Why I Refused a 2nd Deployment To Iraq

Every soldier has proper representation !!!!!

Next you'll insist the soldiers should be allowed to vote ??
Or they should be paid a salary for their work ????
Or god forbid !!! they might demand the right to leave the army ????
I don't now where you get this quaint picture of a military reminiscent of the slave armies of the middle ages !!
I have know idea how many soldier there are in the US military, But I do know they all chose to be there !!!! can't be that bad can it ????

 

i really dont feel sympathetic for the sgt. he did sign up to be a killer. he didnt sign up in the peace corps. the stupid man who signed up, is still stupid if he thinks that all these reasons to not go back are breaking news to the people sending him there. they already know what goes on in war, thats why they are sending him and not going themselves. he should go and be a good lil soldier, take his sniper training, and then take some shots at the brass. thats the only way to stop the war if your in his shoes.

 

No they don't. The military still has sexual harasament,unsafe working conditions,ect. There is no union of soldiers, a soldier can go to report their problem to their union and the union deals with it.

For example the issue of troops not having proper equipment in Iraq, the troops tell the union they have a meeting and could as a option walk of the job till the US provides them with proper equipment.

 

I begrudgingly respect most of the people on here, but you're a joke !!!!!

 

What so in your opion the troops should have no power to force the goverment to for example give them proper equipment? You think it was good that in the Korean War that many troops died due to not having winter gear. Oh how horrible it would have been if the troops refused to leave the cities till the US gave them winter gear so they won't freese to death:$

 

Look !! the US soldier is the best equipped soldier on any battle field !! I have spent time with many armed forces from many nations, they are all jealous of the equipment a US soldier has at his disposal, Even the British watch a US soldier unpack his kit, and steady the moral by insisting where they lack kit they make up for it with skill, but deep down they would like the kit to go with the skill (pub talk !).. In fact the most common criticism of the US military is its softly softly approach to its personnel....

One moment your condemning the military, the next you trying to get them better equipped !!!

 

Yet there are times like in Korea and Iraq now that supplies don't reach the troops.

The troops are workers, while they are causing death and distruction they are simply workers, they have families and you have to stand up for them as workers.

What do you think I'm hypocritical? You can't go around picking who should have rights and who doesn't. You'll never get solidaridy if for example when lumberjacks strike for their rights as workers, you get enviormentalist rubbing it would just divide them, when the lumberjacks might have the same concerns for the enviorment as the enviormentalist and the enviormentalist have same concerns for workers rights as the lumberjacks.

 

Why do you keep harping on about soldiers rights !!! soldiers of today, are far better looked after than say corporate employees.... soldiers are there by choice, if they don't like it I'm sure they will leave ....

 

Well they are like police yet police are unionized and soldiers are not. American troops are underpaid and the goverment find ways to not provide the benifis they promises to them, for example how the goverment draged its feet providing health care to sick troops coming home from the first Iraq war.

As for them being there by choice, what happeneds in a draft? Also the look at this thread, troops don't have a path to leave the military. This guy can't go and say look here is my advace notice, I want out.

 

Well I do know that the air force has the AF SGTS Association. Thats like a union for us. So there, can we drop the union subject now?

This is supposed to be about why some guy pussed out on going to iraq.

 

Why should he? The contract he signed does not conform to US labor laws, the whole you sign up your ass is ours is not legal as soon as you look at the US military as just an employeer. Sure the US military has it own laws but that is because there is no real union to force the military to conform to US labor laws.

The mercenaries (contract security workers or whater the PC term is called) hired by likes Haliburtion in Iraq has more rights then the US troops and that is the problem. Due to labor laws the mercenaries in Iraq can leave Iraq behind within weeks of completing the paper work, the US troops should have the same rights. Fill out the paper work, wait for your replacement then go home.

Sure you can say he should have read his contract but if Haliburtion tried to use the same contract as the US Military for its mercenaries the mercenaries would be able to sue Haliburtion over labor laws yet troops can't sue the US Military over labor laws. This is injustice.

