Masochism, Duty, or what?

I really ought not to drop in on people like Andrew Sullivan. His attempts at pithy little snarks rarely amuse, often annoy and on occasion, (like today) actually offend.

QUOTE FOR THE DAY I: "I'd much rather be doing this than figthing a war," - helicopter pilot Lt. Cmdr. William Whitsitt, helping the survivors of the south Asian tsunami. Earth to Whitsitt: you're a soldier.

I don't know what Andy thought he was doing, just what message that little mal mot was supposed to convey ("Abandon all humanity, ye who enter here?) but having been to a war, and having helped people, I'd rather be doing the latter than the former.

If Sullivan wants to question why... I'll be more than willing to hand him a rifle, a flack vest, and a Basic Load, and take him for a couple of long walks in Falluja.

But until he takes me up on the offer, well he can shut the fuck up. We don't bottle up our decency just because we've accepted the obligation of killing people for the Sullivans of the world, people who are to tidy t0o get their hands personally dirty, but more than willing to let other people go and get killed when they have an agenda that can't be finished with dimplomacy (even more, who are willing to keep arguing for failed policy, and to send more troops into the meat-grinder, so we don't lose face (never mind that the abject failure of the state goals, and complete impossibility of the re-framed goals is ruining not just our position in the orld, but our economy, and maybe everyone else's. I wonder what that sort of failure will bring to pass).

And Sullivan knows it, "i'm sorry but i pay for those soldiers to fight in a volunteer army. they are servants of people like me who will never fight. yes, servants of civil masters. and they will do what they are told by people who would never go to war. that's called a democracy.

That attidude may be the best argument for the reinstatement of a draft I've ever heard, but the draft I want, they'll never pass (right now, I'd want a dead even lottery, no exemptions, and the children of everyone in federal office to be drafted... with a lottery to decide which ones get to join the PBI)

So Sully (not that he'll ever read this) put-up, or shut up. You owe some people apologies, and until then, you can kiss my ass.

More on sullied Andrew

He says he has gotten abunch of letters berating him for his stand. He has published two.

This one (the one he has on the letters page, not on the main) does a good job of summing it up, If I were you I would be wary of telling military pilots on how they should think about any mission. His statement was not some act of fear or sedition. It was just a statement of truth no one likes to get shot at - especially helicopter pilots - we tend to make good targets. As a military pilot for 15 years, I'm proud I've been in combat but if you think for one minute I wouldn't relish the opportunity to make a difference like LCDR Whitsitt, you are mistaken.

His whiney explanation of why he said that (army are for breaking things, not fixing them, and we need to remember that, well it ain't enough.

Worse (as if that mattered is his apolgia for Gonzales; Short version; Bush won, get over it.

Long version: GONZALES AND TORTURE: In my opinion, no one who has enabled and sanctioned the potential and actual use of torture should become attorney general of the United States. But I'm not the president; and he doesn't see it that way. And the people who re-elected him had plenty of opportunity to avail themselves of the fact that this administration has quietly enabled torture of inmates in American custody, and that Gonzales played a critical role in making the legal case for such previously outlawed practices. The Bush administration's use of torture - to the point of death in at least five cases and possibly 23 more - was one reason I found it impossible to support the president's re-election. But this is a democracy. And my candidate lost. Gonzales isn't being nominated to the Supreme Court; he's being nominated to become the president's chief law enforcer; and, in general, the president deserves the benefit of the doubt on his own picks.

He follows this with a weak comment that disagreements with this should be aired, but the feeling I get from it is argument is all that should happen... Bush ought to get what he wants.