Shit Happens?

[KimmyCharmeleon]

An article from Green Left Weekly's website, felt like sharing.

Less than a week after Australians learned about the death of the 22nd Australian soldier killed in Afghanistan, Corporal Richard Atkinson, footage aired by Channel 7 on February 8 showed opposition leader Tony Abbott caught with his pants down.

“Shit happens,” Abbott told a US general during an August visit to Afghanistan as they discussed the circumstances surrounding the death of another Australian soldier — Lance Corporal Jared MacKinney.

MacKinney’s family had questioned whether the standard of the Australian Defence Force’s equipment contributed to his death.

Abbott’s callous retort and Labor defence minister Stephen Smith’s rush to defend him reveals a lot about the attitude of the pro-war parties, which act in the interests of the corporate rich.

They treat infantry soldiers as expendable cannon fodder. They always have and they always will. Millions of soldiers who survived the bloodbaths of the last two world wars and the Vietnam War drew this conclusion.

The term “cannon fodder” sums up soldiers in the Afghanistan war. It describes a situation when soldiers are forced to fight against hopeless odds for a strategic goal — to make Afghanistan a compliant state for the West.

The “war on terror”, which the US started (with Australian support) 10 years ago, has led to the deaths of unknown thousands of Afghans and more than 2300 coalition soldiers.

At least US$336 billion — money that should have instead been spent on services and creating jobs — has been used to prop up the corrupt puppet regime of Hamid Karzai.

Ten years on, with divisions among feudal chiefs and a population that despises Karzai and his cronies, a generation of Afghans is growing up having only ever known their country to be at war.

Melbourne anti-war activist Jessica Morrison, who is currently visiting Kabul, summed up the hopelessness and devastation.

“Life is clearly very hard for people, even in Kabul. There are always people sifting through rubbish. Young children are begging on the street.

“Electricity connections come in and out. As I go to sleep with a wood heater in my room, I’m aware that many people are on the streets literally freezing.”

If Abbott and Gillard are so keen on this war and occupation why don’t they volunteer themselves, rather than send young women and men to kill Afghans and die as cannon fodder for the US-Australia war alliance?

http://www.greenleft.org.au/node/46685

 

[Peter Parka]

It's a two way thing though. In war, people get killed. No one forces the soldiers to join up. Of course I have a lot of respect for their bravery because of this but I really dont get how there seems to be a huge inquirey into just about every soldiers death and people bleating on about how it shouldn't have happened. You go into a war zone where people with guns and bombs see you as the enemy, there's a good chance you're going to get killed.

 

[HK]

I agree with Peter. Of course it's not very nice when people die. But come on, it's the army. Infantry soldiers especially should be more than aware that they're going into very dangerous situations. It'd be extremely lucky if not a single soldier was harmed from sending them into battlezones.

If a relative or friend of mine was killed overseas, it'd be very sad. But I wouldn't be saying 'the government are to blame for their death!' They didn't have to join the army, no one does, they made that choice.

 

[edgray]

thing is, most servicemen (and women) signed up to protect their country, not protect opium profits for the UK and US.

 

[HK]

thing is, most servicemen (and women) signed up to protect their country, not protect opium profits for the UK and US.

Regardless of the purpose though, they know the situation they're signing up for. It's not bunnies and rainbows even with the best of intentions.

 

[KimmyCharmeleon]

The war is all about gaining resources in that country so the West can make a buck. Most people don't know this or refuse to acknowledge it.

This article just proves the real motive behind people in power these days...they DON'T EVEN CARE about their own people, it's all about profit.

 

[edgray]

Regardless of the purpose though, they know the situation they're signing up for. It's not bunnies and rainbows even with the best of intentions.

of course they know there's danger involved. Certainly doesn't justify the callousness of politician's views towards their servicemen's death. Every soldier's life lost is a tragedy, especially given the utterly corrupt reasons for this war.

 

[MoonOwl]

It's certainly nothing new. I think we can all say Vietnam, right? For those born in and after the 80's, a search engine should be of some use.

The first one to come up with a real solution instead of just bitching gets a cookie.

