Just a quick thanks

Just my two cents, but its all the little things. Grass/trees. Rain. A/C, cold water, high speed internet, etc. Or at least that is my opinion. It really is huge to have MGoBlog and other little things that bring home out to us.

In regards to Food: Pizza, fresh fruit/vegetables, steak, a cold beer...

You are the only one, but hey thats what the people that serve give you the freedom to express.

 

To all the vets and current service personnel, thank you for your service.

just....wow.  Militarism???  You and Tyrone should go get a room together.  /Mercifully free from the ravages of common sense.

I think many of us have diverging views on how the military is used by various administrations.  But remember that service men and women do not set policy, politicians do.

You can support and thank veterans without being an advocate of their mission.  It might surprise some who have not served that many service men and women are not thrilled about how they are deployed from time-to-time.  The point is that these men and women have committed to serve in the military, often putting themselves in harm's way, and depriving themselves of precious time with their families.  So most of us are grateful for that sacrifice.

I don't fault you for your question, but I think it's misplaced.

Construing this as a tacit endorsement of militarism is logically incorrect. The statement itself has very little to do with the military, beyond a simple reference to it. He said the blog helped him get through. For all we know, there could be an implicit condemnation there. The reference to military service is used as a linguistic framing device to convey a broader point, that being that the blog provides entertainment and hope to people in abnormal situations all around the world. If you deconstruct this logically, military service and militarism aren't the subject, the blog is. Believing otherwise based on the little evidence provided is confirmation bias.

Go away

Amir, there is a difference between love of country and being political. Being political generally means that you are affiliated with or supportive of a particular party, whether Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Independents, Communists, Anarchists, etc. Regardless of political party, the assumption is that ALL parties are supportive of the United States of America, and the freedoms which we hold dear.

I'm sure it is obvious to you that regardless of party affiliation, the Office of the President, the House of Representatives, and the Senate have all at various times supported war and military action. Largely, such support is based on preserving and protecting the freedoms which are foundational to this country. Whether such action was wise or not (in many cases, probably ill-advised,) it was made by more than one party. Hindsight is always better than foresight.

Perhaps the most powerful recent example of the difference between loving our country and being political is the immediate response in the United States to the terrible action of terrorists in the 9-11 twin towers disaster in 2001. I visited the memorial myself this summer in Manhattan, and was deeply touched. Regardless of political party, citizens of our country denounced such despicable actions, and came together because of this. We were, if you will, "united."

Amir, I assume you yourself would likewise stand against the terrorist actions of 9-11, and gladly denounce them. You would do that, right? And if you wouldn't, I'd love to understand why.

I disagree with many people on this board about many things. But I think I stand with the vast majority in being appreciative of the freedom to vote as I desire, the freedom of men and women to be educated and go to school, the freedom to worship as I see fit, the freedom of assembly, the freedom to express views that are unpopular, the freedom for people of all races and nations to have the opportunity to work hard without fear of having their assets taken away on the basis of their race. I may disagree with you on many things, but I staunchly support the right of you to hold views and beliefs with which I disagree.

It would be hopelessly naive to think that these freedoms exist in a vacuum. Whether or not you support a particular military decision, in large measure, our military is there to preserve and protect such freedoms. And that's a good party of the reason why I and som many support those who serve in the military.

Full disclosure:  my daughter is serving in the Navy, so I am hopelessly biased (and a bit cynical about what military service really entails.) Nonetheless, I appreciate the sacrifices made by ALL who serve in the Armed Forces.

Just leave dude.

how's your pad level?

How's your arm length? Can you improve it?