TVNL Editor's Comments: Supporting the Troops Because They Protect Us: Two Big Lies

I was watching the Ultimate Fighter on Spike TV the other night, mostly because my body produces excess testosterone, and at one point during the program the fighters took magic markers and started writing things all over the walls of the house in which they lived. At one point someone wrote “We Support the Troops.” Then that person started mentioning how the fighters in the UFC support the troops who are out there fighting to “protect our freedom”. I laughed.

Well, just as this nice, well-meaning person commented on how he supports the troops, I, as I often do, spoke back to my TV set and said, “No, you don’t support the troops; you simply say and write on walls that you do!” I thought to myself that this person should be more accurate and simply say, “I write on walls inside my home that I support the troops and that is all that I do in the way of supporting them!” I think people should just come out and tell the truth. They should have bumper stickers and signs on their homes and little ribbons that say, “I don’t do anything to support the troops except wear this ribbon, hang this sign or bumper system or say the words, ‘I support the troops!’” Let’s face it, that well-meaning UFC fighter is not doing a damn thing to support the troops.

Few people in this nation support the troops. One glance at staistics about our homeless veteran can tell you that. More than 200,000 veterans find themselves without a home at one point during any given year in this nation, and the Iraq invasion is going to help those numbers to grow.

That alone should show how Americans support their troops. But there is an even more sinister abuse of troop support in this nation in the form of “private for profit para-military corporations.” That’s right, while Americans want their Congress to give George W. Bush money to “support the troops” the money goes not to the troops, not to the families of the troops, not to the injured and wounded troops, not to the emotionally traumatized troops and not to the homeless troops.

The bulk of the money goes to private para-military companies, owned and operated by friends and business associates and partners of the government officials who use the troops and your freedom as hostages as they extort the nation in to paying them huge sums of money.

From Dick Cheney’s Halliburton to Blackwater USA to the companies that manufacture tanks, helicopters, Humvees, bullets, you name it, the profiteers grow richer with every new effort by American citizens to actually support the troops. And the troops, while they keep dying, continue to be lied to by everyone in their command structure. And when they are no longer able to kill for the establishment, they are tossed aside like yesterday’s trash. Nobody supports the troops.

We must stop supporting the people who promote that false advertising; people such as Dick Cheney, George W. Bush and the majority of the US Congress.

Let’s stop this “support the troops” rhetoric. If you want to say you “appreciate the troops” be my guest. That would be more accurate. I think we all pretty much appreciate the troops. But let’s face it, there are very few people in America who actually support the troops and many of those people are not the ones wearing ribbons.

Now, about the claim that those troops, all of whom I appreciate, are protecting our freedom… Let’s face it folks, since World War II hardly a troop was deployed, hardly single shot was fired, and hardly a life was lost while actually protecting our freedom or protecting us from a direct or potential threat. In my lifetime (I was born in 1964), not a single American died while actually protecting my freedom. On the contrary, many American troops died while they were engaged in combat that would in some way directly benefit the very people who have been working for generations to reduce my freedom.

There is no greater example of this than today’s so called war on terror. You may still remain blind to the very real probability that the 9/11 events were delivered to us by a rogue element within our government. But you cannot deny that the so-called “response” to those attacks only served to increase the risks to American lives, weaken our military, and was accompanied by an assault on the freedoms, liberties and rights of the American people the likes of which we have never seen.

It is the very presence of our military that has kept us safe. They serve as the world’s best deterrent, unmatched by any other. Their might, their power and the willingness of individuals to risk their lives are what keeps us safe from outside invaders. But threats come from within as well, and we are witnessing that today.

If the troops want to protect my freedom they should be protecting me from the people who threaten it. They should be protecting me from the people who are waging a war on the American people and our way of life by harming the U.S. Constitution. That would be the U.S. Constitution that the troops are sworn to protect. For the record, according to their oath, that promise come BEFORE their obligation to obey their Commander in Chief. They should be protecting me from the people who are trying to poison my air, contaminate my food supply, and create biological weapons that even by accident pose a threat to me and all life on earth. These days those threats are right here. They reside in Congress, in the White House and in secretive powerful organizations known as think tanks, secret societies, defense contractors and “foundations”.

The troops are well meaning but they are brainwashed into thinking that they are doing noble things. This is because they have to believe in what they are doing if they are to do their job: kill people. These are not cold blooded people. They did not sign up to kill under false pretense. So you have to make them believe that they are protecting us when they drop their bombs and fire their weapons. Why do you think that there are information restrictions on active troops? Why do you think that access to many websites is blocked by military personnel. It’s so the troops accept the word of truth as delivered by their commanders without the facts getting in the way.