In the meantime, I'm off to slave for our CorporateOwners at my minimum wage job while maintaining the illusion that some day things will change for the better.:24:

Good luck in coming up with that solution. Expecting those in power to have a change of heart is an exercise in futility. Greed corrupts absolutely. Power attracts those that really shouldn't have it. Again, nothing new.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.:nod:

 

[edgray]

It's certainly nothing new. I think we can all say Vietnam, right? For those born in and after the 80's, a search engine should be of some use.

The first one to come up with a real solution instead of just bitching gets a cookie.

In the meantime, I'm off to slave for our CorporateOwners at my minimum wage job while maintaining the illusion that some day things will change for the better.:24:

Good luck in coming up with that solution. Expecting those in power to have a change of heart is an exercise in futility. Greed corrupts absolutely. Power attracts those that really shouldn't have it. Again, nothing new.

Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.:nod:

A solution?

A resource based economy with no social or political hierarchy.

That would be a start.

Now, where's my cookie?

 

[Peter Parka]

It's certainly nothing new. I think we can all say Vietnam, right?

Exactly! It's not like the servicemen and women signing up can turn round and say they wern't expecting to be put in corrupt wars.

 

[Springsteen]

Disregarding the Daily Mailishness of the article, it was a silly thing to say, but it shouldn't be a surprise. I would agree with Peter that in war people get killed, it just happens. Now if I was in the pub and said this about that, it wouldn't be in the paper, I might get a comment or two from others "tight bastard" etc, but nothing major. People do get killed in wars, regardless of the motive of the war, that doesn't matter, it's that people sign up and go to war that counts.

 

[Alien Allen]

The war is all about gaining resources in that country so the West can make a buck. Most people don't know this or refuse to acknowledge it.

This article just proves the real motive behind people in power these days...they DON'T EVEN CARE about their own people, it's all about profit.

Such as??

 

[edgray]

Such as??

Opium.

 

[Zorak]

we need opium to sell to the chinese so they will trade tea with us!

 

[dkwrtw]

I must agree with the dude's comment, SHIT HAPPENS, I respect people who serve in the military regardless of their cause or country, takes a real man to not only be willing to die, but KILL for something they believe in, but I don't feel sorry for them in the slightest if they are injured or killed in battle, they knew what they were signing up for, whether it's a time of "peace" or not when they signed up doesn't mean much as we all know that we can go from Peace to global chaos overnight.(see 9-11)

 

[Alien Allen]

Opium.

sigh

:nod::nod::nod:

 

[Kyle B]

The comment was stupid.

In the end though, when you sign up for the military, you need to accept the risk of being sent into battle and possibly dying.

 

[Odysseus32]

As someone that hopefully gets to fight for my country, I definitely get the whole "shit happens" comment. That;s the truth, and there's not much that's gonna change about that. I am joining the marines and going into the infantry field, and I understand that I could die. In fact, I understand it's not that unlikely that I will die. If it does, that's what happens. There is nothing to be done that can change it. "Shit happens", and life goes on. That's how it is, people that join should already know that.

 

[MoonOwl]

A solution?

A resource based economy with no social or political hierarchy.

That would be a start.

Now, where's my cookie?

No cookie as there is no real plan on how to implement your idea. At least here in America, we have to vote.

We have people that are distracted over things like Gay Marriage and Abortion Rights. They will never step back to see a bigger picture. Nor will they ever research more than what the talking heads say or the negative ad campaigns say.

We have people here that are in the frame of mind that losing Liberties to afford 'securities' is ok. We have work to do and too many people that don't see it. Yet.

I suppose we have to be completely reduced to third-world status before some people wake up and realize how our politicians have completely fucked us while their personal portfolios grew?

* I say that and then I see this on CNN's front page:

Which party do you trust more in the battle over the U.S. federal budget?
This is not a scientific poll

Neither
47%
100542

Democratic
29%
61745

Republican
24%
51050

Both
1%
1843

Total votes: 215180

Maybe one or two are waking up to what's really happening

 

[cam elle toe]

Abbott is a fuckwit, but in this instance the media are to blame. He was taken out of context, and not fully quoted. (surprise surprise)

and of course...other outlets picked up on it and made it even worse....typical gutter journalism