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Obama apologizes for saying troops' lives 'wasted'

cnn.com — Barack Obama is apologizing for saying the lives of the more than 3,000 U.S. troops killed in the Iraq war were "wasted." During his first campaign trip this weekend, he told a crowd in Iowa: "We now have spent $400 billion and have seen over 3,000 lives of the bravest young Americans wasted."

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  • mickeyknoxxx, on 10/12/2007, -78/+22*Sarcastic comment justifying right wing politics followed by an "I told you so about Obama" in a week attempt to dignify the idiotic remark made prior.*
    • coolian, on 10/12/2007, -41/+247Wasted, YES.

      By Bush, who, after his term ends, will be chilling out on his ranch, hunting some quail.

      Truth hurts, people, and Obama's just being frank. Those soldiers' lives ARE being wasted in that hell-hole.
    • thushan, on 10/12/2007, -52/+17as i would have mentioned several times since i joined digg...

      Jnr is trying to finish what his big daddy (Snr) couldnt... no matter at what price.

      I hope history treats both the Bush's with the respect they deserve...
    • Enasni1212, on 10/12/2007, -32/+10Unless that was sarcasm, what respect does junior deserve?
    • thushan, on 10/12/2007, -25/+9@enasni1212
      yes that was sarcasm...
    • coldfusion055, on 10/12/2007, -18/+71the truth hurts.
    • JonForTheWin, on 10/12/2007, -21/+151He shouldn't apologize there is NOTHING to apologize for. THEIR LIVES ARE BEING WASTED. We should support the troops and not support how they are being abused.
    • mv10, on 10/12/2007, -16/+107People for one second need to forget about Political Correctness and just accept it as it is..

      3,000 american lives.. 3,000 smart motivated brave individuals are dead for a unnecessary reason.

      So Yes, Their lives were wasted
    • jrsims, on 10/12/2007, -13/+106Obama's right, but he still has to cover his ass. There's plenty of ignorant voters out there that could be offended by that, so he's got to play it safe.
    • kaelyiesta, on 10/12/2007, -22/+7comments like "the truth hurts" are annoying. They lend no credible argument at all. If I said something insulting and completely untrue to someone and got called on it, it obviously wouldn't be a valid argument to say truth hurts because its begging the question. In my example, the insinuation happened to be false. So writing "the truth hurts" is a completely pointless waste of text.


      Sorry bout this rant. I just despise cliche retorts that do nothing to validate a position. I actually fully agree with Obamas comment about the soldiers lives being wasted over there. But defending what I believe is a valid statement with some invalid ***** rubs me the wrong way.
    • OsakaWilson, on 10/12/2007, -14/+36It worries me that he appologized. I am hoping that Obama is going to tell it like it is rather than kissing the polls asses. Stick to reality, Obama--don't back down. The war is a crime and the lives were wasted in order to line pockets.
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -12/+7Obama, like any other politician with a chance to win the presidency, will do whatever is necessary to gather as many votes as possible. This is why I like to vote for candidates who know they are going to lose . . . their cause is pure and just, and it encourages mainstream candidates to adopt their cause to gain votes.
    • macmcrae, on 10/12/2007, -6/+22This is absolutely the power of right wing talk radio to to inflate a story and go after anybody in their way. You should witness those knuckleheads in action. One after the other - they have the same talking points. They hammer away at the gop chosen issues until they have whipped up a furor. They chew people up and spit them out.

      I hate to say it - but if the dems pin their hopes on hilary or obama, they will lose in a big way to Rudy Giuliani. This election should be a cake walk for the left but their front runners are flawed and easy targets for the conservative hitmen.
    • k3vin187, on 10/12/2007, -21/+2how can you agree and say that their lives were wasted... just because you die for a bad cause doesn't mean your life was a waste. If some of you were killed because you're idiots, would your lives be wastes?
    • Nerevar, on 10/12/2007, -4/+15k3vin187: I'm pretty sure he meant their deaths were a waste and they could easily still be alive today had our leaders not much such poor decisions.
    • nundeeram, on 10/12/2007, -5/+19@k3vin187 --
      There is a difference between saying "their lives were a waste" and "their lives were wasted." Obama said the latter, and though not necessarily worded in the best manner possible (in the "politically correct" sense, and he probably meant "deaths were wasted"), he has a point that these men are dead for a bad reason.

      You could think of it as saying "These productive soldiers lives were wasted by an incorrect war."
    • k3vin187, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@nundeeram i agree 100% and you're right. The wording was poor and I'm sure Obama had no intentions for it to come across as it did and absolutely deaths were wasted for a poor cause, however some people did take it in the way that I worded it and yet still supported that idea. That just seems as though some are becoming the evil that they hate so much.
    • JonForTheWin, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@kaelyiesta
      You completely soiled your analogy with "if I said something insulting and completely untrue" when Obama said something extremely accurate and it's a cruel joke on our soldiers to tell them they're fighting for their country when they aren't.

    • awasson, on 10/12/2007, -4/+7Their lives were ***** wasted and anyone with an ounce of awareness should be more than pissed off about it. More than that, the ones that physically survived their deployment come back emotionally and mentally damaged.

      There is no reason for Obama to apologize. The men and women serving in this war were the ones who got short-changed. He's telling the truth.
    • kaelyiesta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@ JonForTheWin

      But thats exactly my point. It doesn't matter what the statement is. It could be right or wrong(see my comment to note that I agree with Obamas statement), its still completely meaningless in supporting the claim. An invalid argument can support a true or false statement.

      Example. "I like bunnies and all unicorns are black. Therefore, the earth rotates." Notice the presuppositions do not support the concluding statement which we all agree is true. The conclusion is true yet the argument is invalid. Validity and truth value are not the same.
    • kaelyiesta, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Wow, go digg for completely cutting off half my comment; Once more...

      @ JonForTheWin

      But thats exactly my point. It doesn't matter what the statement is. It could be right or wrong(see my comment to note that I agree with Obamas statement), its still completely meaningless in supporting the claim. An invalid argument can support a true or false statement.

