Quick thoughts about War

War is a bit like hunting, when it comes down to 'pro' and 'con', I think. I'm against both, and people can sit me down and show me all the rational reasons that it is okay to hunt, or why we needed to go to war, but it doesn't change the fact that I am against them. I'm against hunting, because I can't see the fun in killing something. And yes, I do eat meat, and yes, I appreciate the fact most hunters do eat what they kill, etc. but it doesn't change the fact that they are going out to kill something. For fun.

And war...I think it is funny there are war rules. That's like an oxymoron. People who fight in a war basically have to go against everything they've ever been taught about being a good human being and then punish them when they stop acting like good human beings. That prison thing that happened recently, where the US soldiers were mistreating the prisoners is a horrible thing, but part of training people to go to war is reconditioning them to stop thinking of the 'enemy' as a person, so it is to be expected that they didn't treat the enemy prisoners as, well, people. It is not excusable, mind. Just understandable.

Back during the first Gulf war, I was riding the bus to work with a woman in my neighborhood, and she had a male friend who was in the army, and in Iraq. She read me part of his letter, and I will never forget what he said. He told her how they were marching through the desert, capturing some Iraqi soldiers and killing others. Then he said, "I hope my son never has to go through what I'm going through."

Quick thoughts about War

War is a bit like hunting, when it comes down to 'pro' and 'con', I think. I'm against both, and people can sit me down and show me all the rational reasons that it is okay to hunt, or why we needed to go to war, but it doesn't change the fact that I am against them. I'm against hunting, because I can't see the fun in killing something. And yes, I do eat meat, and yes, I appreciate the fact most hunters do eat what they kill, etc. but it doesn't change the fact that they are going out to kill something. For fun.

And war...I think it is funny there are war rules. That's like an oxymoron. People who fight in a war basically have to go against everything they've ever been taught about being a good human being and then punish them when they stop acting like good human beings. That prison thing that happened recently, where the US soldiers were mistreating the prisoners is a horrible thing, but part of training people to go to war is reconditioning them to stop thinking of the 'enemy' as a person, so it is to be expected that they didn't treat the enemy prisoners as, well, people. It is not excusable, mind. Just understandable.

Back during the first Gulf war, I was riding the bus to work with a woman in my neighborhood, and she had a male friend who was in the army, and in Iraq. She read me part of his letter, and I will never forget what he said. He told her how they were marching through the desert, capturing some Iraqi soldiers and killing others. Then he said, "I hope my son never has to go through what I'm going through."

And so on...

I gakked (is that the right terminology?) this from Anid Rabbit's page:






Take the What's Your Song? quiz and visit Castle Diqueria.


Which is cool, cause I love Labyrinth.

Also, I know this has been said before, but Joss Whedon is a frickin genius. I've been listening to the "Once More with Feeling" soundtrack, cause I finally got it, and it is just so good. The combined talent of the former Buffy cast is amazing, and it makes me really wonder why they are wasting time with American Idol people when there are talents like Amber Benson and James Masters and Tony Head and Emma Caufield around. I hope everyone from that show goes on to have successful careers, but I wonder if they realise how lucky they were to be involved in something that was so smart and so well done.

Bad television is just crap, Good television is fun and entertaining and can occasionally add something to our culture (or at least our pop culture) and great television, really great, sometimes transcends into art. And OMWF really did that.

I sent an email to a soldier today - got his name from the books for soldiers thing. So hopefully he'll email me back and tell me what books he wants, and I'll send them. And hopefully he won't get killed before he gets a chance to read them. Even more hopefully, maybe this whole war will end and I won't have to send him books, because he'll be home.

And so on...

I gakked (is that the right terminology?) this from Anid Rabbit's page:






Take the What's Your Song? quiz and visit Castle Diqueria.


Which is cool, cause I love Labyrinth.

Also, I know this has been said before, but Joss Whedon is a frickin genius. I've been listening to the "Once More with Feeling" soundtrack, cause I finally got it, and it is just so good. The combined talent of the former Buffy cast is amazing, and it makes me really wonder why they are wasting time with American Idol people when there are talents like Amber Benson and James Masters and Tony Head and Emma Caufield around. I hope everyone from that show goes on to have successful careers, but I wonder if they realise how lucky they were to be involved in something that was so smart and so well done.

Bad television is just crap, Good television is fun and entertaining and can occasionally add something to our culture (or at least our pop culture) and great television, really great, sometimes transcends into art. And OMWF really did that.

I sent an email to a soldier today - got his name from the books for soldiers thing. So hopefully he'll email me back and tell me what books he wants, and I'll send them. And hopefully he won't get killed before he gets a chance to read them. Even more hopefully, maybe this whole war will end and I won't have to send him books, because he'll be home.