Both top brass and regular service members express opposition to US involvement
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
September 2, 2013
Image: Twitter
The military revolt against the Obama administration’s plan to launch a potentially disastrous attack on Syria is gathering pace, with both top brass and regular service members expressing their vehement opposition to the United States becoming entangled in the conflict.
The backlash began to spread on social media yesterday with numerous members of the military posting photos of themselves holding up signs stating that they would refuse to fight on the same side as Al-Qaeda in Syria. The photos went viral, with one post alone generating over 16,000 shares on Facebook.
Others have posted their photos on Twitter alongside the hashtag #IdidntJoin.
As the Obama administration prepares to present a draft resolution to lawmakers that is by no means “limited” in its scope and would in fact grease the skids for an open ended war, John Kerry and other State Department officials have signaled that Obama will simply ignore Congress if they vote no and launch the assault anyway.
This will do little to reassure a growing number of influential figures in the US military who are becoming increasingly recalcitrant about the United States becoming embroiled in yet another war in the Middle East.
The Washington Post reports that, “The Obama administration’s plan to launch a military strike against Syria is being received with serious reservations by many in the U.S. military, which is coping with the scars of two lengthy wars and a rapidly contracting budget, according to current and former officers.”
Republican Congressman Justin Amash also took to Twitter to state, “I’ve been hearing a lot from members of our Armed Forces. The message I consistently hear: Please vote no on military action against Syria.” Amash’s statement was followed by a series of tweets from military veterans who also expressed their opposition to the attack.
Business Insider’s Paul Szoldra also spoke to “sources who are either veterans or currently on active duty in the military,” and asked them if they supported military escalation in Syria.
“Most have responded with a resounding no,” writes Szoldra.
He quotes an active duty First Class Sergeant who states, “We are stretched thin, tired, and broke,” adding that the United States “(does not) need to be World Police.”
“Our involvement in Syria is so dangerous on so many levels, and the 21st century American vet is more keen to this than anybody. It boggles my mind that we are being ignored,” adds former Cpl. Jack Mandaville, a Marine Corps infantry veteran with 3 deployments to Iraq.
Not only are military personnel going public with their concerns, Politico reported that leaks of attack plans are also, “emanating from a Pentagon bureaucracy less enthusiastic about the prospect of an attack than, say, the State Department, National Security Council or Obama himself,” unauthorized disclosures that have the White House “peeved”.
Meanwhile, the Syrian Electronic Army hacked the official US Marines website and left an astounding message calling on US soldiers to join the Syrian Army in fighting Al-Qaeda (click for enlargement).
The full text of the message reads:
“This is a message written by your brothers in the Syrian Army, who have been fighting al-Qaida for the last 3 years. We understand your patriotism and love for your country so please understand our love for ours. Obama is a traitor who wants to put your lives in danger to rescue al- Qaida insurgents.
Marines, please take a look at what your comrades think about Obama’s alliance with al-Qaida against Syria. Your officer in charge probably has no qualms about sending you to die against soldiers just like you, fighting a vile common enemy. The Syrian army should be your ally not your enemy.
Refuse your orders and concentrate on the real reason every soldier joins their military, to defend their homeland. You’re more than welcome to fight alongside our army rather than against it.
Your brothers, the Syrian army soldiers. A message delivered by the SEA.”
View a selection of US servicemembers expressing their opposition to the attack on Syria via the #IdidntJoin meme on Twitter below.
Kind of reminds me of growing up in the 60’s; we had the phrase “suppose they gave a war and nobody came?” That would be nice to see but I won’t hold my breath. Us draftees had other ways of pushing back that were short of mutiny but quite effective; not sure if the “volunteer” (because you like wearing a costume and shooting people) army would do the same.
Dear Mike,
At the time, I was a Classical Liberal, but still a Cold Warrior. Therefore I thought the slogan was airy fairy.
But witnessing the implosions of the Warsaw Pact gubmints right in front of my eyes in 1989, changed my mind.
Basically the inhabitants of the Eastern Bloc did just that. Their gubmints gave a party, and nobody came. Or if they did come, they came armed. They lined the Ceausescus up against the wall and, “badda bing!”
The problem of course is that they substituted one evil, Communism, for another evil, democracy, thinking it was somehow “better.”