      Example. "I like bunnies and all unicorns are black. Therefore, the earth rotates." Notice the concluding statement does not follow from the presuppositions all of which we all agree is true(take my word for it about the unicorns and bunnies statements). The conclusion is true yet the argument is invalid. Validity and truth value are not the same.
    • rolosworld, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1this is true for every war...
      winner of a war should be decided by a wrestling match between the leaders, I bet there would be a lot of peace and a lot of money + lives saved...
    • ClassicJBC, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I think there's a fine line. He shouldn't have said their lives were wasted, because I'm sure they changed a lot of lives before their tour(s) in Iraq. However, their deaths were unnecessary. A needless death doesn't make life wasted, but it does waste a life.
    • OwdenBowden, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Sad to see because this guy really has a shot at the office in a few years. Who ever are his handlers really should have had him not run in this election and just start the support train for the best candidate that will run in the Dem side. This way he gets the press / Experience/ and have a huge leg up for the next race. For the record - I vote for who is best for my needs and not others. Selfish yes but you have to take care of Number 1 before you can take care of everyone else.
    • Thuktun, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Perhaps "squandered" would be a better term.
    • PatrickX, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1@nundeeram

      No, their LIVES were wasted. If anything he should have said that their future life was wasted, but he was right in what he said. Saying their "deaths were wasted" is just stupid. That's the same as saying that we could have come up with a better way to kill them.
    • deesnutz, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It is a waste. A waste of young innocent men and women who have died in this "Bush made up" war. That indeed is a waste of America's most precious asset. So I agree with Barack Obama. These honorable lives have been wasted at the leadership of dishonorable men like George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Ronald Rumsfeld.

      That is exactly what America needs and that is the truth. We all know how much of a waste of lives, time and resources this war has become. But we had George W. Bush tell us that it's not a civil war. That we'll stay the course. Did I mention stay the course. In the mean time, every reporter and nearly all the generals have been telling us that American soldiers are caught in the middle of an Iraqi civil war.

      So bring on the truth. I think America has woken up from it's zombie stated called the George W. Bush years. And America seeks the truth. This is why many are planning on voting for Barack Obama. Spread the word ...
      http://www.bobama.com

    • ichbinladen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I agree with him. They were wasted. The fact that he apologized for it makes me like him less, but I realize that he is but a lowly politician and so I must in some part forgive him for his spinelessness.
  • cameron074, on 10/12/2007, -63/+10Bout freakin time. I'd rather the next president of the u.s. not think soldiers waste their lives defending what they believe in.
    • drathosX3, on 10/12/2007, -12/+43.... I wonder, if they had a choice, how many soldiers would voluntarily go to Iraq? Or how many actually believe what they're doing is for the good of the country...?
    • Dreww40, on 10/12/2007, -28/+10Might I remind you that it is an all volunteer army, and if somebody has any reservations about going to war wherever they are sent to defend freedom, then they should not have joined the military.
    • parsap, on 10/12/2007, -5/+35Iraq is about defending freedom?
    • siszam, on 10/12/2007, -6/+55drewww40, It is no longer volunteer when your are in the service and suddenly a president gets reelected, loses his mind and illegally invades a country based on false intelligence and lies. My son signed up long before Bush started this. As did many. Once you're in you can't just leave. Let me remind you that our soldiers volunteered to defend America not occupy a country that never attacked us. Get a clue. Stop spewing your lies. If you support the war then go fight it. Stop celebrating the deaths of our soldiers and acting like they died for some noble cause. The soldiers are noble. Not the cause.
    • ShugNinx21, on 10/12/2007, -16/+11I don't see why you guys are digging dreww40 down. He's right. It's a voulenteer army and army's go to war. If you are in the army then you can't be upset that you have to go to war. You may not agree with the war, but it's your duty to follow orders and preform your job in the best possible fashion. If you can't accept that then you have no buisness joining the army or any army for that matter.

      If you think the war was justified or not has no bearing on the fact that soilders have to follow their orders and accept the fact that armys do go to war and that their lives are at risk. Those soilders put their lives on the line, did their jobs and should be honored. To suggest that these soilders were somehow "tricked" or "forced" into war is ignorant and insults their character and bravery.
    • mhuggins, on 10/12/2007, -14/+5*****
    • nixonrichard, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16"I wonder, if they had a choice, how many soldiers would voluntarily go to Iraq?"

      One would think that nobody would voluntarily go to Iraq, but it is pretty amazing how many people have enlisted or re-enlisted since the Iraq war began. It's unbelievable that 70,000 soldiers re-enlisted in 2005.
    • ShugNinx21, on 10/12/2007, -8/+5I find it completly ridiculous that I can state a fact and yet get dugg down because people don't want to beileve it or think it objects to their political views.

      I didn't condone the war nor did I make any comment as to wheather it was right or justified.

      I simply stated a fact; if you join the Army they there is a chance you may have to go to war. You don't get to decide what wars you go fight in, you go where they tell you. You made they choice when you signed up. That is complete fact and any army that didn't operate that way would be a colossal piece of *****.
    • appetite, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6"Bout freakin time. I'd rather the next president of the u.s. not think soldiers waste their lives defending what they believe in."

      I'd rather the next president of the u.s. not only talk as if he cares about the lives of the troops as Bush does.

      as for the other points. Yes, it's a volunteer army but just because we have one doesn't mean we should use it in stupid ways. If every president just tossed around the military like it was a toy, do you think people would join it? Of course not. People who enlist trust that they won't be abused and I'm not going to sit here and criticize them for being reckless--I'm going to criticize the a-hole who betrayed that trust.
    • whiskeysquared, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4@shugg and dreww... It's an all volunteer military; yes. I'm in the military, I joined before Bush became king...err...president. When I joined, I was under the impression my political leaders wouldn't use the armed forces as a tool for enriching the oil industry at the expense of lives under the guise of "defense". I also swore to defend against all enemies foreign and DOMESTIC that presented a threat to my country and constitution. If our current leadership doesn't constitute a domestic threat I don't know what would. So, unless there's a coup soon, I suppose we're all violating our oaths. But, the thing about the military is, when a corrupt politician weaves his way through the loose net of what democracy has become in this country, you can't just bail out. I talk to the brave men and women that come back injured from Iraq all the time. You know what? They're singing the same tune; it's becoming blatantly obvious that this war is unjustified to a lot of people actually wearing the uniform (are you two wearing a uniform?).
    • onTheJDAR, on 10/12/2007, -2/+13"I wonder how many soldiers would voluntarily go to Iraq?"

      Enlisted in November (I am Junior CS Major at Carnegie Mellon, btw).
  • alansky, on 10/12/2007, -25/+73American troops in Iraq are woefully misinformed heroes whose lives have been wasted, wasted, wasted fighting a madman's war. But heaven forbid that anyone should say that! Now Obama has to apologize and make nice with the morons who actually believe there's a point to all the bloodshed.
    • Salgat, on 10/12/2007, -15/+37Very true. At this point, american lives are just being thrown away to fight a now pointless war.
    • mikelieman, on 10/12/2007, -16/+26Agreed. In pursuit of Bush and Cheney's and Rice's mistaken beliefs, over 3000 Americans and 250,000 Iraqi lives have been WASTED. Pointlessly.

