it's been a bunch of things leading up to this, but, three things i've read the past few days have set me off...

--i read the cover story of newsweek today and i was just stunned. if any of you have the money, i say pick it up. it's about a surgeon that went over to iraq with a battalion and served on the frontlines. but what he describes is unreal.
--i read yesterday in time magazine that the army spent nearly $100,000 on televisions for soldiers to watch whatever cable could funnel in -- $15,000 at a time, of course. when normal conditions like sand and wind ruined the first few, of course they kept sending a new one and a new one and a new one...you get my point. well, time interviewed the soldiers and they complained they didn't have enough armor or supplies. so, tv's are more important, eh?
--i read the other day in deep magazine, the pearl jam newsletter, the letter of a soldier that served in iraq. and he wrote something like 'i was just sitting behind this car during a fight thinking that if someone comes at me, i'm going to have to kill him. and i might be killed. and i thought about how all this started because some guy from texas didn't feel like using his ambassadors...'

i'm just fucking outraged at the this point. i've never been this just completely outraged in my life. and i think it's time i thoroughly entrench my passions and desire into something. my mom told me 'well he'll be out in 2008...' but by 2008, another how many thousand people will be dead?

i can easily join the nyc green party but was looking for any other advice...

I'm not sure what else you can do. Obviously protesting and supporting candidates running against pro-war officals. I'm not sure what it's going to take for things to change in Iraq. As horrible as it's becoming there, I don't see Bush doing anything to bring troops home. I'm guessing maybe legislation can have a say on what money is being spent on, though. I'm afraid this media backlash is going to start catching on and making the media look like it is to blame for the administration's errors.

everyone's to blame for believing the crock of shit colin powell presented to the u.n.

I thought the cover story on Newsweek was Freud.

I wouldn't say everyone. There were still some who were against the war from the beginning. I know my senator, Robert C. Byrd, was against the war from the beginning. I'm not sure who else voted against authorization, though. I'm sort of pissed people bought into Powell's shit, too. When I saw Helen Thomas speak the week before last, she did say she was really disappointed with the media's lack of questioning during the lead up to war. I would have to agree. They wanted war, though, because it seemed to be an exciting story to cover.

At this point, though, I think we need to focus more on getting out of Iraq. I don't see it turning out successful. I see the government there eventually becoming a theocracy similar as to what Afghanistan has become. They don't really want democracy, they just want their certain Islamic group to be in power. I used to think we needed to build everything up, but now I'd say we should just get out before more of our own die.

I do think Bush and his cronies should be punished, but that won't happen of course. I did say in 9th grade during the 2000 election that we would go to war in Iraq if Bush was elected. Unfortunately, I was correct. It was obvious he wanted to invade from the beginning of his presidency.

I know you are a Green Party man so you aren't extremely fond of the Democrats, either, but I feel getting them back in power will change some things. I know many of them bought into the war too, which pisses me off, but that's politics. I'm pretty darn liberal and probably agree more with the Greens, but I just don't see them as an option for actual change.

i'm sorry, it's last week's newsweek. this weeks is still in my mailbox

I came this close to putting my fist through the TV when watching Colin Powell's pathetic presentation that day. I realize how futile and self-serving it is to say how I knew he was lying through his teeth, or at the very least, he was producing a remarkably sloppy case, but it's true.

The entire march to war smacked of a rising tidal wave of lies from the Bush administration (supported by Blair). I was disgusted. I remember being in a corporate finance class when the news broke of the bombs dropping on Baghdad and I nearly threw up in the isle.

The best thing you can do is influence your young peers and motivate them as you've been motivated. I admire your passion, but it takes a lot more than one person to really make a difference. So I recommend putting your energy toward that in some way.

this is more what i'm looking for. thank you.

we could sit here and argue, debate or even wholeheartedly agree about the war, but i'm telling you guys i'm outraged and i need to find the best way to use this energy.

'hey, see this pickup truck leaving this little random factory? yea, that's where the WMD's are being produced!'

I understand what you are saying, but I believe you need to focus this energy on the future and not on what happened in the past.

I feel the same way, Michael. It's tough to make headway in Texas though.

well you're right. and luckily, while i see the situation and how much it's been fucked up, i have tons of optimism in how it can be fixed.

Good for you man. If just half of people aged 18-24 felt as passionate about things as you this country could change dramatically.

That's absolutely right. The only way things are going to change are for younger generations to eventually take over and impose their own stances in politics. Unfortunately, it's basically a good ole boy network of incumbents at this point that is nearly impossible to crack. The only way to change it is for them to all die and have a younger, smarter generation take over. The only problem with this is, have you been to a high school lately? Not exactly the poster children for the future leaders of America.

It's terrible, and it's so hard to actually make a difference that you're going to see. Ideally if all of us who felt this way went out and spread the word and influenced people to think the way we do, maybe we can get some joy out of seeing others "enlightened". But other than that, it really seems so hopeless. Can one person really make a difference? Well yea, if all of those "one persons" come together, but not only is that difficult, but it still doesn't eliminate the fact that tons of people who are mostly brainwashed are on the other side. Sometimes I try to forget about it because that seems the best way to find some peace, but then I see something, like you mentioned with that letter in Deep and I too get fired up. It's a shame, but hopefully enough of us are going ot be able to make a difference that we can see in what, 25-30 years??

Do as much as you can and feel some joy out of doing the right thing.

Ya know what. This thread is a perfect example of how dangerous our media really is.

Good job guys.

THE MEDIA HATES THE MILITARY JUST LOOK AT WHAT THEY PRINT ABOUT YOU JACKALS

Why don't you stay out of this thread?

Yeah, Bush better start bombing CNN and MSNBC. I heard they had weapons of mass destruction.