War Pigs and The Bush Propoganda Machine

What do you do when recruitment in the militray slacks due to your overly hawkish foreign policy? Why, you fabricate heroes. What a disservice to all those who serve when simply doing their jobs isn't enough, we have to have a Rambo fantasy to feel patriotic. First it was Jessica Lynch, captured despite a valiant effort, taking out scores of Iraqis with guns blazing on two broken legs. Except, the true story is Ms. Lynch fell out the back of her truck, which was ambushed when its driver got lost in the fog of war, and was unconscious when taken captive. As if she weren't a hero simply for being a young American in a combat zone serving her counrty without question. Then, the Pentagon fabricated another story, this one custom made for 24 hour news networks, of a heroic rescue. Again a tragic disservice, because the truth is a number of sympathetic Iraqi doctors had taken good care of her and alerted our military to her whereabouts. Why wasn't this a good enough PR story? After all, the government claimed from the beginning that we would be welcomed with flowers, and these doctors were the very people who proved that point. But no, not enought testostarone in that version, so enter the Propogandists.

And now this week we learn that the Army's poster boy for the war effort - Pat Tillman - was killed by friendly fire. Pat Tillman was a true hero - and not because he went to war. He was a hero because he put his money where his mouth was. Mr. Tillman had a multi-million dollar contract in the NFL and the life he apprarently always wanted. But he gave it all up because he acted on his own convictions. The fact that he served in Afghanistan makes it even easier to respect Mr. Tillman - since he was fighting the real enemy in the legitimate war in the right country. And perhaps if he would have had 100,000 troops backing him up instead of 18,000, he might still be with us. But maybe not, beacuse at the end of the day war is bloody, messy, and confusing. Its not made in Hollywood and its nothing to celebrate, even if we're winning. Because at the end of the day, if war is occuring then humanity is losing. Unfortunately, the chicken hawks who currently set our foregin policy don't see it that way. So, Mr. Tillman wasn't a big enough hero - dying for his country and his beliefs - he had to go out guns blazing. Even if it meant lying to his parents about their own son's death. Maybe if those who set the policy were more willing to send their own sons and daughters, the military wouldn't be falling short of its recruitment goals. And maybe if the politicians and the Pentagon really respected and loved our men and women in uniform instead of just using them for comapign rallies, they would know that just putting your life on the line for this country makes you a hero. As Ozzy once said (in a moment of clariy): "Politicians hide themselves away, they only started the war. Why should they go out to fight? They'll leave that up to the poor."