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Most Americans do not support the war effort in Iraq according to recent studies. [1] Due to the inability of the US Troops to execute the simplest of plans or even defend themselves on the battle field in Afghanistan and Iraq, the American people have begun to question the competence of the US Troops. While the president, congress, and even the fearful and timid American people certainly must accept their share of the blame for problems in the Middle East; The US Troops that are there performing their “duties" must also be investigated.
The killing of over 230,000 innocent civilians in Iraq alone [2] has caused a great deal of shame to befall the American people. From the beginning of the war the preservation of civilian life has never been given top priority. In the first two years alone of the invasion 25,000 civilians were killed [3] . The number of dead continues to rise due to the irresponsible bombing of critical infrastructure like sewers and clean water supplies.
There have been numerous bombings and indiscriminate mass shootings committed by US Troops. The sheer number of these atrocities and mass murders are truly staggering. Many US Troops who view themselves as morally superior and in the good graces of God due to their Christian faith have been found to relish [4] both the torture and murder of non Christians. For the sake of brevity only a very small number of the many incidents of mass murders are described here. I urge the reader to further investigate the killing of the innocent in Iraq to, at the very least, find out how their tax money is being spent.
In April of 2003, US troops opened fire on a group of war protesters in Iraqi. At least 13 unarmed people were killed and many more seriously injured for voicing their opposition to the war and the presence of US troops. [5]
In November of 2005, US Marines killed 15 innocent civilians in “cold blood" according to a US lawmaker. It the town of Haditha, U.S. Marines went on a killing spree. [6] The US Marines were not satisfied with just killing unarmed Iraqi men. The people killed included seven women and three children including a 3-year-old girl. One military official says it appears the civilians were deliberately killed by the Marines as payback for a US Marines that was killed by a roadside bomb.
On October of 2007, slightly north of Samarra, a US helicopter attack killed more that 16 including at least six children. [7] The “insurgents" were mostly farmers who were not attempting to defend their lands from the invading Americans. In a rare admission of the mistake the US officials released a statement sending "condolences to the families" and stating that “We regret any loss of life.". Due to their inability to conduct themselves with dignity in battle, it is unusual indeed for US troops to admit when they murder innocent civilians in cold blood. Historically, when the US Troops do finally manage to kill an “insurgent" that attempts to defend his homeland usually many noncombatant civilians are killed as well. [8]
On October of 2007, US Soldiers, operating under the banner of Christianity, killed 49 men they claimed were armed in a heavily populated urban center called Sadr City. [9] A Shi'ite citizens' council verified the number of dead included three children and a woman. Over 69 people were also injured. Many of those injured will be disfigured for life.
The American people have indeed put up with a great deal of incompetence and criminality from the US Troops. Unfortunately, US Troops have gained a reputation for being soft and delicate. This has been largely due to US Troops going after civilian targets rather than military targets. Some have gone as far as even calling US Troops “cowards". While I prefer not to comment on the merits of this statement at this time, the US Troops do seem to be a step down from previous decades.
There were times in our nation’s history when the recruitment process was much higher than it is today. New recruits are accepted that are current gang members or have mental health issues that directly impact their fitness for the job. The general public sees that the US Army holds no real future so the lower echelons of society are the only ones who join.
It is sad indeed that many new US Army recruits are mildly retarded. Due to increased demand for new troops and inability of the US Armed forces to do the job required of them, standards have become very low. New recruits are accepted despite mental health defect and even retardation. The standard IQ requirement to serve in the US Armed Services was once 80. The US Army lowered this standard to 75 to allow individuals that were once classified as mentally retarded to wear the uniform of the state. I feel that this hurts the image of the US Armed Serves and opens the way for ridicule of what was once a far more competent and able armed force. Additional educational classes are now offered to less intellectually able soldiers, like hygiene classes. Proportionally, a higher number of US Troops are in need of medical aids relating to Incontinence. This is one small example of what happens when standards are radically lowered to maximize the number of new recruits in the US Armed Services.
The US Army has allowed many current gang members to join the US Armed “Services". FBI gang investigator Jennifer Simon had this to say about the problem of gang-bangers in the US Military: “It’s no secret that gang members are prevalent in the armed forces, including internationally," [10]
The Crips, Bloods , Gangster Disciples, as well as other criminal organizations like Neo-Nazi Skin Heads are well represented in the US Armed Services. This has resulted in a high level of thugs and brutes that enjoy the death of innocent civilians. These gang members like to act out their anger on the international stage and further embarrass the American people. The US Military is so desperate for boots on the ground they even grant “Moral Wavers" that allow gang members with criminal records into the US Armed Services.
Many gang members see the US Army as training school for their continued criminal lifestyle. Many gang members go into the service to actually learn how to be better killers for their gang. This results in far deadlier street gangs.
The military training of gang members has caused the rise of “super predator" gang members with paramilitary training that are better trained than police and able to kill Americans at home without remorse. Current and active gang members are taught how to do home invasions, how to recruit, and how to conduct military style ambushes. America’s gang problem has also been exported overseas. Gang graffiti has been seen in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as on military bases in Germany and the Far East.
