Joining the US Navy Diver

[fisherdvm]

I guess my question to you is, who is our enemy. Currently, about 95% of the muslim population consider our decision to enter Iraq wrong. Including over 90% of the US citizens who are muslim.

We have entered this war with the intention of financing it from Iraq oil. However, the burden of paying for the 20000 wounded, maimed and dead soldiers will be borne by us and our children.

We entered this war with the promise to build more school, hospitals, and improve the infrastructure of the country. Instead, the majority of the doctors in Iraq have fled for safety, 90% of the christians have fled for their life, the oil production is below pre-war period, hospitals are damaged, closed, and out of supplies and medicines, and not one single weapon of mass destruction has been found.

Now, Mr. FishbOy, please tell me why I should support this war. I have served my 4 years of active duty, and have been in the reserve for 11 years, I think I deserve to have my own opinion about this war.

The soldiers who are actively serving are coming to the same conclusion, so have many retired military officers that have recently left.

I guess you would put them in the same boat, huh, as being unpatriotic??

My decision for resigning my commission 3 years ago was not because I feared war. It was a financial decision as I opened my own private practice. If I were still in the reserve, my home, my office, and my financial well being would collapse.

If you recall, fishbOy, the government set up an insurance company to protect reserve and national guard members from financial bankrupcy. The insurance fund was exhausted within 1 year of the iraq war.

Who is going to protect my wife, my 3 children, and my future if I were still in the reserve? Will you send me a check when it happen??

The government has made many promises. They tell you, remain in the reserve, and just buy insurance to protect you in case of a war.

They didn't back that insurance fund did they??

The VA hospital is going to run out of fund to care for the 20K soldiers who were injured by the war. What will be the long term cost of paying for that?

We expect alot of our government, but just remember, you can't complain when your tax goes up because of this war.... It's unpatriotic.

 

[fisherdvm]

"Are you willing to sacrifce for your country, while asking for little in return? "

I would be the first to volunteer to sacrifice for my country. I would not volunteer to sacrifice my life for an ethnic civil war that has no end in sight.

History speaks for itself - ethnically divided nation like Somalia, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan, and the indian continent - can not be ruled by a democratically elected government despite thousands of years of attempts by France, England, Russia, and the United Nation.... Why do you think Iraq would be different.

Vietnam, Japan, Korea, and Europe recovered well after years of war, but remember, they are not as ethnically divided as Iraq and Afghanistan.

 

[fisherdvm]

It seems like the ultimate solution for Iraq is dividing the nation in to Kurds, Shi-itees, and Sunnis. Like India hindus and Pakistans Muslims. And what we have done in Yugoslavia.

But the cost of dividing a country, backed by Sunni terrorist and Shi-itees terrorist supported by Syria and Iran - is going to be tremendous, and not a burden any of us willing to bear.

At the same time, having soldier coming home in body bags or missing limbs, skulls, jaws, and vision is also not acceptable.

When you propose a good solution to this war, I will support it.

 

[fisherdvm]

Countless leaders of the North Vietnemise goovernment during the war have since explicitly stated that the greatest reason for their victory was the knowledge that in the US ther was so much opposition to the war. If not for that they would have lost the will to fight because after Tet they were beaten. Knowing their enemy had no heart to continue the fight while in a better statigic position allowed them to continue theirs.

Yes, Iraq is becoming another Vietnam in many aspects and it seems that the same mistakes will be played out again.

"Winning" is not a criteria for success. We lost in Nicaragua, but the "little people" likely won because of the Sandinista. And not literacy has increased, so has tourism, and they have a democratic government.

I agree, us winning in Vietnam might have done good for the country. But remember, Vietnam has held no animosity toward the US, to christianity, and is not divided as a culture or as a country.

Iraq is not a war that can not be won. American soldiers are baby sitters to a houseful of juvenile delinquents with guns, improvised explosive devices, and portable rockets.

Support for the war was lost when we were told the truth about the lies by the administration to enter Iraq. There was international and muslim support for iraq war part I, but why did we enter it alone on part II, Bush II?? Because we trusted our president and our intelligent.

Tell me how to win this war, and I would support this war.

 

[letterboy]

I love how people take threads that have a lot of good information in them for the original poster and turn them into there own political soap box.

 

[fisherdvm]

I think only 2 people gave this young man pertinent information. The rest bashed him for being a coward and unpatriotic. You wonder why he has not responded since the 4 th post.

It became political as soon as one call me a coward and unpatriotic.

 

[letterboy]

I don't see anywhere that someone says Fisherdvm you are a coward or unpatriotic. . .

I see where someone said something you said was a cope out.

 

[letterboy]

I think only 2 people gave this young man pertinent information.

As far as giving him pertinent information I believe most of the post basically said we understand your scared now man up and try it before you decide to quit. . .

 

[cerich]

Fisherdvm,

Well written.

I take it from your post that you are a Medical Doctor, with your service I would expect that you made O-4, possibly O-5. I question your argument that at that pay scale with your specialty you would have been unable to provide for your family. I will grant that your practice would suffer and your employees. By your own admission you choose money over service. Thankfully we have these choices. I also choose to follow other paths after 10.5 years of active service.

I've served in the former Yug with the UN in 92 and in the first Gulf War. Let me assure you that things sometimes do look bleak, the mission impossible and the people we are trying to help ungrateful to the point of hostility. The task in Iraq is small compared to either world war and the "cost" in lives and suffering is very low.

We often wrap the cloak of patriotism around service in the military, yet increasingly the nature of our service is international and it becomes less clear if indeed what we are doing is for "flag and country". I contend that service has become "for humanity" which is IMHO a higher calling and greater degree of service and sacrifice. It's also harder to justify except as the most altruistic of callings and actions.

As a medical professional you know better than most that for all of us one day this life will end, that people get sick and hurt for no seeming reason. As a soldier fighting so that others may live and enjoy what we take for granted there is reason in the madness and randomness of life.

Biggest mistake in Iraq? Giving them governmental control and freedoms too quickly in order to please those that felt the US shouldn't be there, foreign and domestic.

 

[cerich]

Fisherdvm,

Well written.

I take it from your post that you are a Medical Doctor, with your service I would expect that you made O-4, possibly O-5. I question your argument that at that pay scale with your specialty you would have been unable to provide for your family. I will grant that your practice would suffer and your employees. By your own admission you choose money over service. Thankfully we have these choices. I also choose to follow other paths after 10.5 years of active service.

I've served in the former Yug with the UN in 92 and in the first Gulf War. Let me assure you that things sometimes do look bleak, the mission impossible and the people we are trying to help ungrateful to the point of hostility. The task in Iraq is small compared to either world war and the "cost" in lives and suffering is very low.

We often wrap the cloak of patriotism around service in the military, yet increasingly the nature of our service is international and it becomes less clear if indeed what we are doing is for "flag and country". I contend that service has become "for humanity" which is IMHO a higher calling and greater degree of service and sacrifice. It's also harder to justify except as the most altruistic of callings and actions.

As a medical professional you know better than most that for all of us one day this life will end, that people get sick and hurt for no seeming reason. As a soldier fighting so that others may live and enjoy what we take for granted there is reason in the madness and randomness of life.

Biggest mistake in Iraq? Giving them governmental control and freedoms too quickly in order to please those that felt the US shouldn't be there, foreign and domestic.

By the way Iraq can be won, but it will take a generational presence before enough non combat contact between cultures can effect a peaceful change.