Operation BS!
Knowing that I’ve been letting other projects slow my posting pace down, I’ve been mentally preparing commentary on the electronic eavesdropping story and the president's recent speeches. But once again I find myself furious at the amazing arrogance of my friend Paul Rieckhoff. Paul has just changed the name of his left wing oriented veteran’s organization. What was Operation Truth is now Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America. Now it may seem to be a step down in arrogance to claim to be speaking for veterans rather than for the very concept of truth. But as one of the veterans of this war, I find myself deeply disturbed by this change.
When it was Operation Truth the inherent arrogance in the name was laughable. After all since the days of Socrates, men have claimed to speak to The Truth. It may be slightly arrogant, but since truth is such a tenuous and at times subjective concept, particularly in politics, we can concede that the overreach of such a claim is essentially harmless. But to claim to speak in the name of my fellow veterans is a much more tangible hyperbole.
Of course if you talk to Paul Rieckhoff, he will tell you that his organization isn’t left wing or particularly political at all. In inviting me to join his organization, he made it a point tell me that there were both Democrats and Republicans in the membership. His pose is that he has created an organization that advocates for veterans and service issues. That its membership is open veterans of all political stripes. This is a patently deceptive dodge. The communist party has open membership too! But only people who believe in the communist agenda join. Paul and Op-Truth have been actively pursuing an anti-war, anti-Bush agenda since day one.
Even in the Vietnam era, John Kerry and his fellow Veterans for Peace had the decency to identify their agenda up front. Obviously Lt Rieckhoff has the right to name his organization anything he wants. But by re-naming it in such bland generalist terms, he is perpetrating a deception. An interesting position for someone previously publicly associated with The Truth. The innocuous sounding Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran’s of America attempts to associate his organization with more typical veteran’s fraternal groups like American Legion etc.
Paul, you don’t speak for me! You don’t speak for hundreds of thousands of OIF and OEF vets who understand that building democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan is a worthwhile endeavor that requires sacrifices. You don’t speak for those of us know that the War on Terror requires leaders to make tough decisions that result in bloodshed. So as arrogant your claim to be speaking The Truth was, your claim to speak in my name is far more insulting.
Continuing Thanks to the folks at Mudville Gazette
Oblogotory Anecdotes
NIF
When it was Operation Truth the inherent arrogance in the name was laughable. After all since the days of Socrates, men have claimed to speak to The Truth. It may be slightly arrogant, but since truth is such a tenuous and at times subjective concept, particularly in politics, we can concede that the overreach of such a claim is essentially harmless. But to claim to speak in the name of my fellow veterans is a much more tangible hyperbole.
Of course if you talk to Paul Rieckhoff, he will tell you that his organization isn’t left wing or particularly political at all. In inviting me to join his organization, he made it a point tell me that there were both Democrats and Republicans in the membership. His pose is that he has created an organization that advocates for veterans and service issues. That its membership is open veterans of all political stripes. This is a patently deceptive dodge. The communist party has open membership too! But only people who believe in the communist agenda join. Paul and Op-Truth have been actively pursuing an anti-war, anti-Bush agenda since day one.
Even in the Vietnam era, John Kerry and his fellow Veterans for Peace had the decency to identify their agenda up front. Obviously Lt Rieckhoff has the right to name his organization anything he wants. But by re-naming it in such bland generalist terms, he is perpetrating a deception. An interesting position for someone previously publicly associated with The Truth. The innocuous sounding Iraq and Afghanistan Veteran’s of America attempts to associate his organization with more typical veteran’s fraternal groups like American Legion etc.
Paul, you don’t speak for me! You don’t speak for hundreds of thousands of OIF and OEF vets who understand that building democracies in Iraq and Afghanistan is a worthwhile endeavor that requires sacrifices. You don’t speak for those of us know that the War on Terror requires leaders to make tough decisions that result in bloodshed. So as arrogant your claim to be speaking The Truth was, your claim to speak in my name is far more insulting.
Continuing Thanks to the folks at Mudville Gazette
Oblogotory Anecdotes
NIF
posted by John Byrnes at 12/19/2005 07:09:00 PM
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