I have to tell you, I've been opposed to the invasion of Iraq from the word go... not that I've got anything against liberating people from tyranny or spreading democracy, it's the means I object to rather than the ends.
I must admit, I have been pretty upset about the carnage and loss of life in Iraq, and I have fumed at the US military for its heavy-handed tactics in Fallujah and elsewhere in Iraq.
When I came across CB's blog, I was really impressed with his personal, unpolished and apolitical commentary. He has completely altered my view of the US military, from the notion of a brutal, inhuman monolith to something I can relate to, an organization of unique individuals doing a difficult and demanding job, with too little recognition.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a convert to US militarism or anything that ridiculous, but I really do appreciate the opportunity to see the world from another perspective, from a standpoint I would normally reject. I mean, most of the official military PR is so propagandized that it's hard to take seriously... my eyes glaze over and my mind tunes out.
But from reading CB's stuff (and I've found a couple of others, like http://livefromiraq.blogspot.com and http://daggerjag.blogspot.com) I have come to the realization that there are good people in the US military, not just these bloggers, but their military superiors, who, let's face it, allow or permit them to post stuff on the web.
Some people make out like a soldiers right to post stuff on the web is a given. I can't agree. I'm no lover of the military, but it seems to me, if you go and join up (or get conscripted) you surrender your civilian rights, you basically commit to total obediance, obediance to the CiC and the CoC.
Can you imagine Chinese or Russian soldiers posting to the web from a battle zone? Whatever the rights and wrongs of Bush's Iraq adventure, the US military does deserve some credit for its willingness to open up and expose itself to public scrutiny and dare I say, intimate social intercourse.
Now don't get me wrong, I'm not a convert to US militarism or anything that ridiculous, but I really do appreciate the opportunity to see the world from another perspective, from a standpoint I would normally reject. I mean, most of the official military PR is so propagandized that it's hard to take seriously... my eyes glaze over and my mind tunes out.
I'm no lover of the military, but it seems to me, if you go and join up (or get conscripted) you surrender your civilian rights, you basically commit to total obediance, obediance to the CiC and the CoC.