So to set the record straight, I appreciate the troops, and by the very nature of what I do, (informing the public about issues related to war & the military…for no financial compensation other than donations) I support the troops. But I want the troops to protect me. And unfortunately, by no fault of their own, and I repeat that, BY NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, they don’t, and in my lifetime they never have. My freedoms, my liberties, my security and my Constitutional rights are being threatened and harmed every day. So you can imagine how I would love to see the troops actually protect me for once. None the less, I still appreciate them. Think about it. - Jesse –Editor, TvNewsLIES.org

NOTE: You can respond to my daily comments on my blog, located here: http://tvnewslies.org/blog

WAR : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#war

Dozens slain in Baghdad, Karbala attacks - More than 70 people were also wounded in the attack, according to an official at Al-Hussein Hospital. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information.

Iraq fails democracy test - IN an embarrassing setback for US efforts to support the embattled government in Baghdad, an international panel charged with selecting countries to attend a prestigious meeting of the world's democracies has deemed Iraq unfit to attend.

Suicide truck bomb collapses major bridge in Baghdad; at least 10 killed - A suicide truck bomb exploded on a major bridge in Baghdad early Thursday, killing at least nine people and sending cars toppling into the Tigris River below, police and witnesses said.

POLITICS : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news#politics

NPR blows US Attorneys story wide open - According to someone who's had conversations with White House officials, the plan to fire all 93 U.S. attorneys originated with political adviser Karl Rove. It was seen as a way to get political cover for firing the small number of U.S. attorneys the White House actually wanted to get rid of. Documents show the plan was eventually dismissed as impractical. - If true, that will fundamentally alter the nature of this scandal.

E-mails contradict testimony in U.S. attorneys scandal - Nevertheless, the disclosure aroused investigators' suspicion that Biskupic might have been retained in his job because he agreed to prosecute Democrats, though the evidence was slight. Such politicization of the administration of justice is at the heart of congressional Democrats' concerns over the Bush administration's firings of the U.S. attorneys.

Cafferty Cites Greenwald’s Article on Bush’s Many “Missing” Documents - Does anyone else see a pattern here? I'm sure it's all just a coincidence.

Crew Writes Patrick Fitzgerald Asking to Re-Open Rove Case in Light of Missing Emails - Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) asked Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to reopen his investigation of Karl Rove's role in disclosing Valerie Plame Wilson's status as a covert CIA operative in light of recent revelations about missing White House emails.

Shocking New Disclosure - White House Lost over FIVE MILLION EMAILS in Two Year Period - In a startling new revelation, CREW has also learned through two confidential sources that the Executive Office of the President (EOP) has lost over five million emails generated between March 2003 and October 2005. The White House counsel's office was advised of these problems in 2005 and CREW has been told that the White House was given a plan of action to recover these emails, but to date nothing has been done to rectify this significant loss of records.

Leahy: Bush aides lying about e-mails - "They say they have not been preserved. I don't believe that!" Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (news, bio, voting record) shouted from the Senate floor.

Weekly Standard: Bush has "near dictatorial power" - So apparently, the American Founders risked their lives and fortunes in order to wage war against Great Britain and declare independence from the King -- all in order to vest "near dictatorial power" in the American President in all matters of foreign policy and national security.
TVNL Comment: So declares the PNAC publication headed by the PNAC chairman, William Kristol!

ECONOMY : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news#economy

Citigroup Said Cutting 15,000 'Net' Jobs - Citigroup Inc. is likely to cut a "net" 15,000 jobs as part of its cost-cutting plan, and is in the process of laying off more than 1,000 employees, the Wall Street Journal and Dow Jones Newswires said on Tuesday, citing a person familiar with the matter.

9/11 News : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#911

Former Bush Speechwriter Hints at 9/11 Inside Job - LINK - A GOP insider, former Bush 41 speechwriter and close friend of the Bush family writes in his new book that before 9/11, the Neo-Cons in control of the Bush administration were eager to seize upon a manufactured provocation to go to war - just as LBJ had done with the Gulf Of Tonkin in 1965, and questions the official 9/11 story.

War on Terror looks like a fraud - LINK - With many Americans (including academics and former top U.S. government officials) now questioning even the physical facts of 9/11 and seriously disputing the "militant Islam" spin, with the media more brain-dead than it's been in our lifetimes, now is not the time for jingoism and blind faith in the likes of Cheney, George W. Bush and Robert Gates.

CONGRESS : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#congress

Bush asks Congress to alter 1978 eavesdropping law - The Bush administration asked Congress on Friday to expand the number of people it can subject to electronic surveillance in the United States.

Senate panel approves Medicare drug price bill - The U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Thursday approved a bill that would permit the government to negotiate for Medicare prescription drug prices, throwing down a challenge to the powerful drug industry.

DOMESTIC : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#domestic

Texas A&M Fails to Report Stricken Student in Bioweapons Lab for 14 Months - Texas A&M University failed to report in a timely manner to Federal authorities that a biology student was stricken with the dangerous brucella pathogen in its College Station laboratory for bioweapons agent research on February 9th of 2006.

Smoke Coming Out of Wisconsin in the US Attorney Scandal (more) - VIDEO

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Nevada Governor Faces String of Scandals - Four scandals or more. One criminal investigation. One $10,000 dress. And a possible $137 million budget shortfall.

