theyeti

Couldn't he have expressed that sentiment without pretending to be Dirty Harry? Speaking only for myself, the thing that bothers me with Bush rhetoric like this is that it seems to indicate that this is all a game to them, as if they're doing nothing more than moving chess pieces around. And that the military personell are expendable since hey, we've got more where they came from. This is especially galling when one realizes that neither Bush nor most of his war-hawk handlers have ever seen combat. Where's the solemnity and humility that sending people to their potential deaths deserves?

theyeti

Laci

He just wants them to know, we're not afraid of them.
Lots about it.

HeatherD

Your facts are uncoordinated, non sequitur...

I was in the National Guard for 5 of 6 years. Since it wasn't a time of war and I hadn't missed any active duty time, just the weekend duty, they went easy on me. Also after serving at least 4 of the 6 years I didn't have to payback the college bonus money.

If it had been a time of war or if I went AWOL during my 4 week active duty period, they could have taken action against me. That could have included dishonorable discharge or courts martial. If it had been a time of war, I could have been put on active duty. The Guard rarely puts individuals on mandatory active duty as they are state not federal military organizations.

Since it wasn't a time of war and I hadn't missed any active duty periods, I got an honorable discharge when my discharge date arrived. The Guard doesn't put you on the inactive ready reserves. But if a war starts before your discharge, you can be activated.

Now for the reserves it is a bit different. My brother was in the Navy Reserves. Basically everything would be the same except that with the reserves missing your weekend duty periods can lead to mandatory activation. Since they are a reserve unit of the federal navy they can do that any time they need to want to.

I don't know Bush's circumstances but I believe it was during the Vietnam war. It is at least morally wrong and certainly conduct unbecoming an officer to go AWOL from Guard duty during a war that cost so many lives.

jman0904

How many servicemen and women in Iraq that have seen their comrades die from street ambushes would have said "Bring them on!"?

Godless Dave

Particularly when it was Daddy's influence that got him stationed stateside instead of a combat zone (where John McCain and Al Gore were).

Anti-Creedance Front

Al Gore just wishes he was John McCain. He took pictures. John spent years as a prisoner of war...

Anyhoo, I think the way Bush sees it is that he's going to stand in front of the White House with a pitchfork and a shotgun hootin' and hollerin' til them varmints come a'runnin at him. That's what bring them on means.

This is a prime example of not giving a flying fuck about our servicemen's lives. Now the next time a diehard Republican gives you crap about "not supporting our troops", bring this up.

Sakpo

This article clearly demonstrates how daddy's influence saved Shrub from going to Vietnam, there's no other way he'd have been able to just strut in and get taken as a fighter pilot with the lowest possible score... competition for those spots was harsh.

Furthermore, it looks pretty clear Bush did go AWOL, and IIRC, it was policy back then to punish AWOL guardsmen by putting them on active duty, which didn't happen to Bush. Hmm...

Nog

Actually ya, they probably are. especially the Marines.

Zar

Yes, that is some pretty "shoot from the hip" rhetoric. And upon reflection, it does seem irresponsible to egg on the rebels like that.

Strange, but typical stuff from this madman.

Arken

What do you want to bet it makes his popularity rating go up though? *sigh* I hate humanity.