    • kgool, on 10/12/2007, -18/+22@mikelieman

      If the US had never invaded Iraq then Saddam could have quitely executed about the same number and nobody would have been any wiser or cared any more. Please don't tell me the UN would have done anything. Please note how well they have handled Darfur.

      I tend to agree now the evidence was flimsy, but we had little way of verifying since Kofi Annan and his cronies in the UN were in bed with Saddam in the Oil for Food program. I think now the point is that we went into Iraq and unless you guys have a time machine and know what you know now, nothing is going to change that fact. If we leave it will only cause exponentially more deaths. It is not like US troops are being targetted specifically now, it is religious infighting that is going to be difficult to ever stop, but a strong Iraqi government and defense force can slow it down.

      I seriously doubt any Iraqi democracy will ever look like what we have in the US, it just won't work. The best we can do is hope to stablize Iraq enough that they can protect themselves. If anyone thinks that there will be net decreae in the loss of life if US forces pull out you have to be kidding yourselves. This was all so much easier when Saddam's goons could just gas and slaughter anyone who disagreed.
    • hartley, on 10/12/2007, -4/+6of course, because any solder in the military who actually agrees with the war must either be ignorant or misinformed.
    • sooperdooper, on 10/12/2007, -4/+21Uzbekistan. Azerbaijan. North Korea.
      Just three countries off the top of my head which have regimes guilty of crimes comparable to Saddam's.
      Why didn't we invade them?
    • kuzotz, on 10/12/2007, -6/+3@kgool

      so what you know what. I only care for my own ***** everyone else, and thats the real ***** right there.

      The same goes for nations the US should worry aobut its own, and ***** everyone else..

      But we cna't do that because we are in a position in which we exploit other countries.

      The one reason why I respect Castro is because he has some ***** balls, and doesn't sell out.

      The one reason why white americans hate castro.. they don't fukcing know why..
    • xcoastie, on 10/12/2007, -5/+3@alansky "American troops in Iraq are woefully misinformed". Why do libs always think that troops are stupid, "woefully misinformed" means that you think they are too stupid to find information on their own and make their own decisions. Because you with your superior intelligence and reasoning skills can obviously see what is best for those simple minded troops. And it is a volunteer force, you don't want to fight you don't have to. (just go to jail)
      If the dems don't win in 08 this will be the reason why.
    • amightywind, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4I would have thought that the first negative story about Osama Obama to get dugg this high would have chased all of you twinkle toes, surrender monkey liberals away.
  • canewediggit, on 10/12/2007, -20/+68damnit obama, where are your balls? this was kerry's problem- gets called out for saying something and then back tracks. he calls our troops "the bravest young americans" and he needs to stand by that. he also needs to stand by the fact that these poor kids _wasted_ their lives over a ***** war started with ***** evidence. be a ***** man, obama, and call these bastards that sent our kids to die to task. next time someone gets offended by your statement, why don't you turn the table and say "what i find offensive is that this country allowed their children to be sent to die for no justifiable reason and without questioning it's leaders. as an american that is what offends me- when our bravest children are shipped around the world because of lies."*

    *the entirety of my comment was made in regard to iraq as i don't believe those kids in afghanistan wasted anything
    • o0o0llllll0o0o, on 10/12/2007, -28/+4...you are horrifically naive. I guess a small brain means you can't see the big picture.
    • kefler, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Seems to me to be calculated... Say the thing 1/2 the voters are thinking, they agree with you.. backtrack immediately to avoid doing too much damage to the other 1/2 voters (or whatever the proportions are)
    • legendary, on 10/12/2007, -8/+7I think Obama was wrong in saying that the troops in Iraq are wasting there lives. Unfortunately, I know a few good men who lost there life in Iraq. When You actually know people who died in Iraq--you would find this some what offensive. I don't think he should apologize for what he said, because he believes it to be true. I think it was a dumb statement to say. he will probably loose a lot of votes over this statement.
    • loki440, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5I'm so tired of hearing apologies from politicians/celebrities who misspeak in public. I didn't want to hear it from Biden and I don't want to hear one from Obama. Enough already! As a nation, a culture, a people do we have the ability to let ***** like this slide and focus on something real?

      What am I talking about, the lead story for the past five days has been Anna Nicole Smith...
    • Nerevar, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3I think Obama's phrasing is more at fault than the meaning. These kids could all be alive still if we never commited to this stupid war.
    • Wooism, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@siszam

      You said "It is no longer volunteer when your are in the service and suddenly a president gets reelected, loses his mind and illegally invades a country based on false intelligence and lies."

      I think you need to look up conscientious objection.
  • AdmiralAdama, on 10/12/2007, -28/+11If we lose, the troops lives were wasted, no?
    • captinherb, on 10/12/2007, -8/+46How do you win? In a conflict like this how do you define victory?
    • 5N00PY, on 10/12/2007, -27/+7If we lose, all of our lives are going to be wasted.
    • EntropyMan, on 10/12/2007, -9/+12When we expend soldier's lives on something not worth buying, something that's all a big lie, then that's a tragic waste.

      We can only hope our leaders expend those lives wisely, if at all, because the lives are priceless, win or lose, whether the soldiers are drafted or enlisted willingly.

    • Evolve, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3@captinherb
      "How do you win? In a conflict like this how do you define victory?"

      Answer to the first question. You cant, in the normal sense, but the world can become a better place. (if.. lead on to second answer)
      Answer to the Second: When America wake up and realize that they are arrogant, loud and are not the land of freedom. Also Bush would need to be held accountable for the many war crimes.
  • thcobbs, on 10/12/2007, -31/+9Way to support those troops Obama.

    Wonder what would have happened if a Republican said the same? Hrrrrrrm.....
    • EntropyMan, on 10/12/2007, -23/+8"Wonder what would have happened if a Republican said the same? Hrrrrrrm....."

      Nothing.
  • chrisk9, on 10/12/2007, -10/+39He wasn't saying that the brave young American soldiers wasted their lives. He's saying that the US government wasted them by sacrificing them in a needless war. If I feel that someone's life was wasted because their life was sacrificed for a cause I don't believe in, that doesn't mean I am slandering the person. In fact, I can have the utmost respect for that person including valuing their character, contributions, and sense of honor and duty.

