Soosan Khanoom
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Spread the Word - Against the War
19-Oct-2011
"Those who send us to war do not have to pull a trigger or lob a mortar round. They do not have to fight the war, they merely have to sell the war." Part of an amazing speech by an Iraq war vet. I should probably invite some of these vet to this site and introduce them to a few here who are so eager to sell them yet another war. Of course without themselves willing to join the U.S army. Cowards who hide behind their keyboards but are very much interested in sacrificing both American soldiers and Iranian innocent civilians.
Here is rest of the speech.
"And I tried hard to be proud of my service but all I could feel was shame. The racism could not longer mask the reality of the occupation. These were people, these were human beings. I've since been claimed by guilt anytime I see an elderly man like the one who couldn't walk and we rolled out on a stretcher and told the Iraqi police to take him away. I feel guilt anytime I see a mother with her children like the one who cried hysterically and screamed that we were worst than Saddam as we forced her from her home. I feel guilt anytime I see a young girl, like the one I grabbed by the arm, and dragged into the street. We are told we are fighting terrorists; the real terrorist was me and the real terrorism is this occupation.Racism within the military has long been an important tool to justify the destruction and occupation of another country. It's long been used to justify the killing, subjugation and torture of another people. Racism is a vital weapon employed by this government. It's a more important weapon than a rifle, a tank, a bomber or a battleship. It's more destructive than an artillery shell or a bunker buster, or a Tomahawk missile. While those weapons are created and owned by this government, they are harmless without people willing to use them.
Those who send us to war do not have to pull a trigger or lob a mortar round. They do not have to fight the war, they merely have to sell the war. They need a public who is willing to send their soldiers into harm's way. They need soldiers who are willing to kill and be killed without question. They can spend millions on a single bomb, but that bomb only becomes a weapon when the ranks in the military are willing to follow orders to use it. They can send every last soldier anywhere on Earth, but there'll only be a war, if soldiers are willing to fight. And the ruling class, the billionaires who profit from human suffering care only about expending their wealth, controlling the world economy. Understand that their power lies only in their ability to convince us that war, oppression and exploitation is in our interest. They understand that their wealth is dependent on their ability to convince the working class to die to control the market of another country. And, convincing us to kill and die is based on their ability to make us think that we are somehow superior.
Soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, have nothing to gain from this occupation. The vast majority of people living in the U.S. have nothing to gain from this occupation. In fact, not only do we have nothing to gain, but we suffer more because of it. We lose limbs, endure trauma and give our lives. Our families have to watch flag draped coffins roll into the earth. Millions in this country without health care, jobs or access to education, just watch as this government squander over 450 million dollars a day on this occupation. Poor and working people in this country are sent to kill poor and working people in other country to make the rich richer. Without racism soldiers would realize that they have more in common with the Iraqi people than they do with the billionaires who send us to war.
I threw families onto the street in Iraq only to come home and find families thrown onto the street in this country and this tragic, tragic and unnecessary foreclosure crisis. We need to wake up and realize that our real enemies are not in some distant land and not people whose names we don't know and cultures we don't understand.
The enemy is people we know very well and people we can identify. The enemy is a system that wages war when it's profitable. The enemy is the CEOs who lay us off our jobs when it's profitable, is the insurance companies who deny us health care when it's profitable, is the banks who take away our homes when it's profitable. Our enemy is not five thousands miles away, they are right here at home. If we organize and fight with our sisters and brothers we can stop this war, we can stop this government and we can create a better world.
If tyranny and oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy... The loss of Liberty at home is to be charged to the provisions against danger real or imagined from abroad..."
James Madison
AMAZING SPEECH BY WAR VETERAN
In many languages
men devastate the land
tear it up with gun-fire
Smash it with terror
bury it under the dead
In the spiral of ages
In the black winds of hatred
love is too light.
Andrée Chedid
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Soosan Khanoom,
by iraj khan on Fri Oct 21, 2011 02:46 PM PDTA moving picture,
and speech.
Thank you,
Iraj
"Only Iranian people are the ones who can demand change "
by Truthseeker9 on Fri Oct 21, 2011 02:19 AM PDTI agree but would you support a call by them to have support of NATO as Lybian “rebels” did? From what you are saying it appears you are against ANY foreign help (even if it is protection from the air and not ground invasion), if Iranian people would benefit from it. I don’t think IRI are just going to step down peacefully without bloodshed if Iranian people demanded it. In any case there will be bloodshed, but outside help may prevent and protect Iranian dissent on the ground.
