Wages

[poliphilo]

At the end of September the army gave Joe two weeks wages and told him to live on them for a month.

I guess we should have jumped up and down about it but, well, I'm not sure we even considered it. I hate authority, but I'm cowed by it. I guess, that's why I hate it.

And if Joe hadn't been living with us he'd have probably ended up on the streets. Perhaps that was the intention- that he'd get himself in such a fix that he'd go running to his Sergeant Major asking to be taken back.

The Prodigal returns.

But that's history now. He's toughed out the lean times, and now they've paid him what they owe. It makes it possible for him to take a grip on his life. And the first thing he's done is sign up for a course in gym work.

There was an article in the paper a day or two back about how morale in Joe's old regiment is shot to pieces. They got sent to Iraq to fight a war that many of them considered illegal and wound up doing dirty police work in and around Basra, dealing with a populace that mainly didn't want them there. No wonder they're not feeling too good about themselves.

I'm not invoking hellfire, but I'd like to see those who were responsible for getting us into this war punished. Bush and his gang. Blair and his gang. We know they lied; so why are they still there? Like I said, I don't want them to burn, I just want them driven from office- with mockery.

Comments

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Since I live in THIS country, I will do anything I can to call our President to account. I DO believe the war is illegal. And I have friend with sons in that war, one of them on his way back for this third tour. I belong to moveon.org, and a few other 'action' groups, groups I know are a force because they have been addressed by the candidates and the parties.

Every morning when I get up and hear the news I have this overwhelming sense of dejavu. I was listening this morning to a story this morning that suggested the judge in Tom DeLay's hearing should recuse himself - because the political wheels in Texas are turned by money - much as anywhere else, of course - but there is no way that the judge can be 'impartial'. I'm afraid I haven't explained it well...but anyway, it's getting scary to live here.

I'm glad Joe got out, and I'm glad he's okay.

[lblanchard.livejournal.com]

Why is your friend's son going back for his third tour? I understood that one had to re-enlist and/or volunteer for subsequent tours. I'm happy to be corrected if I'm mistaken. If I'm not, and if you are in a position to share, I'd be interested to know his reasons.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I don't know the answer to this one, Laura, I will have to ask her.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

My friend Margaret, who has TWO nephews there, both of whom are there on their third tour, are bomb technicians. They did not volunteer, they did not re-enlist. They were sent. One of them is coming to the end of his enlistment period, hopefully he'll be back soon.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The reckoning is coming. Bush and Blair are now held in contempt by a majority of their fellow citizens- and history will seal that judgement.

[athenais.livejournal.com]

We're working on it, we're working on it.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Excellent. I'm following developments (Plamegate etc) closely.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

"Burning Bush"--good one!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

People have been saying that the current scandals aren't in the same league as Watergate, but no-one was killed in the Watergate shennanigans and what we're talking about here and now is the mis-selling of a war in which thousands have died.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

And been maimed--that's the worst part, IMHO.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

....and don't lets forget the bereaved.

[bodhibird.livejournal.com]

I'm a firm believer in mockery. I think a lot of crimes, great and small, would be better punished by a punitive fine and public mockery than by imprisonment. Wouldn't it be lovely to see that whole bunch driven out of office and made to own up, publicly, to what they did and to apologize for it? And then to know that they weren't living on bloated pensions for screwing up during their years in office. (Actually, I don't know what happens for an ex-Prime Minister, but that's the privilege of an ex-President.)

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ex prime ministers have it cushy. Blair (like Thatcher and Major before him) will make millions from writing his memoirs, trotting round the lecture circuit and sitting on the boards of business corporations.

[jackiejj.livejournal.com]

Things are not going well here. I have begun to hear calls for Cheney's resignation.

That won't happen, but at this point we have a lame duck Presidency.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

I do believe that GWB would sacrifice the Vice President if he thought it would make him more popular. And what scares me is, when it's time for the election, if Cheney runs he might be elected.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm hoping that Cheyney- and indeed all the Bush gang- will be so damaged by what is happening now- that none of them will be able to run for President.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

Except. The other side - none of the parties - have anyone worth running. There has to be an element of charisma. Let's face it, as much as *we* like to say it doesn't make any difference, it is nice if a candidate has a personality. John Kerry's major problem was that he was a cardboard cutout. And I don't think that John Edwards will ever run for president - and win. There are all kinds of jokes about the 'disorganization' of the Democratic party here, but they aren't so funny really. Would Hilary Clinton run for Pres? Maybe, but I don't see the party uniting behind her, and that's what has to happen - the old saying about united we stand is very true.

In my younger days I was mad for Pierre Elliot Trudeau, prime minister of Canada. But these days, Canada has her own problems.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

It's strange isn't it- a nation of how ever many millions and you can't find anyone fit to lead it.
We have the same problem in Britain. One reason Blair is still in power is that the alternatives are all so uninspiring. The Conservatives- the party of opposition- have had three leaders (all useless) since John Major lost the 97 election to Blair and are currently in the process of electing a fourth.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I believe Eisenhower is the only post-war president not to have run into serious problems in his second term.

[halfmoon-mollie.livejournal.com]

There is a reason for that. The legacy of Eisenhower is that he started this country on the road to Viet Nam.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I can forgive him a lot for that speech he gave warning against the industrial-military complex.

[karenkay.livejournal.com]

I like that "with mockery". That's so satisfying!

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

They are so carefully protected from public opinion. I want that protection stripped away. I want them to understand how badly they have failed and how much we dislike them.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

Mockery is too good for them!

But, FWIW, I've met other large organisations with this "you can have your pay when it suits our admin system" attitude - it's not just the army. I worked as a graduate student for the (then) polytechnic who reckoned that I should put in a claim at the end of the month for hours worked, and they'd pay it when they ran payroll next month. In other words: come off the dole at the end of September, and, if we get the paperwork sorted, we'll pay you at the end of November...

So this one may be cock-up rather than conspiracy.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I'm open to that suggestion.

My experience of dealing with the army over these past few months has convinced me that it's a pretty inefficient organisation.

[ibid.livejournal.com]

Thye won't be, they can't be. Right now they are too deeply entrenched and have the power to stay that way.

But I would love to see the history books in 20 years time and show them.

Poor Joe, at least he had a family who loves him and could look after him.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Ah yes, the history books....

Blair is reportedly very much concerned about his legacy.

Hehhehhehheh!