February 18, 2007
Sunday PM

It is time for our entire Country to go to war.

The President of the United States is ordering an escalation of the war in Iraq by sending twenty one thousand more troops.  The Pentagon has said they do not have enough armor to equip these soldiers. Twelve billion dollars, 363 metric tons of shrink wrapped one hundred dollar bills, went to Iraq and are unaccounted for. Twelve billion lost dollars and the Pentagon says our fighting men and women can share their armor.

 We have been at war for four years. Why is it that U.S. manufacturers haven't geared up and produced tanks, bombs, trucks, and whatever else is needed to win this Nation's war? There has been a steady shortage of body armor, armored Humvee's and Stryker armored combat vehicles. Because of this our American soldiers have been killed or maimed unnecessarily. If we can manufacture Hummers for the wealthy domestic market, we can damn sure provide enough for our warriors. If one company's assembly lines can't keep up with demand then there are plenty of other assembly lines that can tool up and take up the slack.  All we need is a leader with the stones to make it so.

Time was when during a war, Americans would sacrifice for the effort. Taxes would be increased to pay for the war, not slashed. Americans bought war bonds, we wouldn't think of selling our bonds to China, a possible future enemy. The world has never seen the amount of debt the U.S. Government now has. The fiscal security of this Country is every bit as important as the physical security.

There are $100,000 civilian truck drivers being protected by $25,000 soldiers. Generals are protected by highly paid mercenaries. Cooking and laundry and a myriad of functions are done by highly paid contract civilians in a war zone. Those are civilians that have to be protected. Why has this happened? It is because a volunteer military doesn't work during a protracted war.

Big Oil had the largest profit in history last year. Halliburton regularly overcharges millions of dollars for services. War profiteering has become an art.

There has been sacrifice. The fighting men and women that we have, return over and over to the meat grinder in Iraq and Afghanistan. They and their families sacrifice body and mind while armchair generals and chicken hawks cheer on the war, drive gas guzzling SUV's and enjoy tax breaks.

Because we are at war, we need to return tax levels to what they were when Clinton was in office. Taxes should be raised, even higher if necessary, to pay down our tremendous debt.

Because we are at war, manufacturers need to gear up and build the necessary equipment for war; body armor, armored vehicles, and all the latest and greatest weaponry for our fighting men and women. Never again should we send our finest into battle without the best tools we can develop.

Because we are at war, war profits need to be held at 5%. Overcharging for services and goods has to be punished with mandatory jail sentences.

Because we are at war, and it is a war about oil, there should be gas rationing. Profits from the same dollars we spend at the pumps pay for the Iranian nuclear buildup. If the Administration is right, those dollars eventually fund the transfer of Iranian IED's to Shiites in Iraq. Then the same can be said of the Saudi funding of Sunni attacks.

Because we are at war, we have to implement a draft. Never again should we go to war without enough boots on the ground to maintain peace after the fight is over. Never again should there be civilians working beside soldiers in a war zone. We can draft cooks, laundry workers, and truck drivers and they can all be trained soldiers. There should never, ever, be armed civilian guards in a war zone or guarding a U.S. base. Everyone in a war zone has to be subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Rich, poor, Democrat, or Republican; if a war is worth fighting, then it is worth sending our sons and daughters no matter what their parent's position in society may be.

Because we are at war, every American should sacrifice. No one should be left untouched. War should be an effort and a sacrifice shared in some way by all Americans. Political expediency should never override the security of our Nation and war should always be for security. War should always be an all out effort to win as a country, never the sole burden of the few volunteers in uniform.

Patrick Jirschele
Pennock Island, Alaska


Received February 17, 2007 - Published February 18, 2007

 

Send A Letter -------Read Letters

E-mail the Editor at editor@sitnews.us

Sitnews
Stories In The News
Ketchikan, Alaska