00.000-05:002005-08-23T12:11:00.000-05:00Excellent post. You present pictures that NO liber...Excellent post. You present pictures that NO liberal blogsite seems to have, and present the side of Iraq NO liberal discusses.<BR/><BR/>Gee - think they have some hidden agenda?JustaDoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10003082580136787667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124727825163891942005-08-22T11:23:00.000-05:002005-08-22T11:23:00.000-05:00I think the war is a lie. That's my opinion. I bac...I think the war is a lie. That's my opinion. I back Cindy's stance to end the war. Saddam was a bad guy but I don't think depoing him was the reason the US invaded. I always say, there are far more people in deep dark Africa that need freedom and help than there are in Oil rich Middle eastern countries.<BR/><BR/>BTW, your photo showing the hanging man on the inset isn't quite right. The backgrounds are different.Glyn (Zaphod) Evanshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04906751312491381988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124665492988341112005-08-21T18:04:00.000-05:002005-08-21T18:04:00.000-05:00The subtext to this post — and I mean no disrespec...The subtext to this post — and I mean no disrespect to Phil by saying this — seems to be that what came out of the invasion of Iraq was so good (namely, Saddam Hussein’s removal from power) that how this country went to war in the first place is irrelevant. But the fact remains that Bush’s rationale for going to war was based on exaggerations, half-truths, and outright lies. I think that’s very important and very disturbing. Bush obviously wanted to rush this country into a needless shooting war, and he did so by pulling a fast one the American people. This is a horrifying precedent, and all the fallen dictators in the world should not distract us from it. <BR/><BR/>The media is paying attention to Cindy Sheehan because she’s a ligitimate story. She represents a legitimate point of view, although I do not always agree with the way that she expresses it. But she is able to voice the anger that many of us feel over Bush telling us before the invasion that this was a war of necessity. We now know that this was a war of choice. Bush ordered Casey Sheehan to put his life on the line because of Hussein’s weapons of mass destruction. We now know that those weapons were never there. And I doubt that Bush’s unthinking invasion of a country that has now become a hotbed of terrorism has made America any safer. <BR/><BR/>With Democrats marginalized by their minority status in Congress, and therefore unable to hold meaningful hearings about the war, Cindy Sheehan puts a compelling human face on the human costs of Bush’s arrogance. The anti-war movement in this country is diffuse but real — Cindy Sheehan gave the movement a center. For all her verbal gaffes and strategic <I>faux pas</I>, she is calling attention to a very legitimate issue: no one in authority is holding Bush accountable for his falsehoods in the build-up to war. The fact that so many conservatives are now making excuses for Bush’s misleading statements is appalling. <BR/><BR/>By the way, the first extended news report about Cindy Sheehan that I heard included the voices of military parents who disagreed with her. The media isn’t as liberal as conservatives say. The mandate of the media is to scrutinize the government and report on it. Since Republicans control all branches of the government, that entails scrutinizing more Republicans than members any other political party. I didn’t think that the media was particularly “liberal” during its feeding frenzy over Clinton’s illicit liaison with Monica Lewinsky — which was about sex, so made for more lucrative “copy” than the war now does. Conservatives won’t be happy until the media is a mouthpiece for the Republican Party.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124653758638713652005-08-21T14:49:00.000-05:002005-08-21T14:49:00.000-05:00You bet...and I'm a Republican.You bet...and I'm a Republican.Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17364474203368804347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124646252833266722005-08-21T12:44:00.000-05:002005-08-21T12:44:00.000-05:00JayI'm a Democrat!Jay<BR/><BR/>I'm a Democrat!Phil Dillon, Prairie Apologisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00933117233625601141noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124646053742581082005-08-21T12:40:00.000-05:002005-08-21T12:40:00.000-05:00It's finally happened. Conservatives are so inves...It's finally happened. Conservatives are so invested in Bush and defending his war that they've resorted to slandering the mothers of fallen soldiers.<BR/><BR/>Shame has reached a new low for these keyboard warriors that cannot comprehend the meaning of sacrifice for country. So blinded are they with their devotion to their party.Jayhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17364474203368804347noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124635793045024762005-08-21T09:49:00.000-05:002005-08-21T09:49:00.000-05:00I agree, bravo.I agree, bravo.Wyrfuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01108378377720475315noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124634272761064602005-08-21T09:24:00.000-05:002005-08-21T09:24:00.000-05:00Well said and thought out. BravoWell said and thought out. BravoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124591850476448202005-08-20T21:37:00.000-05:002005-08-20T21:37:00.000-05:00Phil, all I can say is AMEN! I've been a silent lu...Phil, all I can say is AMEN! I've been a silent lurker to your site for a long time and just had to de-lurk to tell you what a heartfelt and compassionate piece you have written. Yet, you still maintained the professionalism and objectivity of avoiding the 'taking sides' trap. Thanks for such a great piece. I'll definitely keep reading.<BR/>JimmyJimmyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07135471996659891634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7734846.post-1124578594895328022005-08-20T17:56:00.000-05:002005-08-20T17:56:00.000-05:00god would use nukesgod would use nukesHiker Hobohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16504355766742627891noreply@blogger.com