| Disinformation:Commentary On Reducing Troops in IraqNam by KT
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Gen.George Casey(left)Sec of Def Rumsfeld(right)Pool/Reuters | We've all seen and heard it: disinformation. Disinformation is a cross between wrong information, some information, and suggestive information. The government and businesses are great at disinformation. Enron made millions on nothing but disinformation.
Here is a good example of (what I think is) government disinformation. General Casey says that by next summer we should be able to begin pulling out troops. Is it wrong? No, not really. There might be a slight possibility that we could bring some troops home next summer. Remember the late Westy(General Westmoreland) from the Nam, "Home by Christmas"? What he failed to point out was, "What Christmas!" The war went on for six more years.
By disinformation, we raise a glimmer of hope, in other words, keep the people pacified that it might happen. In a briefing, General John Abizaid, head knocker at Central Command, said that we might reduce the troops by 20,000 to 30,000. Disinformation. We have 138,000 in Iraq. Here are the conditions to reduce troops: if security and political conditions are favorable. Disinformation. Disinformation built around the idea that we are stupid and the vast majority don't care. Folks will see the headlines and think, "Wow, the troops are coming home." Give me a break. A few years from now, these same people will come out of the ether and say, "Wow, I thought we had left Iraq!"
In order for the troops to come home,
the Iraqis will have to write the constitution and all agree on equal rights for all; A sufficient Iraqi police force and National Guard will be trained to take over the defense of the country; the terrorists will lay down their arms. No big deal, could happen.Disinformation!
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| Commentary on the 60th Anniversary of Hiroshima by Kelly Thomas
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the ground crew of the B-29 'Enola Gay'AP Photo/U.S. Air Force | Saturday, August 6, 2005, was the 60th anniversary of the dropping of the "A" bomb on Hiroshima. The Enola Gay carried and dropped the bomb; the moment of the blast was 8:15 a.m. and an estimated 140,000 people died.
This week I've listened to various debates whether it was necessary or not. I think so! Naturally, politics are all a part of the reasoning. It's hard to know the attitude of those during those dark days of WW II.
What we do know; however, is that the Japanese were unbelievably cruel. I have been overwhelmed in reading various accounts of their cruelty in wonderful reads like the year that tried men's souls: 1942 by Winston Groom. The accounts of Japanese cruelty are legendary. A brief one from the Bataan Death March: "The prisoners quickly learned to help their weaker comrades along since those who dropped out were not allowed to rest but instead were routinely murdered, often in grotesque fashion. The Japanese were fond of using their swords, and the march began to wind past dozens of decapitated American bodies."
President Truman, I think, rightly made "unconditional surrender" a part of the end of the war. Whereas as before, it was somewhat of an idea. From what we know today, President Truman made it the policy and the "A" bomb was part of bringing the Japanese to "unconditional surrender." There are those that say the Japanese were coming to the peace table anyway without the bomb, but I doubt it. It was not in their tradition but maybe to buy time until they could regroup. Harry said No!
There have been some who have said that the Japanese were so cruel to POW's because they saw surrendering as cowardice. Maybe. The Samurai philosophy? I don't know. But, cruelty was the operative word. Ask the Koreans who were humiliated, especially their women who were paraded in the town squares in the nude. Or China and the Rape of Nanking where between December 1937 and March 1938 at least 369,366 Chinese civilians and prisoners of war were slaughtered by the invading Japanese troops. An estimated 80,000 women and girls were raped; many of them were then mutilated or murdered.
So, what about the bomb. I think Harry did the right thing.
Related Article: Iris Chang and The Rape of Nanking
Books: 1942 Rape of Nanking
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 (photo:AP Photo/U.S Army)
I spent some time for a few months in a little town call Bisbee, Arizona. It is called the Berkeley of Arizona and mainly because there's a whole flock of folks in birkenstocks mostly meaning artisans of various types.
But, there is one area that is very unlike Berkeley: they will not even let a car made in Japan drive in the July 4th parade. KT
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