[sheltonmac]

I don't understand how you can label this as a "big pile of peacenik crappola." The author simply raises some interesting points. Are we to blindly accept any action the government decides to take? What's wrong with questioning our government's actions? If our soldiers didn't die in Somalia for some worthless cause, what exactly did they die for? I challenge anyone to make the case that they were in Somalia fighting for our freedom. If anything, they were in Somalia fighting for someone else's freedom, and that has nothing to do with their oath to uphold and defend the Constitution. As far as our actions in Afghanistan, I have no qualms about destroying those responsible. I do, however, have reservations about expanding our actions into some generic global war on terrorism with no definable objective. Sorry, but I don't see how that qualifies as peacenik crappola.

[kidd]

Its peacenik crappola because it is just full of revisionist history. And the purpose of the history revising is to discredit any military efforts. How many Americans have died in Afganistan? If I take off my shoes, I can probably count them all. How many American citizens have they saved because of their brave sacrafices? I would say its in the thousands, if not the millions.

Yet this article is calling us to action. Its asking us to "challenge" the government. I think keeping the American citizenry safe from further terrorist attcks is challenging enough without having a Vietnam-style effort at discrediting our leadership.

The President has responded to an emergency situation. The threat was immediate and the consequences of a non-response were dire. A formal declaration of war, by Congress, will soon be necessary. But it is far too early to "challenge" the government.

[7thson]

This is where I stopped reading. Clinton did not order them there - Bush did. If the author cannot get that one fact straight than guess what? The article is crapola.

[7thson]

They were there because President Clinton ordered them to help feed people who were starving to death in that country.

This is where I stopped reading. Clinton did not order them there - Bush did. If the author cannot get that one fact straight than guess what? The article is crapola.

[CIBvet]

I challenge anyone to make the case that they were in Somalia fighting for our freedom.

Perhaps our freedom to drive around on the cheapest gas possible??

Somalia: The Oil Factor