Hey thanks everyone
by Soosan Khanoom on Thu Oct 20, 2011 07:30 PM PDTfor stopping by and commenting..... There is only one way to get rid of IRI and that is to have more and more people join the opposition otherwise a war would yield nothing but more misery and a new set of dictatorship.. To answer your question TS , I should then say NO... war is war form the air or on the grand does not matter. Our country has gone through revolution, terrorism and long devastating war. We have suffered enough. We have paid our share of death and destruction. Only Iranian people are the ones who can demand change and achieve democracy.... They have to wake up, stop blindfully following the rahbar, pay more attention to the political prisoners and defend their own rights. The majority should want that and do something about it untill then IRI is not going anywhere and perhaps a war would not do it either....
COP Jan
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Thu Oct 20, 2011 03:50 PM PDTIt is not too late. Iran managed to survive 100s of years of Ommatis. Yes it is tough but it will pass. China was totally addicted to opium thanks to Britain. Then Mao pretty much destroyed its intelligencia. Where are they?
Nations have ups and downs and Iran is on a down now. Remember it always seems darkest before dawn, Many nations have gone through this kind of thing. Our history will pull us through this horrible regime.
.
by Truthseeker9 on Sat Oct 22, 2011 12:51 PM PDT.
There won't be a war
by Cost-of-Progress on Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:20 PM PDTso, lets be a little more vocal and vigilant about what the islamist pukes have done, and continue to do to our country and her people.
It may already be too late.
____________
IRAN FIRST
____________
Dear SK & Bavafa thank you...
by Disenchanted on Thu Oct 20, 2011 12:17 PM PDTI enjoy and appreciate your presence and opinion on this site among what is otherwise, for good part, noise, propaganda, vulgarity or obnoxious comments.
We take pride in seeking the truth and supporting the justice free from bias and hidden agendas! Thank you my friends.
GREAT MINDS THINK ALIKE! :-)
SK: Ditto what you said regarding Disenchanted...
by Bavafa on Thu Oct 20, 2011 09:56 AM PDT"Dear Disenchanted thanks for your thoughtful comment. I agree. Your presence has always been appreciated by me"
Same here!
'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory
Mehrdad
I doubt there will be war
by Veiled Prophet of Khorasan on Thu Oct 20, 2011 09:51 AM PDTMy gut feelings say this is all about selling arms to Saudi. Not about war on the Mollahs. A war requires more than Obama has got available. But arms sales are just what US economy needs. That is my guess about this whole affair.
It is sad, but I have to say it anyway...
by Siavash300 on Thu Oct 20, 2011 09:24 AM PDTDear SK,
I don't see bright future for Iran. The mullahs who were deprived section of our society, never worked. They had been infamous for being parasite of our society or "Free Loaders". All the sudden, they took power and filled their pocket with our oil money. Bougth houses in Canada and Europe. Enjoyed lavish life style for last 32 years and made prostitututes from our sisters. Now, losing power would be very hard for these criminals. They are not educated like shah who left the country after few months demonstration. The ruling Islamic criminals would never leave the power that easy. They will kill every single person to preserve their power. They won't give up like shah did. The transition to the new establishment in Iran would be intimated with bloodshed and war in near future, especially after this scandal of Saudi embassador terror plot. I have the same guts feeling as I had in 1979. Many innocent people are going to be killed. I see bloodshed and massacre in thousands. I see it as Spain in 1940 when General Franco steped into his country after 4 years bloody civil war. He walked in over the ruins of Barcelon. I hope my feeling is wrong and that never happens to Iran.
God bless our people and our country.
Siavash
good post SK
by MM on Thu Oct 20, 2011 06:15 AM PDTYou have 70% backing from the Iranian-Americans on this anti-war crowd. But, a few loud ones are overshadowing the majority.
Dear Disenchanted thanks for your thoughtful comment
by Soosan Khanoom on Thu Oct 20, 2011 06:09 AM PDTDear Disenchanted thanks for your thoughtful comment. I agree. Your presence has always been appreciated by me.