    Obviously Obama wasn't trying to disrespect the soldiers. He is obviously pointing out that their lives shouldn't have been lost at all. The only way you could read this differently is if you wanted to slander this presidential candidate.

    I think it sucks that Obama was pushed to apologize. I'm sure those people who assume that he was insulting the troops are the same ones who cannot accept any criticism against the U.S. administration or its policies due to their blind patriotism. They may think that sticking up for "Bush" or the "troops" is helping their great nation, but it really instead leads to superficial thinking and ceaseless emotional argument rather than ethical and intellectual debate. I hope more people become more sophisticated and vote on issues and platform, not on emotion.

    I for one welcome the straight talk.
  • AdmiralAdama, on 10/12/2007, -4/+30A gaffe is when politicians say what they really believe
    • Popdmb, on 10/12/2007, -8/+31...and what's on everyone else's mind but they're too afraid of being "unpatriotic" to say.

      This war is an embarrassment. New Yorkers still want bin Laden. Who the hell cares about Saddam Hussein?

      Imagine if the reward on Bin Laden's head was the same amount as the cost of this war? Bin Laden wouldn't make it two feet without taking a bullet.
      • Dustmuffins, on 02/13/2008, -0/+1Killing him (if he's still alive) really won't do ***** for the US, other than make a few people feel vindicated.
  • o0o0llllll0o0o, on 10/12/2007, -27/+6.....every once in a while the socialists that make up the Democrat party slip up and say what they really mean. Now do you see why we can't trust our national security to these girlie-men socialist Democrats. They are nothing but the USA version of the French. They don't have a CLUE as to the big picture of the war on terror......
    • chase001, on 10/12/2007, -7/+14Better a socialist Democrat than a fascist regressive Republican.
    • reddevil3, on 10/12/2007, -6/+18"war on terror"

      Terrorism will always exist. How does Bush think he'll win this war? Kill everyone in Al-Qaeda? This war is only making MORE extremists.
    • ShugNinx21, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0I don't know if you remember but the "war on terror" came about because of all the flack the Bush administration took after 9/11 happened. So they got all tough on terror n stuff. Then of course, Bush goes all insane over compensation war on iraq crazy.
  • rstevens, on 10/12/2007, -5/+8Depends on what definition:

    to lay waste; especially : to damage or destroy gradually and progressively
    to spend or use carelessly : SQUANDER

    Mothers and fathers don't want to hear their sons or daughter's lives were wasted, but if I were them I'd be mad as hell at Bush.
    • axiomata, on 10/12/2007, -2/+6I understand why, as one with presidential aspirations, he felt he should apologize. Perhaps next time he'll use a more PC statement to get across the same message, something like "We have seen the ultimate sacrifices of 3000 of America's finest squandered by an inept administration."
  • Gadren, on 10/12/2007, -7/+15It's unfortunate that Obama feels he has to apoligize for what he said.

    I'll say it for him, since I don't have the worries of holding public office: the lives of the troops in Iraq were wasted.

    It doesn't discredit the troops to say they were wasted. On the contrary, to say something was wasted implies it had value but was poorly used. And that's just what happened in Iraq. Good Americans were poorly used in a pointless war.
    • Arcesius, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4I was going to reply to the "girlie-men socialist Democrats" comment, but I'd much rather reply to yours and simply digg him down. Besides, it really just looks like he's trolling. No one's dumb enough to actually believe that.

      Your comment puts what Obama said in a much different light. Isn't all he's really saying is that this war is BS, and the soldiers killed there should have deserved something other than death in Iraq? Too bad he had to apologize, instead of fiercely backing his statement. But, then again, that might not have been good for his presidential bid.
    • Evolve, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2@Gadren
      but since no one ever thinks like that (in America, and some other countries) they always take the word
      "wasted" as meaning: something of no value that was miss used and served no real purpose anyway.

      Now clearly we know thats not the definition but thats basically what people think of when they hear the word "wasted".
  • rstevens, on 10/12/2007, -9/+4For Obama to say their lives were not wasted is to say he supports the official 9/11 conspiracy, that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction, that America should bankrupt itself starting and sustaining wars in foreign lands, and that America should use its soldiers for wars where the true reasons are known to all but never admitted by government.

    For Obama to say their lives were wasted says that if he were president he wouldn't fabricate evidence, lie to the American people, and order its bravest and best to the battlefield.

    I think we know what he meant.


    • Sware, on 10/12/2007, -11/+5You forgot that liberals are the ones who put us in a deficit in the first place. Any time a republican is elected and the tax cuts come into place, our deficit has beginning to decrease. Don't believe me? Look it up.
    • Sware, on 10/12/2007, -10/+4Forgot to add a reason as to why our deficit is decreasing. Check out our booming economy right now due to tax cuts. We have more jobs in US also as a result.
    • paganmonkeyboy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1so sware - reagan was a dem ?
      do your homework son - you seem a little misinformed
      and go tell the record number of americans on food stamps how good the economy is
      try michigan for starters, or ohio
      then get back to me
  • r81984, on 10/12/2007, -8/+20The solders lives were wasted by Bush. If they lived full lives they could have done great things. Nothing good has come out of the BS war with iraq. Everyone who died in Iraq might has well have died in a car accident in the states because their deaths did not accomplish anything, but just got everyone pissed off that they died for nothing.
    • Sware, on 10/12/2007, -8/+4And some of us actually do great things who live and serve our term and begin our lives. Some of us don't get born with rich parents who fully pays for our tuition for college. Some people turn to the service as a way to get a higher education after high school. Think before you say something stupid.
  • Hensworth, on 10/12/2007, -9/+6And like that with a simple gaffe he ends his run for the presidency.
    • nullx42, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1I had a feeling something like that would happen.. they are gona replay this over and over on FOX and make it seem like Obama is the black devil. Poor guy. Theres always Hilary :/
      Go stubby knees! :]
  • thushan, on 10/12/2007, -6/+14As harsh as those words will sound - especially to the families of those who have passed away - its the truth.

    Looks like some people JUST CANT HANDLE THE TRUTH!

    What about those who have/are suffering right now with the aftermath of the war? Limbs missing, seeing mates die, loosing fingers/body parts these probably total more than the number of deaths and will have detrimental psychological effects as time goes on (as with any war, Vietnam, Gulf and World Wars).