The principle of withdrawal of consent remains valid. It merely needs to be applied to all forms of gubmint, not just Communism, as it was in 1989.
The more civilians and militarians find war revolting, the better.
Emma Assad, is the wife of the leader of Syria. She was born in London in 1975 and grew up in Acton. She attended local Church of England schools. She graduated from King’s College London and worked at Deutsche Bank for two years before marrying the leader of Syria at the age of 25. She now goes by her birth name Asma since her marriage.
Her father was a cardiologist at Cromwell Hospital, London, and her Mom was a retired diplomat. Last year, the European Union confiscated her assets and issued a travel ban under pretext of her complicity in the Syrian Civil War.
Emma (Asma) at a reception for Woman of Peace in 2008
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oc4ZZ-yXaOQ
Asma (Emma) at the Mother’s Rally in March 2013
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzJXoyMTfJM
Emma and Bash Visit Orphans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky8SBqD9VZc
“The more civilians and militarians find war revolting, the better.”
I agree. The more EVERYONE finds war revolting – though admits it might sometimes be necessary – the better.
We must beware the opposite extreme, manifested as Appeasement. Neville “Peace in our time” Chamberlain. We know how THAT goes…
Now, if EVERYONE finds war revolting, we won’t have a problem – no one will agress.
But if dealing with a pacifist opponent, the first to go to war wins, hands down. He who beats his swords into plowshares will farm for he who does not. (Thomas Jefferson)
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
Things are improving. The tide is turning.
I don’t see why you and I can’t define the word pacifist by its original meaning. A pacifier is someone who wields sufficient force to pacify a situation. Someone who carries a weapon, or is of superior strength or wealth is someone who makes a good pacifier.
pacify (v.) to appease, allay the anger of someone, to make peace. Of countries or regions – to bring to a condition of calm.
Being successful in business and life requires abilities as a pacifier. You have to keep you customers, family, and friends quiet and satisfied. You don’t want to stir up a lot of trouble or make enemies. In the long run, you’re always better off losing a battle or giving a small concession to a customer, spouse, or child who is being unreasonable in order to maintain your peace and situational control.
Look at how the Chinese do business all across the world with little in the way of force or power. They understand pacification. If they sense that you might hurt them in some way, they immediately become very generous and conciliatory. This is evolved intelligent behavior. Most of what we complain about of our fellow Americans is all classes have devolved into some manner of New World African or other. We have less culture and manners than Europe. We lack long run thinking and strategies that are common in Asia.
Pacify is very closely related to the word pay.
pay (v.)
to appease, pacify, satisfy, to pay, pay up. to please, pacify, satisfy. satisfy a creditor – literally make peaceful from pax – “peace” – meaning: “to give what is due for goods or services.”
In a real sense your paycheck is your pacifying check. It is whatever the business needs to give you to keep you harmless and to keep your mouth shut until the next pay day.
Libertarians who follow the NAP are in a sense saying: give payment to every act that is due a payment. If you cause real harm, then you owe a payment. If sometimes you aren’t immediately able to make payment, make a promise and work to immediately make pacification.
We need to be productive and trustworthy enough that others believe us when we say will make things right. The libertarian character at root is someone who makes things right. Who gives and demands appropriate payments. Who expects pacifying behavior and exhibits pacifying behavior.
To get liberty, we need to have some manner of wealth. This means we make do and we go without for a time. Otherwise we need a skill that creates wealth.
Thinking your going to be more moral than the other guy is sheer lunacy and wishful thinking. Having some kind of wealth or skill to dole out as payment or pacification is part and parcel of living peacefully, of being fully payed up, and of enjoying a pacified environment where you know that you won’t be disturbed or molested by others as you do the things it is that you like to do.
– Libertopia is anywhere that mutual payment and pacification is the norm and not the exception.
Looks like Mr. Obama & his crew have had their “jump the shark” event.
I wonder whether this might not be on purpose for another reason: To usher in a Republican “savior” come 2016. Reichsmarschall Christie, for instance.
I think he and Hillary really pissed off some of the Big Bosses and they are reminding him who really runs the show, and to do it their way. They want that Canada / New Orleans pipeline.
My money is on a stalking horse 3’rd party by 2016. There are enough disgruntled elephants and donkeys that they don’t want to let bolt off the plantation.