Insider Emails Reveal Florida's Voter Registration Database Was Plagued With Problems in 2006 - The 18,000 "undervotes" in Sarasota and other questionable elections in November 2006 election were not the only problems faced by Florida voters last year. Most of them, in fact, likely have no idea just how bad it really was.

Outspoken Social Security critic gets key role in administering it - How much damage can an ambassador to Belgium do? Probably not as much as an ardent antagonist of Social Security might unleash in a top policymaking position at the agency that millions of Americans depend on.

ENVIRONMENT : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#environment

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White House pulls nomination to top EPA air post - Boxer, a California Democrat, had called Wehrum an "extremely troubling" nominee, whose record "demonstrates a pattern of discounting health impacts, ignoring scientific findings and substituting industry positions for the clear intent of Congress."
TVNL Comment: Are we looking at the next recess appointment by Bush?

INTERNATIONAL : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#international

Iran seeks talks with US House speaker Pelosi - A top MP said on Friday the Teheran parliament would favour talks with US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi after her controversial visit to Iran’s ally Syria, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.

Two bombers attack U.S. targets in Morocco - Two suicide bombers killed themselves in an attack on U.S. diplomatic offices in Morocco's commercial hub Casablanca on Saturday, a police source said.

Wolfowitz pay scandal laid bare - The World Bank early Friday released more than 100 pages of documents that exposed the pivotal role played by its president, Paul Wolfowitz, in awarding startling pay hikes to his girlfriend.

Bank Staff Asks Wolfowitz to Resign - World Bank President Paul Wolfowitz acknowledged Thursday that he erred in helping a close female friend get transferred to a high-paying job, and said he was sorry.

WTO: China overtakes U.S. in exports - While China finished behind Germany and the United States in total exports for the full year, it overtook the United States in the last six months of 2006 and will almost certainly finish above the U.S. in the 2007 totals.

MILITARY & VETERANS : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#military

Supporting the Troops Because They Protect Us: Two Big Lies - Let’s stop this “support the troops” rhetoric. If you want to say you “appreciate the troops” be my guest. That would be more accurate. - In my lifetime (I was born in 1964), not a single American died while actually protecting my freedom. On the contrary many American troops died while they were engaged in combat that would in some way directly benefit the very people who have been working for generations to reduce my freedom.

A Scandal Bigger than Walter Reed – The Rape, Assault and Harassment of Women in the Military - How common are these problems? It is difficult to tell since the military has not published a complete survey but indications are that 80% have faced sexual harassment and 30% have been raped.

Governments screw the military - Always have & always will

EDITORIAL : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#editorial

Upending the Mayberry Machiavellis - It's up to Congress to save the executive branch from Bush's and Rove's radical experiment to transform it forever.

JOURNALISM & MEDIA : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#media

Jon Stewart shows the world just how big of a hypocritical Nancy Grace - VIDEO

Vermont newspaper calls Bush worst president in U.S. history, calls for impeachment - On Friday the 13th, April 2007, the Brattleboro Reformer, the third largest newspaper in Vermont that dates to 1876, joined the chorus of people calling Bush the worst president in U.S. history and for his impeachment .

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CBS News fires producer for plagiarism - A CBS News producer was fired and the network apologized after a Katie Couric video essay on libraries was found to be plagiarized from The Wall Street Journal.

HEALTH & SCIENCE : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#health

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HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#rights

Retired generals, admirals to talk torture with Presidential hopefuls, but McCain won't be there - McCain wasn't alone among Republican candidates who did not arrange to meet with the retired officers. Only four Democratic candidates had confirmed meeting times during the weekend – Senator Hillary Clinton, Senator Joseph Biden, Rep. Dennis Kucinich, and former Senator John Edwards – according to Rear Admiral John Hutson, (ret.), President and Dean of the Franklin Pierce Law Center, in Concord, NH, which is hosting the discussions.

11 Brooklyn Prison Officers Accused Of Beating Inmates - The allegations include lying to investigators about the alleged attacks in an attempt to cover up the incidents.

CIA mock-execution of Iran diplomat - Reports have emerged that former Iraqi intelligent operatives had been involved in Sharafi's torture under the aegis of CIA.

“68 women gave birth on checkpoints, 33 infants and 4 women died” - The Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens Rights (PICCR) reported that Israeli troops stationed at hundreds of roadblocks in the occupied territories barred dozens of pregnant women from crossing the checkpoints while in labor; 34 infants and four women died on their roadblocks.
TVNL Comment: Interesting little forced abortion, or infanticide technique.

OF INTEREST : http://www.tvnewslies.org/news/#interest

Alleged D.C. madam tosses out a name - A woman charged with running a prostitution ring in the nation's capital made good on her threat to identify high-profile clients, listing a military strategist known for his "shock and awe" combat theories as a regular customer in court documents Thursday.