    For anyone who has someone serving in the war or those who've lost someone my sincerest of condolences, they did what they had to do because of a mis-guided lunatic of a leader. You have the opportunity to change the future... (sounds like something out of Heroes)
  • Sware, on 10/12/2007, -17/+18Before you say lives are wasted, let me tell you a little something. I'm joining the service here soon after I graduate high school, my closest friends are joining the Marines with a MOS of Infantry and if I or them died I wouldnt label it as wasted. They would not blame Bush if they die and wasted because why? It's because they VOLUNTEERED which is a keyword many diggers seem to lack and understand.

    3125 soldiers are dead to date by volunteering in the current war. While 134,000 homicide related crime has been performed in Los Angeles, California in 2004 alone. So you diggers want to talk about priorities?
    • Sware, on 10/12/2007, -15/+10And of course the liberals vote me down because it goes to their belief before even checking the facts.. :(

      Such a slap to everyone who serve and serving in the face.
    • thesixthdesign, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5IMHO -- Homicide is different from a war that doesn't need to be fought.
    • altjeringa, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7@sware. I'm a liberal and I dugg you up. Those that dugg you down aren't liberal they are retarded. You make a good point, at the very least it is heartfelt which is something this stink hole could use some more of.

      That said. You're personal feelings about what you are doing aren't valid to anybody but yourself. It is noble that you feel the need to put your life on the line to something you feel is more important. That does not mean that you have a clear understanding what that thing is. Frankly should I devote my life to a cause, I would not like to hear that it was a waste. However what I want to hear and what is true are not always the same thing. It is not we who decide the value of our actions, it is those around us and those in the future.

      I tend to think that this War will be counted as one of the lowest points in American History, the whole thing was and is a sham. Only history will tell us which is right, you or I.
    • dave1021, on 10/12/2007, -9/+8I'm not going to be gentle, kid: you're a ***** moron.

      You've made a big ***** mistake and you should do anything you can to get out of it NOW.

      I'm completely sincere about this. DON'T. *****. DO. IT.
    • theodicey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Joining the military is a contract between a soldier and his country. A soldier signs up, and he has to follow orders and go to war, regardless of whether he believes in it or not.

      But the flip side of the contract is that we, the nation, agree not to waste your life. We agree not to test chemical weapons on you, drop you from airplanes without a chute, or send you to a lost cause war like Iraq, where you'll just drive around in underarmored Humvees until you're blown up by an IED.

      PS. If for whatever reason you really need to be in the military, wait a couple years, then join.
    • gnawph2, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@Sware
      I did look at the facts. What does "Homicide Related Crime" mean and were do you get 134,000?

      I'm checking out statistics from multiple sites that put the murder rate in the 500ish range for 2000 onward.

      My problem is there is this huge information gap allowing people to just pull statistics out of their ass. Just the other day some told me that the Californa is more Violent than Iraq. What? Go check the facts out yourself. Funny that this person in question didn't even know there are more people in California than Iraq.

      Truth be told. Have the 3000+ dead soldiers accomplished anything more than getting rid of Saddam? I'd like to think that brave young men like Sware, willing to join the military in a time of war, would be much less "wasted" if they stayed here in American and protected our country by becoming police officers or similar instead of dying in another country.
    • theodicey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6BTW, your comparison of the death rate in Iraq to LA homicide rates is complete right wing BS. There's no comparison.

      The "murder" rate in Iraq is 602 US soldiers per 100,000 per year.

      The highest murder rate ever in any reasonably sized area of the US, in Washington DC at the height of the crack epidemic, was 80 per 100,000 per year.

      http://sadlyno.com/archives/4375.html

      http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/11/murder-rate-in-baghdad.html
    • k3vin187, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Dave you are a complete *****, I wish this guy the best and hope he comes home soon with the rest of the troops. Anyone can watch a war on tv and form an opinion i just hope that sware, you form a strong opinion and act on it, don't just talk on a website like the rest of these guys (and me, even though i try to talk less than i act), go out and be a part of this and make something happen.
      Once again, best of luck to you
    • PKBabaSoGud, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3@Sware

      I'm sorry that people here are being total assholes. Cowards like Dave don't deserve to live in a country protected by passionate men and women such as you. Best of luck buddy.
    • drxavier, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1sware:
      Before you enlist, read the memoir of Gen. Smedley Butler, USMC. Smedley Butler was the most highly decorated Marine General ever. He won the Medal of Honor twice for service in the Philippines, China, and Nicaragua. The title of his book, "War is a Racket", should give you a clue.
    • Clerg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I bet all of the National guard and reservists who have served multiple tours, and been deployed way beyond any commitment they made to their respective service branches don't feel that way. This is not an all volunteer force when people are held past their enlistments and forced to serve multiple tours against their will, that is called conscription.
      I saw a survey that stated that 90% of the troops deployed in Iraq still believe that they are settling a score for 911. We all know now that this is total ***** so if they have fought and died in a war based on a lie then they have given their lives in vain and isn't that the definition of a waste? This war will never be won by any standard of victory. These people have been fighting each other for a 1000+ years and a democracy is not going to change that.
      By every definition these 3000+ fine young Americans who have died for their country have had their lives wasted. I know it's offensive to the families who have lost their children. But, what they should really be offended about is that they duped into allowing their sons and daughters to follow an idiot into hell.
    • Kythas, on 12/17/2007, -0/+1Good for you, Sware, and welcome to the ranks of those of us who stand for something, from one ex-Army grunt to a future Marine grunt. Some people here will never understand the dedication and selfless commitment it takes to place your life at risk for ideals in which you believe. Many here on Digg will say you're stupid, brainwashed, misinformed, etc. These are the words of people who value nothing greater than the safety of their own selves and will denigrate the service and sacrifices of those of us who keep them safe.

      John Stuart Mill said it the best: "War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself."

      So here's to the "better men" that he was speaking of. Semper Fi from an old Army soldier.
  • DannoJyD, on 10/12/2007, -15/+4"Obama is a fantastic speaker who makes sense." Yeah right!