When these gang members and thugs return to America, not all will become criminals. Many of these “fine upstanding citizens" will get jobs in law enforcement “protecting" the American people and ensuring proper morality and “obedience to authority". It is likely the American people will be treated as well as the “insurgents" are treated in the Middle East.
Many US Troops have problems with mental illness. [11] Due to lower recruitment standards and the drive to get soldiers on the ground as soon as possible, many soldiers are allowed to serve even though they have unusual fetishes or a desire to murder innocent people. Using the freedom of information act, the Hartford Courant found pervasive evidence that the US Military regularly does not follow its own regulations when screening, treating and evaluating mentally unfit troops from Iraq. [12] After these troops return to America many will become homeless and remain a burden on the taxpayers that have paid for their misadventures in the Middle East.
The mental illness exhibited by the US Troops has also provided a source of embarrassment for the American people. There have even been reports that some US soldiers fondle each others genitals while they torture terror suspects. This is another indication of the degenerating mental state of those in uniform. Americans want to see proud men and women in uniform, not fearful, disabled troops suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. National security must not be used as an excuse to ignore problems of a sexual nature as they relate to the torture of terror suspects.
The American people are ashamed of the US Troop’s inability to do the job and the constant scandals that seem to flourish around them. It’s important to make the US Armed Services a force that Americans are no longer ashamed of. Just because the US Army is in over its head in the Middle East does not mean that the US Armed Services can’t learn how to better defend themselves in the face of danger.
I wrote this piece to examine why the American people are so embarrassed by the US Troops. By examining why the US Troops have become the laughing stock of the world we will be better able to transform them back into competent, moral fighters. A nation's people should be proud of their armed services, not embarrassed by their incompetence or cowardice. Blind support of the US Troops regardless of their obvious incompetence and inability do the job assigned to them has allowed a culture of incomplete and criminality to flourish in the US Armed Services.
Americans are embarrassed their hard earned tax dollars are being used to finance a "losers" Armed Service. Just like a football team that keeps loosing, Americans have begun to stop cheering for the US Troops. I have seen bumper stickers that say “Support the Troops, Bring Them Home" but I have never seen a sticker that says “Support the Troops, Teach Then How to Fight". Or “Support the Troops; Stop Them From Embarrassing Themselves".
The American people do no vocally question the US Troops conduct and fitness for the job they were assigned to do because they are afraid of being locked up due to the Patriot Act which makes dissent a crime. [13] This has allowed the US Troops the shirk responsibility for their actions under the banner of yellow ribbons that say “Support Our Troops". Perhaps there is a reason the ribbons are yellow. There have certainly been situations where the US Troops have behaved in a “yellow" manner.
Americans want to be able to travel abroad without being mocked for having an ineffective army. Americans don’t want to see the US Armed Services go from humiliating defeat to humiliating defeat. Some have even compared the US Troops to wayward children that have been disciplined by the Islamic warriors.
Something must be done to restore faith in the system. Allowing criminals, gang bangers, and the mentally retarded to wear the uniform of US Troops has turned America into the laughing stock of the world. Allowing US Troops to turn the battle field into a circus in which they play the clowns has destroyed America’s credibility. I hope America overcomes their embarrassment of the US Troops. This would make "Support the Troops" less of a punch line.
Regardless of the amount of lip service Americans claim to give to “Supporting the Troops" the truth is they are getting tired of their inability to fight. If a home town sports team keeps loosing eventually the sports team has fewer spectators in the stands and fewer people cheering their name. As the music gets a little less loud at Veterans Day parades, as the lights from the fireworks shine a little less brightly, former US Troops still must live with the consequences of their actions.
There are those that may think that I have come down unfairly on the US Troops. I am not condemning all US Troops but merely trying to restore honor to their tarnished reputation. Respectfully, the US Troops should apologize to the American people for the embarrassment they have caused.
(Authors Note: The purpose of this article is to provide a scholarly examination of the American people’s dissatisfaction with the US Troops. Please keep all comments civil and related to the subject matter.)
Notes
[1] US News and World Report
[2] Including those killed by poor hygiene (clean water, sanitation, etc.) due to destroyed infrastructure.
» left by John Haywood from North Carolina (268 days 3 hours ago.)
You are clueless. Every reference you used was a left leaning news or opinion article. Service members are nothing but an extension of foreign policy. If you want to disagree with the war or other policy decisions, fine. Disagree with the politicians that put them there (by the way most democrats voted for the war in Iraq). You wear your bias on your sleeve and it is probably obvious to evryone but yourself. What hubris. You ought to be ashamed of yourself. Respond to this comment
» left by Anonymous (249 days 2 hours ago.)
Please refer to my Article: America, War and Killing.
Please perform actual research by traveling to the middle east. I hope you go and never come back.
Our military is what allows "PEOPLE" like you to be around.
Clueless, uninformed, ignorant and down right terrible article. Respond to this comment
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Sunday, March 02, 2008 View other articles written by christian peper(72)
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