Cheney On 4,000 Dead Americans: They Volunteered

ABC News :

Wrapping up a nine-day overseas trip to Iraq, Vice President Dick Cheney was asked, in an exclusive interview with ABC News, about the effect on the nation of today's grim milestone of at least 4,000 U.S. deaths over the five-year Iraq war.

Noting the burden placed on military families, the Vice President said the biggest burden is carried by President Bush, and reminded ABC news that the U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan volunteered for duty.

Read the whole story: ABC News

Comments

[devild1nosaur]

They volunteered to serve their country, yes. Can I equate that with volunteering to die? Um, no. There's laws about that, ask Dr. Jack- they locked him up for it.

But as other posters have noted, at least a few prior administrations have exercised restraint in putting American lives in harm's way. Our government's implied promise has ALWAYS been that military action would ONLY be done AS A LAST RESORT to protect our NATIONAL interest (as opposed to the interests of a few corporations that lobby very actively and contribute very heavily to national political campaigns), and not in lieu of, or without first attempting diplomatic means to resolve our differences.

The UN was involved in the first Gulf War, when Iraq invaded Kuwait. Then, there actually was a respected world order that was acknowledged, consulted, participated in and approved of actions taken in concert against a ruthless, power-hungry dictator that threatened world peace. This time around, that ruthless, power hungry dictator was George Bush. And anyone that answers to the current Commander in Chief is nothing more than lowly cannon fodder, sent into battle for extended periods beyond what they had agreed to do, poorly instructed and even less protected. And he will accomplish his inarticulately described objective of "victory" over their dead bodies.

After all, that's what they're there for, isn't it?

What do you mean, Ronald Reagan wasn't a real cowboy? I saw him play one on TV!

[PauCK]

Sure they did...next question?

How many of the nearly 1.2 million Iraqi dead volunteered to die?

[jhamm1]

Has there ever been a photograph of Cheney that prompts a greater urge to kick the stupid out of him?

[kakimiller]

As the past 8 years has proved, basic human emotions and truths, such as empathy, kindness, desire for the greater good, honesty with oneself, guilt DO NOT EXIST in Bush, nor Cheney. They are sadists who make some Dictators seem benevolent. And oh yeah, they are responsible for the deaths of 1/2 million human beings. (Cheney makes Robert Mugabe look like a saint.)

[OpenlyLiberal]

And people react in horror when a black preacher has the temerity to say "God Damn America!" I'm with you Rev. Wright, until we can remove the greed that poisons our great country.

[meateater]

your with Rev Wright? hmmm...according to him if your white youa are the Devil are you?

[Redrover666]

Yeah!! I'm with you! Tonight it was reported he refers to Italians as "Garlic Nose"
I think we should all be proud of this man for speaking the truth. I always wanted to call Italians Garlic Nose but just didn't have the courage until now.

Another thing too. I have known all along that the government was running the KKK and that many of my fellow whitey's have been trying to infect black people with AIDS.

I am so proud that Rev Wright brought this out into the open and I want as many of my progressive friends to associate with and embrace these beliefs in time for the elections in November.

I just know that once America knows what we stand for, they will flock to the polls in November and vote for a democrat. Get the word out!

Me? I'm going to start by talking to all my Italian relatives.

[johnqeniac]

ok, and I want as many of my repub friends to associate with and embrace mccain's call for one million years in iraq...

[lgmurphy]

No one ever comments on the entire sermon do they. "...as long as she thinks she is GOD..." follows "God Damn America". And they don't like to talk about the white preachers who immediately attacked our morals at 9/11. You really don't have to be a liberal to know that the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Just live your life, pay attention and it will smack you in the face. Have a good day!

[AnotherTry]

If people would simply boycott the military and NOT volunteer, the war would be over.

[guntotinganglion]

Since that's not gonna happen, there's an alternate for those who don't want to undergo more stop loss faux draft tours...declare that they're gay. That gets you a ticket home. And my way of addressing the dishonor is to say that the soldiers may have gone with honor, but that doesn't mean they were sent with honor...they were not. They were sent as fodder for the financial portfolio's of people who are already wealthy beyond any rational human beings wildest dreams. Which is to say, all they want is more, and if they have to send US troops into a meat grinder to get more, that's what they do, and have done. Goddamn them all.

[shaggles]

That would be playing right in to the hands of those who want to privatize the military. We're half way there already.

[Pquid]

Most of the "volunteers" I know are there because they can't find a job elsewhere and have families to support. Their jobs have all gone overseas. At least when there was a draft everyone had an equal chance of being killed.

[Redrover666]

Good grief! What silly drivel

[scottyboi84]

of course, our military is voluntary, but if anyone knows anyone in the military, they are not saying that they volunteered to go to Iraq...not the first, second, and especially not the third and fourth tours! What happened to the day when our elected officials were also expert soldiers that lead the military with personal experience, bravery, and pride. is that SO much to ask?

[Unlearn]

Many of the current troops in Iraq re-enlisted for 2nd and third tours.

