Amazing Coincidence

Email to the Washington Post

It is amazing that Mr. Brzezinski's writings are so perfectly similar to an article I posted to the internet two days before his opinion piece appeared in the Post. I am surprised that the Washington Post would allow this, although I doubt you knew. Look at the similarities:
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Nonetheless, if the American people had been asked more than five years ago whether Bush's obsession with the removal of Saddam Hussein was worth 4,000 American lives, almost 30,000 wounded Americans and several trillion dollars -- not to mention the less precisely measurable damage to the United States' world-wide credibility, legitimacy and moral standing -- the answer almost certainly would have been an unequivocal "no."
Washington Post Opinion Article
By Zbigniew Brzezinski
Sunday, March 30, 2008; Page B03
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Sam Schoolsky
March 28, 2008

In the face of the United States entering its sixth year of the War in Iraq many interesting questions arise.

If the American public knew five years ago that this pre-emptive war, based upon bad information about WMDs, would last this long, involve over 33,000 U.S. casualties (4,000 killed, 29,000 wounded, to date) cost in the long term about 3 trillion dollars, strain our military, and destroy American influence, respect and leadership worldwide, would it have supported the start of the war? Would Congress have given its approval? Would Mr. Bush’s so called base that still supports him (about 31%) gone along with this disastrous, costly folly that has put the country into such a huge debt that will engulf our grandchildren, our great grandchildren, and so many generations after that?

President Bush can give all the speeches he wants glorifying the accomplishments (?) of this disastrous, continuing fight half way around the world, but all his pontificating cannot change the answer to those questions, which is a resounding NO!

Interesting Questions-Obvious Answer

Dear editor:

In the face of the United States entering its sixth year of the War in Iraq many interesting questions arise.

If the American public knew five years ago that this pre-emptive war, based upon bad information about WMDs, would last this long, involve over 33,000 U.S. casualties (4,000 killed, 29,000 wounded, to date) cost in the long term about 3 trillion dollars, strain our military, and destroy American influence, respect and leadership worldwide, would it have supported the start of the war? Would Congress have given its approval? Would Mr. Bush’s so called base that still supports him (about 31%) gone along with this disastrous, costly folly that has put the country into such a huge debt that will engulf our grandchildren, our great grandchildren, and so many generations after that?

President Bush can give all the speeches he wants glorifying the accomplishments (?) of this disastrous, continuing fight half way around the world, but all his pontificating cannot change the answer to those questions, which is a resounding NO!

World War II Draftees vs. Iraq War Volunteers

Dear editor:

As I have said and written before, I was (and still am) against the Iraq War before we preemptively attacked. Nothing that has happened has changed my mind about this. While I am against the war, I whole heartedly support our troops, including my son who at present is in Bahrain. He also has been on the ground in Iraq serving with Navy Seal Teams while a part of Navy Special Warfare. He is a career naval officer and I pray for him and all who serve, every day.

Our military casualties during the past five years are well known to everyone with just about 4,000 deaths and over 29,000 wounded during the five years of combat. I hurt for every family who has lost a loved one, or has seen a family member come home missing a limb or physically wounded, which effects them and everyone around them for the rest of their lives. It is a terrible toll.

But, being in my seventies and with memories of the Second World War still fresh (even though I was very young,) I must bring up a subject that many of my generation will agree with and will greatly offend many others, which in no way is my desire.

During World War II 16,596,639 Americans served in the armed forces of this country. They were a part of the generation that has been described as “America’s Greatest Generation.” Some were career military before America was involved in the war, many volunteered after the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, but the overwhelming majority were drafted into this country’s service. Of these brave souls 416,800 lost their lives and 683,846 were wounded. It was a devastating three and a half years. These mainly draftees served in the mud of Italy, in the snows or Belgium, on the beaches of Normandy, in the lethal island hopping campaign of the Pacific, aboard ships that knew daily the danger of enemy submarines and planes, and flew thru the flack and fighter attack over just about all of Europe and Asia. They were “DRAFTED” for the duration of the war, as long as it took, and they grumbled and complained about their plight all the time. But they knew they were there for a reason. There was no such thing as rotating back to the states on a set schedule and equal time at home and overseas was not only unheard of, it was not even thought of. And for this these drafted privates were paid $21 a month, without the benefit of signing or reenlistment bonuses.

Today’s military, including the Reserves and National Guard, is 100% voluntary, and like it or not, they volunteered to be in the service of our country. True, they want to be home with their families, and I would love it if this war was ended and they could go on with their lives in peace. But, this is the cost of a volunteer military and all of its benefits. Our troops serve at the call of the president and the complaint that they want to serve as much time at home as overseas in a war zone, while desirable by all, just isn’t possible. Our armed forces are stretched to the maximum and the “volunteer” has to fill the void. Complain as you may, but remember what those “draftees” who served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam had to do.

Want to change this? Talk to your congressman, senator or the president.

"One" Is A Big Number

Dear editor:

Numbers in the news are important and shape our view of our country and the world around us. Today, the news is all about the numbers going up and up at gas stations, about the falling numbers on the stock exchange, about the number of dollars being lost in the value of homes, about the skyrocketing numbers for the cost of both a barrel of oil and an ounce of gold and the falling numbers for the value of the American dollar as compared to other world currencies. The news media that we follow on radio and TV, in newspapers, and on the internet have these numbers as their lead stories. All of these dollar numbers are important in our lives, but they aren’t the only stories of importance involving numbers. Don’t believe it? Think about it.

When was the last time a newspaper had a front page story on the Iraq War? When was the last time a TV news program had a lead off story reporting on American deaths and wounded in that troubled country? You have to search the back part of the paper for a report on the war.

What are the numbers emanating from Iraq that we should be concerned about but no longer find in front page headlines? Have we and the media become so tired of knowing about all that is happening in that part of the world?

The war has now entered its sixth year and some of our politicians are talking about the real possibility of our being there for years and years into the future. Six may not seem to be a big number, but for those who have served and died there, it is huge. Add to that the fact that in the next couple of weeks the death toll for American forces in Iraq will hit 4,000, and the wounded over 29,000. Those are huge numbers.

Of course there are those that will say that casualties are a sad fact of war and this is nothing to compare to the Vietnam War deaths. Try telling that to the family that has lost a loved one in Iraq; a son or daughter; a father or mother; a husband or wife; or a grandchild. Of course to them the number 4,000 is frightening but meaningless. To them the only important number is “one.” Their “one.”

Somehow our reporters, editors, TV producers and internet contributors have to bring this information back to the forefront. Let us not lose sight of the fact that although the body count is down from a year ago, that every time an American soldier, sailor, marine or airman is killed that a family loses a loved “one.” And "one" is a big, sad number.

Find A Good Chinese Restaurant

Letter to Newsweek Magazine

Dear editor:

Jennie Yabroff, in her March 10th Newsweek article, Lo Mein Street, USA, brings out some very interesting statistics about one of the many ethnic food loves of the American public. While steak and potatoes, or fried chicken and cornbread may be standard fare for so many in our diverse population, an overwhelming number of Americans eat and love Italian pizza, Jewish pastrami on rye, Swedish meatballs, Japanese sushi, Russian borscht, Chinese chicken chow mein, etc. This is because we are a diverse group of immigrant families who have brought our tastes and fare with us from our (or our ancestors) native lands.

However Ms. Yabroff left out one important fact about Chinese restaurants that most discerning people know. Want to find a good Chinese restaurant? Go to a Jewish neighborhood.