ON WAR, CONG. ROSKAM HIDES BEHIND LEADERS' SKIRTS
April 6, 2010
Congressman Peter Roskam
150 S. Bloomingdale Road, Suite 200
Bloomingdale, IL 60108
Dear Congressman Roskam,
“We’ve shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat”…comment of General Stanley McChrystal, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, concerning the continuing problem of civilian casualties from the American invasion and occupation.
Congressman, when the history of this bankrupting, immoral and criminal war we are waging endlessly is finally written, that quote may stand out as a summarization of the evil we are doing in a land where we do not belong. I don’t suppose that those innocents who have been maimed by our senseless shootings, or the relatives of the dead ones, consider their number “amazing”. I’m sure they consider their number hideous and criminal and ghastly.
And what do you have to say about this venture, which along with the Iraq and Pakistan military missions have cost us over a trillion dollars, 5,400 dead and tens of thousands injured? Well based on your first response in nearly three years to my monthly letters imploring you to end your support and funding for these senseless wars…not much.
Without adding anything of substance of your own thinking, you base your continued support for the Afghan war simply on the word of President Obama to escalate this war with additional soldiers supported by the same General McChrystal. That sounds pretty sensible until one realizes that when it comes to spending a trillion dollars to create real, non-war based jobs and begin revamping our broken health care system for the thirty million who go without health insurance, the same President Obama doesn’t know what he’s talking about and you oppose his entire domestic program vehemently. But when it is convenient for you to keep faith with the war party, which needs these endless wars for the wealth and glory and power it gives them, President Obama is a wise man that you must follow regardless of how morally and financially bankrupting these wars are.
Your response points out a couple of inconvenient truths about your political posturing when it comes to war. First, you have absolutely nothing to add to the debate why we should continue our involvement in immoral and criminal war. Second, you are smart enough to keep a low profile of your support and funding of these wars by avoiding it on your Congressional website and couching all your support in terms of simply following the wishes of our President and top military commander.
Congressman, I suspect you realize the day may come, either in this life or the next, when those who made up, launched, supported or funded these crimes against humanity are called to account for their mis-deeds. And when so called, it will be insufficient, as the Nuremburg War Crime Trials aptly pointed out, that you were just following the orders of your leaders. Asserting your funding was simply complying with President Bush and his designated Yes Man General Petreaus, or President Obama and his designated Yes Man General McChrystal, simply will not do. Maybe you should just settle on “The Devil made me do it”.
Respectfully,
Walt Zlotow
Resident, IL Sixth District
Congressman Peter Roskam
150 S. Bloomingdale Road, Suite 200
Bloomingdale, IL 60108
Dear Congressman Roskam,
“We’ve shot an amazing number of people, but to my knowledge, none has ever proven to be a threat”…comment of General Stanley McChrystal, commander of US forces in Afghanistan, concerning the continuing problem of civilian casualties from the American invasion and occupation.
Congressman, when the history of this bankrupting, immoral and criminal war we are waging endlessly is finally written, that quote may stand out as a summarization of the evil we are doing in a land where we do not belong. I don’t suppose that those innocents who have been maimed by our senseless shootings, or the relatives of the dead ones, consider their number “amazing”. I’m sure they consider their number hideous and criminal and ghastly.
And what do you have to say about this venture, which along with the Iraq and Pakistan military missions have cost us over a trillion dollars, 5,400 dead and tens of thousands injured? Well based on your first response in nearly three years to my monthly letters imploring you to end your support and funding for these senseless wars…not much.
Without adding anything of substance of your own thinking, you base your continued support for the Afghan war simply on the word of President Obama to escalate this war with additional soldiers supported by the same General McChrystal. That sounds pretty sensible until one realizes that when it comes to spending a trillion dollars to create real, non-war based jobs and begin revamping our broken health care system for the thirty million who go without health insurance, the same President Obama doesn’t know what he’s talking about and you oppose his entire domestic program vehemently. But when it is convenient for you to keep faith with the war party, which needs these endless wars for the wealth and glory and power it gives them, President Obama is a wise man that you must follow regardless of how morally and financially bankrupting these wars are.
Your response points out a couple of inconvenient truths about your political posturing when it comes to war. First, you have absolutely nothing to add to the debate why we should continue our involvement in immoral and criminal war. Second, you are smart enough to keep a low profile of your support and funding of these wars by avoiding it on your Congressional website and couching all your support in terms of simply following the wishes of our President and top military commander.
Congressman, I suspect you realize the day may come, either in this life or the next, when those who made up, launched, supported or funded these crimes against humanity are called to account for their mis-deeds. And when so called, it will be insufficient, as the Nuremburg War Crime Trials aptly pointed out, that you were just following the orders of your leaders. Asserting your funding was simply complying with President Bush and his designated Yes Man General Petreaus, or President Obama and his designated Yes Man General McChrystal, simply will not do. Maybe you should just settle on “The Devil made me do it”.
Respectfully,
Walt Zlotow
Resident, IL Sixth District
posted by Walt Zlotow at 9:20 AM
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