This is one of many photographs that the current Administration prefer are not shown, supposably for "the privacy of families." But I think all of us over the age of 11 know the real reason why President Bush would rather not have the public see such images. He wants us to think of the war as an abstraction. Yet those who have friends and family on active duty in Afghanistan and Iraq don't have the luxury of such a remote and half-forgotten memory of the events playing out in the Middle East.
Here is a website where you can see the faces of those brave men and women who have given what Lincoln called "the last full measure of devotion to their country".
yep, it aint like vietnam that's for sure, all so sanitary and controlled.
ReplyDelete...or like a video game perhaps.
ReplyDeleteMy thoughts to all the parents who have lost children and to the children who have lost parents.
Yes indeed mestarr. Certain authorities in Washington have learned from that experience.
ReplyDeleteThis is true; a sad legacy from the first Gulf War in 1991, when the PR types at the Pentagon got to show off the newest technology of high definition video cameras that showed bird's eye views of "smart bombs" smashing away at bridges and buildings.
ReplyDeleteWe all enjoy the long weekend but sometimes forget why we have the extra day. It is suppossed to be a time of rememberance.
ReplyDeleteI am sure no one in DC wants us to see these photos.
I'm sure you're right.
ReplyDeleteIt does have an effect of slapping one in the face, seeing scenes like that. It makes you sit up and think of the massive loss of life on both sides. What has the world lost, what would they have gone on to do in later life? Sadly they, nor us, will ever find out.
ReplyDeleteIt does seem obscene that someone nurtures a child, and sees them grow up fine and strong, then a small thing like a bullet, and indeed, something with massive killing power like a bomb, leaves the families with only memories. When will we ever learn?
Cassandra
The government chooses to let us see What they want us to see--it's called propaganda---And the war we started is like a wildfire running rampant--It would like the bravada of the US heading over to Ireland and saying--We will fight this war till it ends--the bloodshed never ends--(throwing up my hands) and could go on forever as my husband is a cradle Republican--I became an election judge to cancel him out, basically! LOL
ReplyDeleteHope you all have a safe and blessed weekend! Peace be with you all! Geege
Have a safe and
I looked at the pictures you posted Doug....what a bloody waste of young lives to enrich the Exxon Mobil and Texaco executives. The politticians may send these people to to their deaths through illegal invasions of other peoples countries, but it is on behalf of the corporations that they do it. What an utterly deplorable scandal that is. Lives for the oil which those who survive have to pay increasing amounts to purchase because of the artificially hiked "shortage".... again the government hand in glove with the robber barons at Unocol and BP. The corporate 'mob' now have made so much money from all these scams they have completely lost contact with reality. They are megarich, they're laughing all the way to the bank, but life is the cheapest commodity in the world to them. Disgraceful!
ReplyDeleteI posted that exact same one on my 360 blog last year for Memorial Day ......... The picture says it all.
ReplyDeleteIt seems people learn for awhile, and some remember, but many people put on rose-tinted glasses and only seem to remember the social interaction with those who survived. I can't explain it.
ReplyDeleteNo argument there. The profits are obscene and recent news reports on the BBC make a good case that speculators have been the major catalyst, not the rise of China and India or those darlings at OPEC. Said greedheads are using the Iraq War to drive the price of oil up on lightly-regulated commodities markets--same old, same old.
ReplyDeleteExecutives at Exxon/Mobil and other outfits made it clear in their testimony to Congress that they put their shareholders first and rationalize the huge profits as part of a program to "find more energy". Pull the other one, guys.
So right geena...And I didn't think the media would let them get away with this. (dumb sod that I am.) But in the aftermath of 9/11, even years after, they are often as docile as puppies.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad to hear I follow in a good tradition.
ReplyDelete