Why shouldn't troops demand the same rights of the private troops in Iraq? Being able to quit the military being a big one.

 

Global security is one of those employers. They are run about the same as the military. If you are contracted to be in iraq for a year & break the contract, there is a large penalty to pay. (thats in the contractual obligation too) No one signs up for the army or the marines to kiss bunnies, and help old ladies accross the street. He signed up, his ass is theirs.

 

I'll start of by saying that I know for a fact that there have been times when a show of strength and sometimes brute force were indeed necessary. Physical communication is sometimes the only way to stop someone(s). The reality is that these have really been rare occasions in which all other means of settlement were completely exhausted. After reading the article from this dude I have to say that I agree with his sentiments wholeheartedly. The war in Iraq is not one of these times. South American death squads are not one of these times, the list goes on..... I think to quote a poet from a documentary I saw recently, 'Liquid Crystal Vision', " This is not idealistic, this is common sense."

 

Lets see priviate contracted solider CAN negotiate out of their contract for a price and even if he breaks it is not punished nearly as much as in the military. Yes his ass is theirs but so is when you work for mob, doen't make it right.

Think about how can the troops bring freedom when they them selfs are slaves to the military?

 

A dream is a dream within a dream. Even the Military dream.

 

Thank you for the excellent example of the very brainwashed attitude I frequently speak of. People have morals and are perfectly free to object to going against them. People also make mistakes! I think you are the one who's "pussying out" by not refusing to go over there. You've said in the past that you feel this war is wrong, yet you do nothing that reflects that conviction! Let's face it, for you, refusing would take more courage than submitting to the military and going against your moral grain. I don't think you should talk about bravery.

 

Bravery is going on the orders, and toughing it out whether you believe in it or not. It is also helping out your fellow people over there. Im sure 90% Of the army over there didn't "volenteer" to go. Courage is toughing it out, and standing up to your superiors when they try to give you an unlawful order. Excuse me for saying "pussing out" maybe I should have said, failing to fill their militaristic obligation. Troops need to stop taking unlawful orders. Based on what the press is relaying, there is much of that going on, and it needs to be stopped.

Im sure people would have less of a problem deploying to iraq, if the leadership was doing what they are supposed to. Its a mess, If I was tasked to go, i would go. But I would stand up for myself in an integrity comprimising situation, such as this guy has stated.

 

Yhea but pre-emptive strikes are illegal under UN law.

Then you have the breach of the Hague Regulations that state occupying powers must respect the laws of nation it is occupating and Iraq's constitution outlaws the privatization of key state assets, and it bars foreigners from owning Iraqi firms. Ontop of that the Hague Regulations states that occupying powers "shall be regarded only as administrator and usufructuary of public buildings, real estate, forests, and agricultural estates belonging to the hostile State, and situated in the occupied country. It must safeguard the capital of these properties, and administer them in accordance with the rules of usufruct. Meaning even if Iraq's consitution didn't outlaw privatization the US still couldn't do it since Hague says the US don't own the firms (the US can just look after them) so the US can't sell them or give them away since they don't have ownership.

Guess what the US is privatizing key state assets thus by law the US is an illegal occupying force (by launch a pre-emptive strike and breaking the Hague Regulations) meanign the troops are international criminals the second they step foot on Iraqi soil for aiding in the US illegal occupation of Iraq.

So if troops stoped taking unlawful orders there would be no troops in Iraq.

 

No, It isn't as simple, as you just attempted to make it out to be.
That is all I have time to respond with right now.

 

Well, to me that is not bravery, I don't know what to call that. Would it take less bravery to fight in a war you did believe in? That doesn't make sense.

If those 90% decided to stop carrying out this war the U.S. would have to end it. I'm sure other countries would then pull their troops out too.

Since this is an illegal war all orders are unlawful as Psy Fox stated.
I know you don't believe it, but people like myself care about the troops of all countries. I don't think anyone should be a troop in the first place. I think it is a shame that people will die for the rich and powerful. You can justify your actions by saying you are just trying to make a living or just want to serve your country, but the cold, hard truth remains indisputable.