Monday, July 27, 2009

Adieu Harry Patch


There was a reason they called WWI the “War to End All Wars.” It was a nightmare. Eight million soldiers and seven million civilians were killed. Twenty-two million soldiers and countless civilians were injured. That’s just flat-out nasty. How do I know? Because I knew what was on the mind of Harry Patch and over the weekend, Harry Patch died. Patch was the last man alive who actually fought in the trenches in WWI. At 111 years old, he’d lived a long life but what struck people most about Harry Patch was his vigorous anti-war stance. He didn’t even talk about his experiences ‘til he was 100. But once he hit the century mark, he let loose, calling war, “…organized murder and nothing else.” Since Patch had first-hand experience with the nastiness that is war, you’d think people would have listened to him. You’d be wrong.


As we speak, the United States has 140,000 troops fighting in Iraq. In Afghanistan, we’ve got 50,000. Two wars, for the wrong reasons, against the wrong people. Hell, the United States has military personnel in almost forty foreign countries! WTF do we need our soldiers in fucking Norway? Are we protecting ‘em from the Swedes? In regard to Patch, Prince “I am NOT Gay” Charles said, “The Great War is a chapter in our history we must never forget, so many sacrifices were made, so many young lives lost.” No shit Chuck, ya think?


The crux of today’s biscuit is simple: War is one messed up motherhubbard and we, as the human race, should have grown out of it by now. But we haven’t learned a damned thing. Politicians and Government Cheese-Dicks suckle from the teat of the military-industrial complex just to get reelected…all the while perpetuating wars as “necessary.” They talk all patriotic about the sacrifices our heroic young people make then, they keep sending ‘em out to die. The thing is, soldiers do what their told. So, now it’s time politicians quit telling them to make the ultimate sacrifice and bring ‘em all home. They might not live to be 111 like Harry Patch…but at least, they’d have a chance. besides, nobody wants to be stationed in Norway.



(8.-)

1 comment:

Z said...

The company I work for managed to steal a little of that no-bid work in Afghanistan from your good buddy DICK and his cronies.

The point is Mr. Patch is correct, war does suck, but I'm seriously considering a career move to the middle east to get a little of that G'teat, it's the only way I can pay off the losses I took on my house that the give'em all welfare Barney "the little boy lover" Frank (and his politico buddies) pretty much are responsible for.
I already asked, they won't give me a gun though.
After a couple years in Kabul, I may have to go to Norway to help protect those big blonde babes up there...you can have the hairy Iranian chicks.

And on the subject of humans out growing war, I have a little question - do you watch/enjoy ultimate fighting?

How about if we throw a few extremist "name your favorite religion here" to some lions.