[nuconvert]

"One suspects that U.S. troops were party to some awful events in the Pacific and European theaters of World War II, all gone in the mists of history and the enemy's defeat. Not now. Gen. Chiarelli's magnificent "99.9%" notwithstanding, it's the phenomenon of the so-very-public 0.01%--at Abu Ghraib, on an Afghan street, at Haditha--that is breaking America's will this time."

[bubman]

What troubles me is that if the american soldier feels that its nation will always hang them out to dry when the $hit hits the fan, a Milai over and over, then maybe god forbid they will not fight when asked unless they deem it a worthy fight not because a civilian overseer tells them to fight. Then on that day will be the end of the republic.

Maybe the NYTimes and its ilk can muster up a fighting unit to do the heavy lifting instead. Yeah right!!

[Ike]

Has anybody pointed out that over 100 innocent men, women and children were massacred at Waco, under the orders of our own Justice Dept., to get one man, David Koresh? That the people responsible were never held accountable?
This whole thing makes me sick! Our troops are facing death every day, and the lack of respect in the media ia appalling (sorry, dead horse beating OFF!)

[FlipWilson]

I don't know if the author is correct. I simply don't believe we are reliving the Vietnam days when protesters greeted our troops at the airports calling them "baby killers and spitting in their faces." Oh, to be sure there is that element and they are active. But, the American People by and large know that this is an all volunteer armed forces. The American People by and large admire these young men and women who volunteered, especially since most everyone knows someone who has made that bold choice.

What we do know for certain is this. The MSM is a world unto itself. They create their own reality with wish piece reporting that is based on their own wish piece reporting and their polls which by now have been systematically proved to be rigged. Its not a case of seeing a bad poll and crying "foul" or discounting it just because we don't like the results. We have seen the internals where democrats are oversampled by 5-10% and the questions are posed such that no other result than the desired one is possible.

I do believe that the American People are tiring of the War in Iraq. But, I believe they are tiring of not achieving victory. That is starkly different from what the MSM would have us believe, namely, that the American People are tired of U.S. policies, want our defeat and look dis-favorably upon our military. The American People are savvy enough to tell the difference between wanting a successful conclusion in Iraq and actively promoting the victory of our enemies. But, the polls never probe for this difference. Instead, the polls ask the simple question of whether one wants our troops out. Well, who the hell doesn't, but the REAL question is, under what conditions?

The author misses one more fundamental difference between today and Vietnam, and it is an important one. There is an alternative media that has a power of its own. The more biased and one sided the so called MSM is, the more fuel for the alternative or new media's fire. Whether it carries the day or not, the alternative perspective is being put forth and the MSM is being challenged.

I say, let the MSM overplay its hand and cast every brave man or woman wearing the uniform of their country as a tyrant or poor victim who had no choice but to become a tyrant. At the end of the day, I have faith that the result of this attack will not be an erosion of American will, but a further and continuing erosion of the so called "main stream" media's credibility.

[usmcobra]

It should be always pointed out that no one was ever sent to prison over My Lai, including Lt. Calley who was ordered freed from House arrest after waiting three years for the appeals process to work.

My Lai was a planned attack on suspected Viet Cong strongholds during the height of the Tet Offensive that created Seymour Hersh's journalistic career after he spent hours interviewing Lt. Calley prior to his trial, those interviews Calley gave Hersh allowed him to later try Calley in the press, the rest they say is history.

[StarCMC]

"Mr. Fisher, whose family runs the Fisher House Foundation for the military, suggested that the men and women at arms were being forgotten. And he apologized to them. "I apologize to you for carrying the burden of this nation's commitment to freedom and liberty alone." Mr. Fisher's bitterness over the troops is a Cassandra cry, a portent. But why now?

Opinion polls put support for the war below 40%. Still, it has become obligatory now as a nod across the political spectrum to the corrosive Vietnam Syndrome, to reassure that one's opposition is only to the war, not to the men fighting it.

Really? How does that work? "


WOW -- my question too.

[STARWISE]

Even the military is LEAKING to the NYSlimes!!

"But a senior Marine general familiar with the investigation told the newspaper ``It's impossible to believe they didn't know,'' referring to mid-level and senior officers. ``You'd have to know this thing stunk,'' the general, who was granted anonymity along with others who described the investigation, was quoted as saying."

[Dat Mon]

Playing peace keeper and policeman in a war torn, urban guerrilla setting has to be incredibly tough, frustrating work at times.

Its not, IMO, what our military does best.

All these men are, of course, innocent until proven guilty in a court of military law, but beyond that, let no one sitting safe and secure back here in the states, judge what may have happened over there, and why it happened.

Absent clear, compelling evidence of a war crime, I'm inclined to give these guys the benefit of the doubt.

[jonrick46]

Question: Why has there not been any word from the defense?