My friend and colleague Hugh Hewitt notes that Sarah Palin is the first mother of an American soldier to be nominated for the second highest office in the land. I would add “soon to be deployed” to the descriptive before “American soldier.”
Do you realize how far this will go to disabuse the country of the made-up liberal lie that Republicans long for war? Do you realize how many mothers with kids in Iraq and Afghanistan will trust McCain-Palin to lead the American military strategically and into war only when necessary, given the high personal stakes BOTH of them have in the outcome? McCain has two sons in the military, one of whom just returned from a tour in Iraq. The other is at the Naval Academy and may be deployed to Iraq by the end of the year.
For the record, Joe Biden’s son will be deployed to Iraq in October. Biden’s reaction? “I don’t want him going.”
Militarism is good for business, folks. We live in a society where militarism is a necessary economic component (remember those warnings Ike gave?) and in order to continue to fund a massive military budget you need a constantly changing enemies list. New boogeymen hiding under the bed…communists, hippies, terrorists, socialists, etc.
We even create a few and put them in power. Hussein is a good example. Then they predictably go nuts, and we go in and spread some “democracy.”
Wake up and quit drinking the Jesus Kool-Aid. Once you go through detox, you can get on the road to recovery.
A Former Christian, now Agnostic and devoted anarchist….
Jeff,
I agree that no one WANTS their kids to go (that’s so obvious, why should it even be said?) However, my point is that the risks of volunteering to serve in the military includes the actual fighting of a war (imagine that!)
Please forgive me but I am a huge fan of absurdity. Monty Python did a sketch that illustrates the absurdity of someone joining the army and suddenly realizing that they might have to fight! Here is the dialog:
“SUPERIMPOSED CAPTION: ‘AND NOW . . . UNOCCUPIED BRITAIN 1970′
Cut to colonel’s office. Colonel is seated at desk.
Colonel Come in, what do you want?
Private Watkins enters and salutes.
Watkins I’d like to leave the army please, sir.
Colonel Good heavens man, why?
Watkins It’s dangerous.
Colonel What?
Watkins There are people with guns out there, sir.
Colonel What?
Watkins Real guns, sir. Not toy ones, sir. Proper ones, sir. They’ve all got ’em. All of ’em, sir. And some of ’em have got tanks.
Colonel Watkins, they are on our side.
Watkins And grenades, sir. And machine guns, sir. So I’d like to leave, sir, before I get killed, please.
Colonel Watkins, you’ve only been in the army a day.
Watkins I know sir but people get killed, properly dead, sir, no barley cross fingers, sir. A bloke was telling me, if you’re in the army and there’s a war you have to go and fight.
Colonel That’s true.
Watkins Well I mean, blimey, I mean if it was a big war somebody could be hurt.
Colonel Watkins why did you join the army?
Watkins For the water-skiing and for the travel, sir. And not for the killing, sir. I asked them to put it on my form, sir – no killing.
Colonel Watkins are you a pacifist?
Watkins No sir, I’m not a pacifist, sir. I’m a coward.
Colonel That’s a very silly line. Sit down.
Watkins Yes sir. Silly, sir. (sits in corner)
Colonel Awfully bad.”
I think of this sketch everytime someone says that they don’t want their child to go to war without stating that they understand the reasons why they must and how proud they are of their child.
As for the dissent quote, many on the left attribute it to Thomas Jefferson, but according to the Jefferson Library, this was not one of his quotes. Jefferson did believe in serious debate, but it has not been verified that he felt that dissent was the highest form of patriotism.
Dissent is a good thing when what you are discussing is a core value and your clear intent is for what is right. But I see most of the dissent in Washington stems from a desire to hold on to power at all costs, and this is a problem on both sides of the aisle.
That is the point that I was trying to make Greg. No one WANTS their kids to go. I am sure that Biden who Paul quoted as saying “I don’t want him going.” He would be absolutely proud of his boy even though he would desire, everyday, to see him come home. The picture painted is this “liberal” doesn’t want his boy to serve our country, typical liberal. My personal opinion is that it is painted incorrectly. A true American once said “‘Dissent is the greatest form of patriotism” criticizing the actions of our country and disagreeing on the methods of our leaders is not an indication of hatred, in fact, I think those who do, show greater love than those who do not speak out.
John 15:13 “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” Whether you believe in this war or not, it is an honorable position to stand in support of your child’s willingness to serve their country. It is an all volunteer force with absolutely obvious risks. The purpose of the military is to fight and defend our country, it is not their purpose to question the mission. Our military is the finest fighting force in the history of Mankind and I am so proud of their efforts.
If my son decided to join the military (and he has talked about it, by the way) and were to die on the battlefield, it would rip my heart out but I would be so honored that he gave his life for his nation. I can think of only one other more honorable way to die and that is to die as a martyr for his Christian Faith. When we have a true eternal perspective, we know that as God’s Elect (I know you Arminians don’t like that word, but it is in the Bible) we will have “Our Best Life, Then!” In the meantime, we do need to allow the Lord to work through us for HIS Glory and not ours.
I’m very exciited, and couldn’t be happier that McCain chose Palin!
http://loomisnews.wordpress.com/2008/08/31/i-heart-sarah-palin/
Pix, yeah, that’s what I was thinking but it seemed so obvious I was surprised Paul didn’t see it before he posted it.
I would think that even a true patriot deep down wouldn’t want their son going to even the most just of wars. This one has so many question marks surrounding it that anyone would be justified not wanting to send their loved one in harms way. Need I remind everyone, Bin Laden is still free. We should be asking why and holding all our leaders accountable for it.
Sarah Palin, for one. And perhaps anyone else who is a true American Patriot?
“For the record, Joe Biden’s son will be deployed to Iraq in October. Biden’s reaction? “I don’t want him going.””
Who would?