Everybody needs to stop denying reality. In Iraq today, a thousand flowers are blooming...

[Boojatta]

in an undisclosed, but heavily-guarded location. If you don't see the value in flowers, then you are presumably an anti-florist bigot. Sacrificing the lives of people who joined the national guard is the price that must be paid to protect those flowers in Iraq.

In Afghanistan, there are many more than a thousand flowers, but a significant percentage of those flowers are slated for processing to produce substances such as opium and heroin for the financial enrichment of criminal organizations.

[JuniperLea]

1. I heared this morning that many American soldiers are becoming junkies...

Like many did in Vietnam.

We sure don't learn easily.

[madokie]

2. You know

the last three months or so of my 15 months there I got into doing h, not the needle mind you, because it was there and mostly because of the pain of the reality of what was going on around me and the chance I might not make it out of there alive. The reality was that we were killing innocent people and making their lives, what would be to us, unbearable. All for the greed of a few fatcat warmongers just like now. Stop 'em over there before they get over here, we've got to learn better than that. So sad that my life I had to be in one war of choice and be witness to these attrocieties of today in these wars of choice. War is never the answer, killing never stops anything except a life. Only thru dialoge and love do we find peace.

I want to see more Obama's in this world is what I want to see.

[Sinti]

3. +1 Only thru dialoge and love do we find peace. n/t

[JuniperLea]

4. I'm sure I would have too...

I'm very sure. I'm so sorry you had to go through that... and I'm very happy that you survived and can retell your perspective like this.

War is never the answer... dialoge... love... yep.

I've been on a big Joan Baez kick lately, which leads to Pete Seeger and other anti-war heroes of mine... I listen at work, so peace becomes my background music. I'm becoming a pacifist more and more as the days go by.

I believe Obama wants peace. That to me is worth my supporting him 100%. People are dying. That MUST take precedent above all other issues. War and health care are my priorities. Life, is my priority.

Thanks for this story, madokie, and thanks for your service. I'm sorry your good intentions were misused in such a horrific way.

[Boojatta]

5. Kick