A man died today.
He was a great man some would say.
He was an honorable man others would say.
He is deserving of sympathy, as is his family; some have already said.
He should be mourned and the world is a lesser place because of his passing.
A man died today...
As of 07/19/21, 4,431 Americans died because of the actions of that man. Are they remembered? Does anyone even know their names? Of course people do, they were AMERICANS; so of course they are remembered, heck some people might even know more than just one name and even more heck; some of their names might even be on a plaque, or a wall somewhere on some monument commemorating their “sacrifice”. Sacrifice is in quotes because what exactly they were sacrificed for will never be resolved.
But, you do ALL know the name of the man who died today.
Do you know how many Iraqis died because of the actions of that man.
You don’t know how many Iraqis have died, as NO ONE knows how many have died… why don’t we know? Because we do NOT care to know. We stopped counting civilian deaths (well before Iraq thanks to the lessons we learned from Vietnam) because they just got in the way of the war machine and it’s thirst for profits. The civilian deaths stopped being reported because it gave Americans the knowledge to care about what this country did in their name.
“We don’t do body counts” – General Tommy Franks
“I don't do body counts," Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld told CBS News in March, 2002, in the early days of the war in Afghanistan. "This country tried that in Vietnam, and it didn't work. And you've not heard me speculate on that at all, and you won't."
We stopped counting civilian deaths because it didn’t work? How exactly was it supposed to work? Were Americans supposed to go “Hell yeah, another dead Vietnamese!!! Fuck yeah!!! Let’s keep on sending boys to the meat grinder that is Vietnam.”
Documented civilian deaths from violence per the Iraq Body Count is between 185,930 – 209,084. Do you know any of their names? Did you even know that many Iraqis were killed?
But you know the name of the man who died today.
He was a “moderate republican”. What does that EVEN mean anymore? Was it when he finally said enough was enough when he decided to support Barack Obama for president because the republican party disturbed him with its negativity that made him a “moderate republican”? Where was this concern when this one man lied to the United Nations? Where was this concern when we stopped caring about civilian deaths? Where was he when we tortured people, where was he when we committed WAR CRIMES?
He was a brave man some will say because he spoke out- He was a coward because he didn’t speak out loud enough. He couldn’t speak out as that would go against his training, it would go against who he was some will say. That is the excuse we have for Comey keeping quiet about Russia and Trump, that is the excuse we have for Mueller and Trump… they are all cowards. It’s easy to stand up and say you were just following orders, just following procedure when it will ultimately cost you nothing.
I will not mourn him & I will not have sympathy for his family. The man who died today is not alone in his sins with regards to Iraq, and there is no hell that will ever burn hot enough to cleanse that man, and the others; of their sins.