Gorbachev: Iraq

[GenuineRisk]

Here's an interesting email posted on balloon-juice.com from someone working in the military. The "theater" he's referring, to, I'm willing to assume, is Iraq. I'll put the link below, too.

"Just had an interesting conversation with a fellow who just returned from the theater and I mentioned my theory about the Prez going nucular about the supplemental funding resolution and its pullout dates because he was going to pull a lot of troops out next summer (the same timeframe) and claim it was because of “success.” He busted out laughing saying “of course that’s why” and its openly spoken of by the troops and leadership in Iraq.

He said KBR (Halliburton) has already started closing things down, cutting back the nice to haves, and letting go all their non-American employees (mostly eastern European guys). Clearly they’ve gotten the word to scale things way back.

Our side needs to be prepared to counter the propaganda that will be driving this. I know it’s politics as usual, but the soldiers who die in the meantime are pawns and should not be forgotten in the calculation. The military leadership, while always biased to conservatism, is particular craven in its failure to speak the truth and in its collusion in this charade.

The soldiers are generally not stupid, but many still feel somehow that they are fighting for American freedoms. It’s that loyalty and patriotism that is tapped by the venal jerks on the neo-con right and exploited. I am not ashamed of the soldiers or my former career as an officer, just the generals and culture that have become hypocritical and duplicitous in the un-American and undemocratic times we find ourselves.

You can put an “X” on your calendar next summer when “success” miraculously happens in Iraq."

http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=8289

Anyone want to wager the neo-cons will try to time "success" so that it will be of maximum benefit to their side in the elections?

but many still feel somehow that they are fighting for American freedoms

The soldiers I have contact with do not feel this way. They get through the mess by having small defined missions that they still try and carry out, and most importantly of all, they fight for each other. There is a huge sense of brotherhood based on keeping your unit intact and alive... while attempting to accomplish a mission. They try and stay alive for EACH OTHER while carrying out some goal. I got the very strong feeling that they live for each other. An overwhelming sense of working together while staying alive.

My take from soldiers over there, and those that were over in Iraq and are now back here. Sample size of 4 people.

[Downthestretch55]

Originally Posted by pgardn

but many still feel somehow that they are fighting for American freedoms

The soldiers I have contact with do not feel this way. They get through the mess by having small defined missions that they still try and carry out, and most importantly of all, they fight for each other. There is a huge sense of brotherhood based on keeping your unit intact and alive... while attempting to accomplish a mission. They try and stay alive for EACH OTHER while carrying out some goal. I got the very strong feeling that they live for each other. An overwhelming sense of working together while staying alive.

My take from soldiers over there, and those that were over in Iraq and are now back here. Sample size of 4 people.

Pgardn,
Interesting that this thread took the direction of going towards soldiers' motivations. I did post grad research on this topic, and I sure hope Somerfrost chimes in.
So, what drives a soldier to participate in a charge against well positioned forces as so many did during the Civil War? Or so many to "go over the top" and venture into no-man's land during WWI? Or be the first to jump out when the amphibious landing hit the shore at Normandy in WW II? Or...
Gosh! I could go on and on.
There really is commonality, and it has little to do with "patriotism", thoughts of freedom, or most of the other BS that the populace is fed that they're fighting for. The motivation that they put their lives on the sacrificial altar of war has nothing, absolutely NOTHING to do with the reasons that are given by those that initate the battles in which they die.
The truth is that they feel loyalty to their comrades, their "brothers". The mission comes down to "I don't want to disappoint them, nor do I expect them to disappoint me."
Pgardn, you got it right, "They try to stay alive for each other while carrying out some goal."
Bottom line, the goal is mutual survival, and nothing more.
For further reading:
http://www.truthdig.com/report/item/...e_of_atrocity/