    I am not surprised to see so many trying to blame the downfall of Obama on Bush. Get over it. He just blew it Big Time, and can be added to the Democrat Hall of Same right next to John Kerry.
  • analyze, on 10/12/2007, -18/+1Obama is a political neophyte with no vision and lots of platitudes. He is drunk with the political adulation he gets right now. Currently, his head is just as big as his mouth. Obama's Presidential aspirations are a wasted life.
  • thesixthdesign, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5He doesn't necessarily need to apologize (apologize as in 'taking back') that he said their lives were wasted.
    I believe their lives were -- as sad as it is -- wasted.
    Although I do believe that the soldiers are brave and courageous to fight for their country.
    But ... my art teacher always says this quote and it's quite touching (at least to me):
    "What if there was a war and nobody came to fight?"
    • Urusai, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3...and that's why s/he was an art teacher and not in charge of making important decisions about anything.
    • thesixthdesign, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Is every person who knows how to make great decisions involved in making great decisions?
      I've known so many wonderful and inspiring people throughout my life who I wouldn't mind if they were president or part of the government.
      It's not like everyone who is capable of making important decisions gets the chance to make one which plays a great impact on many peoples lives.
      Has Mr. President Bush made lots of great decisions? IMHO I wouldn't think so.
  • gormenghast, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1This really sucks and will probably affect his campaign for a while. No one is going to let a newcomer candidate live somethng like that down, and the fact that presidents are always white dudes doesnt help him either =( this sucks.
  • nsjoker, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Hope this doesn't have a huge effect on what the gen pub thinks of him :/
  • ExecutiveMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Sware: "Such a slap to everyone who serve and serving in the face."

    I'm going to look past your terrible sentence construction and instead tell you that sending our soldiers to fight and die in a pointless war sold with lies is the biggest slap in the face a soldier can receive.

    And, if Obama is telling the truth it doesn't matter who he offends or slaps in the face: it's still the truth.
    • k3vin187, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3stop worrying about his sentence structure and hit the reply button next time
  • ExecutiveMonkey, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Sware: "Such a slap to everyone who serve and serving in the face."

    I'm going to look past your terrible sentence construction and instead tell you that sending our soldiers to fight and die in a pointless war sold with lies is the biggest slap in the face a soldier can receive.

    And, if Obama is telling the truth it doesn't matter who he offends or slaps in the face: it's still the truth. It's important for the president to be honest, forthright, and straightforward when it comes to matters as important as the progress of the Iraq War...but clearly honesty isn't a trait Republicans look for in their candidates.
  • Mizman, on 10/12/2007, -15/+11/he's "black" and raised in a terror training camp
    2/ he smokes
    3/ he said "wasted"

    I am ready to never vote for him if this bad news continues...
    • altjeringa, on 10/12/2007, -13/+1you forgot he admitted to doing Cocaine when he was young.
    • thesixthdesign, on 10/12/2007, -3/+11I don't value anyone's opinion who dislikes Obama because he's black.

      Everyone who *hates* Obama, I've noticed, make fun of his name (sounding/spelling similar to Osama), don't think he should be president because of his race, and add these untrue facts about him ...
    • thesixthdesign, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4If you don't like him because he said 'wasted', I think you need to get yourself a bit more educated (or at least a dictionary) and look up the proper definition of wasted other than the only definition you know ...
    • tristan55555, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3Did you just say that him being black is bad news.... Wow. I'm guessing you fly the confederate flag at home right?

      And he went to a madrassa... which is a school... somewhere you clearly have never been.
    • sir1real, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Have any of you people seen that Saturday Night Live sketch about the guy who invented sarcasm? No matter how many sarcastic comments he made everyone kept taking him literally.
    • Mizman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1people here sometimes do not get sarcasm as is evident in me being dugg down for listing what the media did to obama...
    • Mizman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1oh and yes, I know he did not go to a teror camp as that was an exaggeration as was the part about the media trying to figure out if he is black. Please readjust your sense of wit and reread all of Digg from the beginning.
  • altjeringa, on 10/12/2007, -3/+93000 American Lives if you are counting only the dead. But what of the wounded? What of those lives in New Orleans which can't be rebuilt because the funds and the National Guard are in a foreign land? What of the 600,000 Iraqi lives? Obama should not apologize, 3000 lives is only the beginning of the waste.
    • Kythas, on 12/17/2007, -0/+1OMG you did NOT throw New Orleans in here. New Orleans and the Katrina aftermath were NOT - I say again NOT - a Federal issue. That should have been taken care of at the local and State level.

      That being said, there WERE National Guard troops in New Orleans after Katrina. The Coast Guard was on the scene hours afterward rescuing people who ignored the mandatory evacuation order. The Feds did everything they could, but couldn't send regular troops unless requested by the Governor, who drug her feet in requesting Federal assistance.

      National Guard troops have always fought in our wars. They fought in World Wars I and II, Korea, Vietnam, Gulf War, and now IFF and OEF. Anyone who joins the Guard or Reserves knows that, in time of war, they will be called upon to serve as regular forces are. In fact, almost 60% of our country's combat forces are Guard or Reserves.

      So don't throw the Guard under the bus in the guise of Katrina. They're doing exactly what they're meant to do. Any blame with Katrina falls squarely on Mayor Nagin and Gov. Blanco's shoulders.
  • Wamzlee, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3When put in context of what Obama was actually discussing, saying they were "wasted" really doesn't appear that negative/offensive. From my point of view. If the phrase stood alone in its own sentence and own paragraph, then yeah, that would be a pretty terrible thing for Obama to say.
    • sir1real, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2***** it. I'm gonna get wasted right now.
  • canyoudiggitman, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3Osama pulled a Kerry!
  • trakais, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3they ARE wasted, doh!
  • trakais, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2this has never been a war against terror. this is a war for resources.
  • papaudub, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1OOOH i just love election time. Reminds me so much of just how dirty american politics are. Our politicians are drowning us in a sea of political correctness, they made it up not me. So my advice to Obama is to be a good little politician and kiss ass and lick your balls. you reap what you sew. We will never again be on the right track as a country until someone does have the ***** ballls to call it like it is and quite worrying about who the ***** we are going to offend. OOOh goody on to round two. lets see what the bitch with big thighs chokes on
    • lokoluis15, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You seem to forget that it's a (semi) democratic system. Should he tell it just like it is, all of the easily offended PC whiners would never vote for him. It's unfortunate that he should have to kiss ass and lick his balls, but it's the only way that he can make a difference and change anything at this point. Perhaps we'll soon see the day when people aren't afraid of the truth and can hear it without crying fowl. Until then, Obama's just doing what he needs to at this point.
  • MrEguy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5None of these brave men & women signed up to be pawns for corporate greed. The Pentagon keeps sending these soldiers back out, wounded or not -- they patch'em up and off they go again. Not done until you come home in a body-bag :(

  • sir1real, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3I hate it when they apologize. Bill Maher lost a lot of my respect when he apologized. Now this Obama guy lost what little respect I had for him.

    Stop apologizing!! The *****(s) who started this war should be apologizing.