I think power gives people the right to kill or a licensee to kill... Same with the stealing. Here in this country one faces jail if he, for example , steals a pizza but at the same time we witness all these wall street thieves are walking around and no one dares to question them yet alone send them to jail for that.
Killing and stealing happens everywhere and this is the case with many countries. In some countries such as U.S, that still has some civil liberties left in it , people are allowed to demonstrate and demand change. Peace and human rights activists still have the ability to bring necessary changes to their country. But sadly, in backward societies / countries such as Iran people are not allowed to demonstrate and if they do, they are going to face a sever consequences by being send to jail or to their deaths. That is why we see things remain more stable in the west rather than in those countries. In those countries there is always a period of dictatorship and then a period of revolt. Instability that has always been played by the external forces as well .... as the result the dictators in those countries just get replaced with the new ones who are even much worse ... and, of course, wars that have become sort of the second nature for that part of the world.
A moving speech!
by Disenchanted on Wed Oct 19, 2011 11:46 PM PDTThanks for posting. I find it curious and alarming that some of the folks who vocally oppose the capital punishment seem to not only remain indifferent to wars but even advocate it!
It's the same old sick logic: default on one mortgage you lose your house default on thousands of houses and you get bailed out! Kill one person, you go to jail, kill millions you become a hero!
Dear Bavafa
by Soosan Khanoom on Wed Oct 19, 2011 09:42 PM PDTThank you. I agree ... that's a heartfelt speech. This young soldier like many other American soldiers is not a machine or a machine gun but a human being with heart. Also he has proven that American soldiers are not dumb and they exactly know what is going on.
Making love not war
by Soosan Khanoom on Wed Oct 19, 2011 09:32 PM PDTThank you dear sivash for this beautiful comment ... That should be everyone's logo.
Sadly in many places we see that people hold guns instead of holding each other's hands ...
I have had less time to read IC these days...
by Bavafa on Wed Oct 19, 2011 09:31 PM PDTBut this is a time well spent reading this post and I really appreciate posting it.
But much more, much much more, I appreciate the person who has written and spoken of the suffering at the hands of military, all military, but specially those who are enforcers of powers behind occupying other nations.
Thank you again.
'Hambastegi' is the main key to victory
Mehrdad
Dear Mohammad and Albaloo
by Soosan Khanoom on Wed Oct 19, 2011 09:26 PM PDTThank you for taking your time and reading it. And thank you for your support.
Thank you so much Suri Jan.
by Soosan Khanoom on Wed Oct 19, 2011 09:21 PM PDTThank you so much Suri Jan. The fact that you took your time acknowledging my frustration and at the same time willing to stand up for the truth means a lot to me. I truly appreciate it.
PS. I also agree with what you mentioned about Faramarz ..
Make love, don't war
by Siavash300 on Wed Oct 19, 2011 08:40 PM PDTThat was slogan of 60's during Vietnam era. War is very ugly. People especially innocent children lose their lives for no reason. Peace always. Great post. Thanks Soosan khanoom
Great post
by Mammad on Wed Oct 19, 2011 08:08 PM PDTMammad
Thank you
by Albaloo on Wed Oct 19, 2011 05:34 PM PDTThank you for posting amazing speech. I also share the same opinion with you when it comes to war. Those who are on this site to provoke war are good for nothing. Avoid them and do not ever give up in what you believe that should be said.
Thank you
by Souri on Wed Oct 19, 2011 03:58 PM PDTYou are absolutely right, Soosan Khanoom.
I share your opinios on the war against Iran.
Those who attack you or call you an IRI agent, are some stupid extremists or the paid agents of Israel, themselves. Those who take you for Niloofar Parsi, are also very stupid, one-dimension persons who can't read throug lines and distinguish the difference between the your style and her's.
I have read all those absurds comments against you, and can say that I too, would get tired of this idiots, if I were you. But please don't give up?! Do not leave the site because of this idiot hard-liner who think that the only hard-liners are the Islamist!
I don't agree with all you say, all the time, but I respect you and your opinion, because at least you have one!
disclaimer- This is to mention that here I am not talking of Faramarz and his last blog which was indeed very funny in spite of too much confusion. I know Faramrz tanz and he never tries to be condescending to anybody. At least this is how I do value him.