kmcguffee

I would ammend this by saying: they're just people with opinions and no more access to information than you and I. But they have an extreme amount of access to the media that allows their opinions to be heard. That makes them different. They are entertainers. When on TV they should be juggling and throwing knives not pushing their political agenda. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

This is clearly fake! Everyone knows that Marines can't write! "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

I didn't take it as a shot. I shouldn't have used "aimed". I just didn't know if I understood your post. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

There is always one spoil sport that has to start throwing facts into the fun! "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Holy Hell! You wouldn't be able to bend your leg with that thing on you hip. I like my Glock 22 and 27. I don't target shoot and they are accurate enough to hit what I need to hit. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Who says they need to be true. I'm sure some photoshop wiz [cough] aggiedave [/cough] could fix some up for ya. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Is your post aimed at me? I agree that Israel is breaking UN resolutions. The UN hasn't been able to enforce those either. To show you the UN's effectiveness read this story about Annan's great "mission" to Iraq to solve the Iraq standoff. http://www.cnn.com/WORLD/9802/20/iraq.annan.arrives/ It says Annan is not going to Iraq to "negotiate". He is going to "solve the problem". It happened on.......................................................................................February 20, 1998. Woo hoo! They are working too fast for me. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Good luck! Post your address over there if you get a chance and I'll send you a care package. I can get what you need. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

All of these ideas have been presented and nixed by Saddam. Foreign intell = spies to Saddam, UN troops = invasion. He is not going to let the resolutions be enforced. The only thing he understands is force. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

As long as it is not represented as an official statement by the military then they can say what they want to. They can't sign it with their rank or with US Army or on camera in uniform but they can say anything they want to as an individual American. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

I have no great love for Israel but I don't believe the country was formed by any invasion. In fact several Arab countries invaded Israel before it was even a nation. Israel was established by UN resolution, not invasion. Which, of course, makes it completely OK. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Well damn! Since other countries have done things wrong in the past we can't punish anyone for them. I guess since people have gotten away with murder in the past we will have to let all future murderers go. Man that ruins all of my plans. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

In non-lawyer speak it is normally called sedition. Mutiny normally refers to ships. I know what the UCMJ says w/o looking at your hyperlink. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

How about a grey parrot. I've heard they are really smart and a lot of fun! I've even seen them with little brooms sweeping the floor. Man, if they only had lips and could cook I'd marry one. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Flying in a gocart scares the crap out of me! "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Yeah, that one. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

LOL, I love those. They used to have another one about skydivers. It said something like "never underestimate the power of stupid people in large groups" under a picture of skydivers in freefall. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

"Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

The politicians decide to send the Army to war. The people decide whether to join the Army and be subject to that decision by the politicians. I don't know. I was in the Army. We didn't have many ships. Soldiers (even grunts, I was an Infantry officer ie a grunt) have input to tactical decisions in the modern Army. I, as a company commander, relied on my soldiers for recommendations on tactical decisions regularly. This method of leadership was taught to me in every Army School I attended. If you care for me to list them I will. Many strategic decisions are made by the civilian government. Soldiers have a lot of input into those decisions. Most strategic decisions are actually made by the JCS which is made up of soldiers. Now the decision to go to war is determined by the civilian government as outlined in the constitution. OK. There hasn't been a draft in quite a while. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Hell, I haven't always gotten my way in any job I've had or in anything I've ever done. I guess I'll always just be a pawn. Do you always get your way in your current job? If my superior officer disagreed then we did it his way. But, I had input. A pawn doesn't get input. A pawn is sacrificed with little thought and is worth very little. A soldier (human) is not a pawn. UCMJ is used to enforce discipline when a purely constitutional court system is not available. It reinforces the chain of command by letting the chain of command determine guilt or innocence and determining the punishment. The UCMJ is needed because discipline must still be maintained when deployed and civilian courts are not available. BTW......I never said the military was a democracy. It is not. Democracies do not work in combat. Decisions have to be made quickly and with minimal information. Democracies are slow and cumbersome. I said that soldiers are not pawns. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

You really do not have a clue what the military is like do you? Soldiers are allowed to have a voice about how the mission is accomplished. No, they are not allowed to decide whether or not they are deployed to a theater of war (that decision is made when they enlist, we don't have a draft). They are allowed to participate in the planning of operations. They are allowed to change the plan if the original plan is deemed not feasible or a better course of action is found. You do not just "get your orders and go". The decision on how to accomplish the mission is ultimately left to the commander but everyone is allowed to have input. They are not pawns. I don't believe there are very many good soldiers that would agree with your pawn theory. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Well, I was a soldier and I was never a pawn. I joined the Army voluntarily and did my job voluntarily. I was never pushed into service, I was allowed to think in accomplishing my job, and my leaders always explained why I was doing my job. If I didn't agree with what was going on I was allowed to voice my opposition and present an alternative. Maybe your Army is different but I was never a "pawn". "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Maybe, if you really stretch it. We elect people to do a job. We don't expect them to refer to a poll every time they make a decision. A robot could do that. We want them to use their morals, intelligence, and experience to make decisions. They have information that the average public doesn't have the time nor experience to completely digest or understand. We elect them to make decisions on that information. Not base every decision on polls and public opinion. Leaders that don't have the guts to do what is right and are held sway to opinion polls leads to things like Somalia. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

No jerry, they are people, not pawns. A good soldier thinks, he doesn't just "follow orders". I commanded 130 men in the US Infantry (101st) and I never defined or heard any other officer define a "good soldier" as one that doesn't question orders. In the US military we issue "mission statements" for every operation. These "mission statements" tell the soldier who, what, when, where, and why they are doing the mission. We expected them to question and we were expected to provide answers. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin

Well, I'm under 45 so I guess this will be a "Hollywood Version". Right? WWII was won on the Eastern front. The US gave the USSR a tremendous amount of armor and equipment that contributed to their success on the Eastern front. I agree the US didn't "win" the war but don't underestimate our contribution on all fronts. Even ones where we didn't send troops. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain and most fools do." Ben Franklin