  • TULKUP, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Obama speaks the truth! These men and women did not sign up to be the killed for the greed of corporate America.
  • geronimo, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3A soldier's life is wasted only in a war which achieves nothing. So what does war in Iraq achieve? The dictator is long gone. Now what? Their lives are being wasted. Now if a soldier died in Afghanistan then that would be something else. Unfortunately since Bush has spread our soldiers too thin we are failing in Iraq and Afghanistan, wasting thousands of lives. In WW2, Korea, WW1, a soldier could die knowing they fought evil. Iraq? They die fighting shiites, sunnis, kurds even, no one necessarily evil, many just trying to defend their home or their country, they just die pointlessly. These aren't fascists are evil masked terrorists they're fighting, they're fighting kids and men who want a secure land for their own people. And the sad thing is most of the American kids dying are forced into this situation by economics. The military pays for their college education which these days is too expensive. The military prays on poor people, making them believe they are fighting for something noble and giving Bush votes. If they studied history they would realize that Iraq is a terrible war to die for. If you have to struggle, lie and twist the truth to justify a war, odds are it ain't a war worth dying for. WW2? You're fighting nazis. Korea? Fighting communists. Spanish Civil war? Fascists. Iraq? "the enemy", whoever that may be at the time.
    • BFisch06, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1I think that you can't simply say they're dying in vain since they have no defined enemy. Does that mean the people there have any less want for freedom? Or that they were any less oppressed by Saddam? It's true the enemy changes in Iraq. It's too bad the country was so beaten in by Saddam that there was no nationalism, and with his death squads gone they started killing each other. The East and West Germans didn't do that because they had national pride and unity (more so than Iraq for that matter). I still firmly believe every person in Iraq deserves the chance to live their life the way they want to and who are we to deny them that ability?
    • geronimo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Belief in freedom and democracy means accepting that the outcome of democracy is not ours to control. Bush has banned Al Jazeera and Sadr's newspaper, denying Iraqis those freedoms. True freedom to the Iraqis means going one step further than Saddam did. Instead of scuds going into israel, they want more action, more payment to suicide bombers. Hamas was farily elected in Palestine and look at that result. What you meant to say is this is about freedom (*). (*) = freedom as long as Bush agrees with those freedoms. That's not freedom.
    • Kythas, on 12/17/2007, -0/+2Wrong. Most of the people we're fighting in Iraq aren't Iraqi. Granted, some are, but the majority aren't. They came to Iraq specifically to fight Americans. The Iraqi people are now tired of the foreigners and have taken a stand against them. They, both Sunni and Shi'ite, have begun cooperating with US forces and have expelled AQI (that's al-Qaida in Iraq for the unwashed masses) from all but about 10% of the country. I've actually heard from some soldiers there who say there are no enemy to fight in their AO. The British are turning control of their AO to Iraqi government forces and are returning home - not because they want to get out (which, of course, they do, but so does the US) but because their mission is complete, their AO is pacified, and local government is now strong enough to take control.

      Notice the lack of news coverage about Iraq lately. That is indicator #1 that the war is going well. The press only reports negative news items but anything positive about Iraq is buried in a 1/4 column on page A19. Hell, they buried the story about the Navy SEAL who won the Medal of Honor in Afghanistan. That should have been leading news, except liberals and the liberal press will never acknowledge military victory as anything heroic, only asinine and a waste of a life.
  • stizz, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4Asinine, this is political correctness at its worst.

    Those lives WERE wasted. Not through any fault of the soldiers, they were just following orders. Their sacrifice to this country was wasted in the same way novice chess players make stupid moves and lose bishops and knights to pawns early in the game. Our Commander in Chief squandered these resources, Obama having to apologize for stating the obvious is silly.
    • jerrykew, on 10/12/2007, -4/+5I nearly threw up when I heard Ms Rice describe the lives lost as 'invested' rather than sacrificed, now THAT is obscene. 'Wasted' is a perfectly reasonable opinion , one might not agree, but it is reasonable. What family chose to 'invest' their child's life?.

      Jerry
    • BGFeltenink, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Especially given the rate of return. Being that the return on the investment is 0... then 3,000 nothings is still nothing. Bush did run several companies into the ground so this kind of reflects his level of knowledge when it comes to "investment."

      I feel sorry for the people so closed-minded to the big picture.
  • firstprimate, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2Iraqis Say They Were Better Off Under Hussein

    http://www.angus-reid.com/polls/index.cfm/fuseaction/viewItem/itemID/14282

    There is no better indicator of the failure of the US/UK in Iraq than having 90% of Iraqi's polled say that they were better off under Saddam. None.

    As for Obama, he is a politician and will say whatever needs to be said to get elected. He does not have a spine, nor any morals. In other words he will make the perfect US president.
  • MagCynic, on 10/12/2007, -6/+4I love how everyone here is defending Obama for what he said. Had a certain rightwing radio host said the same thing the media would be falling over themselves accusing him of all sorts of evil things.

    These troops' lives are only wasted if our mission fails. And if you have to ask what the mission is then you're simply falling into liberal group think.
    • sir1real, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2*Our* mission? Talk about group think!!
    • k3vin187, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1damn wanted to dig it but u did say "our mission"
    • Clerg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I thought the "Mission" was already "accomplished" that's what C+ Augustus said in his bulge enhancing flight suit...so why are we still there?
  • plato1123, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Saying these lives are "wasted" is really just a matter or perspective... Bush and his family and cronies have massive ties to oil and defense contracters which have made an incredible amount of money from the war, so to Bush and co, killing thousands of Americans and 10s of thousands of Iraqis have made he, his friends and family incredibly rich. God bless America.
  • fsjonsey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I have alot of respect for his honesty. He is one of the few politicians that doesn't talk out of his ass. Too bad there isn't somebody on my side of the political spectrum more like Barack.
    • ShugNinx21, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3I hate to break it to you but all politicians talk out their ass. The only difference is if you like what they say.
    • MewTwo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3yeah, it's pretty sad that when I vote I don't really vote... I just sorta settle. I really ***** hate politicians.
  • scottytoodope, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3shouldn't be retracting true statements
    • polybot, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1But that doesn't make him a coward, if anything, it makes him even greater.
    • xcoastie, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3He is just practicing his "cut and run", it is one of the most valued skills of the left. He is still not in the league as Kerry, but give the new guy some slack. Soon he will be cutting and running with the best of them.
    • spurtle, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1Cut and run?

