My littlest brother

So my youngest brother is a Black Hawk mechanic in the Army stationed in Korea. He’s oh so very smart. And never asked my opinion before joining up . He’s started “blogging” although sometimes I wonder about the wisdom give my paranoia about censorship. You can find him here: http://www.livejournal.com/users/red70.

I recently asked him about the war in Iraq. He responded and this is my reply:

(ok you are not so small — but neither is Jason and I can’t believe he knows how to read)

You sound like a man in the military. And in many ways it makes me so very very sad that you have to constantly think about, and know people who are dying.

I think where you are is much more important then our Iraqi occupation. I believe in having a strong military. China/Korea and now Russia — Putin is taking advantage of the U.S’s distractions — are the real threats.

I don’t believe that our volunteer soldiers — because you and they join up for reasons very different from draftees — should be exploited. They should be used carefully and given every means to succeed.

Iraq is not about freedom. The country never poised a threat to the US way of life (because it’s about our way of life not democracy). Talk about human right’s abuses? Talk about 9/11? Bin Laden and Al Quaeda were never even in Iraq — they thought Saddam Hussein was a lunatic and he never answered any requests for support. Al Quaeda is there now. How many hijackers were Iraqi? How many hijackers did U.S. soldiers think were Iraqis? Lots. In reality, none. 15 were Saudis. Our allies.

Iraq is about Oil. And about Cheney and his bunch winning lucrative government contracts. Halliburton? Look at what they’ve done with supplying our soldiers?

Before the U.S. arrived, Iraq was a secular government. A tyrannical dictatorship (previously supported by the U.S.), but NOT Islamic fundamentalist. We’ve given the extremist something more to fight over and rationalize their actions.

Invading Iraq was the most undemocratic thing the U.S. has ever done.

And men and women are dying. Because they believe in ideals and are willing to fight for them, and believe that their leaders will hold that precious.

This administration doesn’t. Some do. Colin Powell and others — but they’ve lost.

How democratic is the Patriot Act? Or Guantanamo? Or Abu Garai? Is it ok to suspend our ideals sometimes?

What about the Sudan? or Somalia? or Burma? or Zimbabwe or many many other places. But the thing is there is no oil. We tried Somalia.

Look at what’s happening in Afghanistan.

Look at what’s happened to our International standing. We may be the super power — but we can’t fight wars on many foreign fronts, and we are not alone on this planet.

I am extremely saddened that your friend gave his life, and that so many more men and women are at this very moment.  I applaud their courage — and would never disrespect the way or for what reasons they gave their lives. But, I feel very guilty for betraying their trust.

Because it’s my responsibility — and everyone else who believes in our democratic ideals.

We sold out to fear. An unrealistic fear propagated by the current administration.

Because N.Korea scares me far more than Iraq has ever frightened me — the U.S. got distracted, didn’t hold up our end of the bargain (fuel to prevent them from firing up their nuclear plants) and now we have another crazy man in the world with nuclear capabilites and nothing to lose.

I’m glad you are in Korea. But I really wish you were at University, drinking too much, arguing about philosophy, literature, politics and having your heart broken — and just learning to think. Without death looming over your shoulder.

But you are there. Learn something you are not supposed to, and be a good representative of those democratic ideals.