[nutty4tahoe]

AND let's not forget that many of our soldiers killed in Iraq volunteered not to be soldiers at all, but for the NATIONAL GUARD! They wanted to serve our country in support of the aftermaths of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina or to defend our soil against aggressors trying to attack us within our shores. When they volunteered, they had no idea that the prez and veep would have the hubris to use and abuse them this way. They had a trust in this country to do the right thing and that naivete was stomped on by the Bush and Cheney greed. These "volunteers", as Cheney so cavalierly puts it, didn't volunteer for Iraq or Afghanistan at all. The sheer arrogance of Cheney to state that the "biggest burden" is borne by Bush. What a statement! Responsibility, yes. Burden? Send the Bush twins and the Cheney demon spawn to the front lines, then Bush and Cheney will begin to know the meaning of "burden" . Until then, Cheney shut the ____ up.

[devild1nosaur]

Well, yeah. Actually, it is.

And don't expect to get that kind of leadership out of John McCain either. There's a guy who'll keep this thing going on inexorably because he's done his duty, damn it, and they're gonna do theirs, too. Or else! We'll bring peace to the Middle East if it kills 'em!

You want to support the troops?
then BRING THEM HOME. The sooner the better. The only thing they'll accomplish extending our (suicide) mission in Afghiranaquistan is adding their own names to the deaths and casualties.

[siegfried89]

These comments of the hidden cost of the Iraq occupation are based on a March 19th report taken from a local news channel. Som of you may already be aware of this outrage, but many are not

[standforpeace]

Yes, they volunteered and trusted their elected leaders to only send them when there were no other options. Yes they volunteered and trusted that we their fellow countrymen would value their willingness to sacrifice so much that we would speak up for them and raise an outcry to make it plain to Congress and our president that we want decisions about war to be made as though there was a draft and it was our sons and daughters who had to go. And quite clearly these brave volunteers were let down certainly by our president and this cowardly Democratic Congress but also by Americans who tuned the war out and got on with their own lives. Cheney uses the fact that we have a semi-volunteer army (ask all of those who have done their time but are being prevented from getting out whether they are volunteers) as a excuse to use these brave men and women as bomb fodder. In my book, the fact that our military is made up of folks who volunteered to defend their countries who are willing to die for our freedom and/or come home physically and spiritually torn apart by the dirty work they do in our name makes it even more horrific to throw their lives away so casually. But hey that's just me.

[FatherOfAllLife]

And quite clearly these brave volunteers were let down certainly by our president WTF?

WHAT president?

AMERICA DOESN'T HAVE A PRESIDENT!

WE HAVE A USURPER (USURPATION) THAT HAS STOLEN THE OFFICE!

http://groups.msn.com/impeachbushcheneyusurpation/voterfraudvoting.msnw
http://groups.msn.com/impeachbushcheneyusurpation/voterfraudatthedoj.msnw

[Anonymiss]

He's not human.

[Tabasco]

And I thought Cheney was a heartless, capital-driven opportunist.

[mrdontplay]

Exactly.

[Sumocat]

"The president carries the biggest burden, obviously" -- If by "burden", Cheney means "responsibility" then I agree. But of course, this President has not taken responsibility for anything, except keeping us safe from terrorists, and even then, he's excluding the 7,000+ Americans killed by terrorists during his Presidency (assuming our soldiers are fighting the War on Terror).

[FatherOfAllLife]

this President-[SIC]-USURPER has not taken responsibility for anything, except keeping us safe from terrorists,

9/11 WAS AN INSIDE JOB! http://groups.msn.com/911wasaninsidejob/pentagons911magicbullettheory.msnw

THE bu$h/cheney USURPATION (et al) ARE THE TERRORISTS!
THE "WAR ON TERROR" IS A FRAUD!

IF IT WAS REAL, THE FIRST THING DONE WOULD'VE BEEN TO SEAL OUR BORDERS & PORTS/POINTS OF ENTRY....
NOT
SELL OF OUR PORTS TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES (dubai- IT WAS A dubai SECURITY COMPANY THAT USURPER bu$h's BROTHER WAS WORKING FOR THAT WAS -[ALLEDGEDLY]-RUNNING "SECURITY" AT THE WTC & AMERICAN AIRLINES ON 9/11/01) WHILE LEAVING THE BORDERS WIDE OPEN.

[gakabani]

He is the most cynical politician of our times, he remains me of Hermann Göring, the nazi criminal.

[GhostintheMachine]

Nearly 4,000 American service members and about 100,000 Iraqis (most of them in the suicide bombings for which al-Qaida has become infamous) have been killed since March 19, 2003. Has it been worth it? Iraqis apparently think so. Last week ABC and the BBC released results of a poll conducted in Iraq last month in which 55 percent of Iraqis said their lives were going well, up from 39 percent last August. Forty-nine percent of Iraqis think the U.S. invasion was justified, up from 37 percent in August.

[PiratePrentiss]

What percentage still think its OK to kill Americans? Are we below 50 percent yet? What a damn waste of life. Wouldn't it have been simpler to leave our former ally Saddam contained and unarmed like he was in 2003? Actually, wouldn't it have been simpler to not have aided Saddam at all? He sure gassed a lot of Kurds using American helicopters and military surplus gear that we gave him.

[JacobSinger]

FLAGGED: SHAMELESS GOP SHILL.

[PhotoZel]

Cherry picking data is, well, bad.....more from the story, oh and the link too:

BEEN BETTER – In almost all cases, however, the improvement since August and March still has not brought Iraqi sentiment back to its pre-2007 levels. While 46 percent now expect improvements for the country in the next year, that's still far below its level in November 2005, 69 percent. While 55 percent say their own lives are going well, that's down from 71 percent in late 2005.

http://abcnews.go.com/PollingUnit/story?id=4444000

PS: Cheyney=Liar