      We went into Iraq without finishing Afghanistan. We're going into Iran without finishing Iraq. When things get hard, the warmongers leave and go pick on someone that will look like a quick victory. And then when we get bogged down in that, we'll invade some other country and leave what's left of our allies to clean up the mess in Iran. There's your cutting and running.
  • jerrykew, on 10/12/2007, -4/+4(I replied rather than 'add comment, oops)

    I nearly threw up when I heard Ms Rice describe the lives lost as 'invested' rather than sacrificed, now THAT is obscene. 'Wasted' is a perfectly reasonable opinion , one might not agree, but it is reasonable. What family chose to 'invest' their child's life?.

    Orwell has arrived.

    Jerry
    • MewTwo, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4No, she means invested their lives into this beautiful country, their home, their families!!!....... nothing to do with the business aspect of the word "investment" at all.......
  • paganmonkeyboy, on 10/12/2007, -5/+4this war is entirely based on lies
    right wingers - prove me wrong or bite me - post links please - i want wmds
    instead of billions (that's with a b) disappearing over there
    billions you and i pay
    and end up in haliburton's pockets
    (see also - cheney stock options, carlyle group and the bush family, etc)

    these lives were tragically wasted
    for no other reason
    than the lord didn't see fit to put the oil over here where us good christians are (dick's own words)

    obama needs to sack up and keep speaking truth to power
  • gab00n, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2The outcome of this war so far has been the genocide of nearly 1 million Iraqis, engineered civil war, control of the oil pipelines, a central base for the New World Orderfication of the rest of the middle east and we are one step closer to Globalization (One World Government). Not a single person who reads this will live to see the end of this War on Terrorism.
    • xcoastie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Wow, that tin foil hat is cutting off the circulation to your brain.
  • MewTwo, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Yes, their lives are wasted... but hey, look at it this way... now it is more widely circulated that dick cheney and bush have an evil corporation behind them, and we as a public are more aware of that now. Because of this war. I just feel bad for the families. Most aren't going to believe their loved one died in vain. It's too painful. In that respect Obama sort of ***** up, that statement didn't do anything but turn a lot of people against him. And make a bunch of punk kids go, "hell yeah! ***** bush!" ...Yet they don't even vote.
    Obama is right... but he won't have a chance in the next election. Everybody needs to get registered and vote and show what the majority of the public believe. Come on... everybody is over 18, right? or will be, by 2008. ***** vote. This sounds like an afterschool special but, 'we have a voice'. Even though he probably won't win, we should all turn out, and let our presence be known.
    • polybot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I seriously doubt that even 50 percent of "us" are over 18, just a hunch.
  • PKBabaSoGud, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Funny how you all think that you speak for the soldiers. You know what? ***** you. They don't need you speaking on their behalf, especially if you don't even know what they want. If you gave two *****, you'd find out and stop involving them in your crybaby politics.
    • MewTwo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2what do they want, do you know? I'm not trying to be an *****. Just, if you're in the armed forces, indulge us.
    • PKBabaSoGud, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4They're out there, alright? They have a voice, and they'd prefer that you listen. Some of my high school friends joined the Marines (one girl became an Army engineer) when we graduated a few years back. They made that choice, and they want to speak for themselves. I think that's a fair wish.
    • LavaHot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2You say they shouldn't be involved in politics, but the truth is that they are smack dab in the middle of it. Heck, the war itself was politically motivated. Sure, I don't presume to speak for them, but who does? So, if you claim to know what today's military men and women want, they by all means please enlighten us.
    • PKBabaSoGud, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Did I say I could represent them? I'm merely responding to many of the posts above me which claim to speak for the troops and their wishes. That is disrespectful to those serving in the military.
    • LavaHot, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Can you blame somebody for saying that somebody wants to, you know, live?

      I mean, really, what are our military personnel dying for? Is it not clearly a lie? Is it worth their lives?

      I remember a story of a soldier who was about my age, he threw himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades in a tank. Granted, if he didn't, they may have all died, but if they weren't there to begin with, their chances of dying would be much lower. This act of heroism, while no less appreciated, would have been unnecessary if they weren't there. So yes, I would call his death a "Waste." It's a waste of a promising young man's life to die in a pointless war, whether he believed in the cause or not.


      I mean, who are we to judge the people who willingly killed themselves in the HeavensGate cult? They clearly had full control of their faculties and their beliefs should have been respected. They clearly achieved their goal of contacting the aliens in Haley's Comet.

      Look at our rich history of dying for causes we whole-heartedly believe in: The Crusades (I have all 8 in a collector's boxed set!), Custard's Last Popsicle Stand (in which more Americans died than on 9/11), The Korean War (I loved Tai Guk Gi, one of my favorite war movies, there should be more Asian wars, think we can get into it with China?), The Peloponnesian Wars, etc.

      The point is, when people die without a reason, its tragic, but its even more tragic when they die for a bad or faulty reason.
  • darthmdh, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4When your policy is to support Al Quaeda and the Islamic world order, I suppose you can come out with comments like this.

    Remember what Obi Wan Kenobi said, "Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view"

  • ogletree, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4If you say that the war is wrong and never should have started that is the same thing as saying the lives were wasted. I don't know why everybody has the panties in a wad about what he said. The lives were wasted. There is not one person that can say there lives were lost to help anything. More people hate us and want us dead than before the war started. This war has done nothing but make things worse. There is no way to win it. As soon as we leave some new Sadam will be in charge. The new rulers will kill all the old rulers and things will start over again. The new leaders will have an allegiance to Iran and start a war with ousted ruling party Saudia Arabia will defend then and boom we have the begining of a world war.
  • earthtoandy, on 10/12/2007, -3/+4its sad when you have to apologize about telling the truth.
  • Whateveragain, on 10/12/2007, -7/+5George Bush sucks ***** and eats cum. What can I say? Digg me down. the truth is the truth. He loves cocaine. He is an alcoholic. He ***** his own Daughters. What about America DOESN"T work??????
    • polybot, on 10/12/2007, -4/+0Osama! Is that you? Where you been dude?
    • arcele, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3Are you using Bush's cocaine use as your main argument that he is a moron (besides the obviously ludicrous statements you're making regarding his sexuality)? Obama has already admitted cocaine abuse as well, time to come up with some more reasonable statements or else your lord and savior Barrack Hussein Obama is a bigger moron than the president you despise.

  • insomniac8400, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2I wonder why he apologized. Anyone who thinks a dead soldier isn't a wasted life must be friends with hitler and communists.
    • polybot, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3He apologized to get more votes.
      Here's food for thought, every year mote than 40 000 Americans die on the road, about double the per capita rate of Australia, a geographically and technologically similar country. That's about 20 000 preventable and usually horrific and tragic deaths, that's 100 000 wasted lives in the last five years. Not a lot of political currency in that though...
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