On Bowie Bergdahl.

As a professionally trained journalist, (we follow facts!, nothing personal.), a rapacious reader, and as an American, I wanted to know more about Bowe Bergdahl, years ago, when he was the sole American POW in Afghanistan. Facts matter.

BUT, are there really people of ill will amongst us who do not cheer for the successful intervention that led to this man's release? He's alive. He's one of ours. And he's free again (or as free as a military man on active duty can be.)

Rejoice!, rejoice!; we have no choice.

Let's not hate on those young men who enlisted to fight what they thought would be a better managed war. The old men failed. Again.

Now we're going to turn on those who were fooled, spit on this soldier boy? Not me. Supporting the troops is a bit like loving your wife: it matters most when the sun has gone behind the clouds, and things aren't so bright and easy anymore.

The armchair warriors, the talking heads... it sounded to me like young, uneducated Bowe got in over his head. The situation on the ground -- the SNAFU -- who knows how better trained men might have responded. He never should have been in that position, at his rank. Where was the leadership? How to prevent future Bowe Bergdahl's, future Pat Tillman's from finding themselves in the deadly, undisciplined situations they did?

If Bergdahl was wrong in walking away from his post, and he surely was, then we owe it to the grunt soldiers of our future wars to understand what was happening out in the remote outpost (and don't think we won't eventually have to fight a defensive war: there will be an answer; we can't sow seeds of death and destruction worldwide for more than a decade and not expect a bit of backlash, or payback to rebound on ourselves. That's war, no? Don't drop drones, kill and maim civilians, invade and occupy, if you don't think others will adopt your tactics and pursue a warrior's peace. Do unto others as you'd have done to you.)


We're seeing offshoots of our own destabilizing violence across the world. We have no moral authority now to speak out against military interventionism. None whatsoever. "We've done it, why can't someone else?" Why hold back? Green light go.

Beat those chests, call it patriotism for the homeland, and employ the weapons, if you got 'em. That's the militant mindset now. Peace through power, justice be damned. Lock up your women, children, elderly and civilians: we're here to help.


Perhaps the main difference between President Putin and Presidents Bush/Cheney? It looks like, in the end, Russia will have something to show for her military adventures. Some popular support, as well as true political change.

We didn't get any real change for our bucks, only the bills. And if you think our country has been made any more "secure" by what we asked Bowe Bergdahl and his buddies to do over in Afghanistan, then do me a favor? Come back in 20 years and ask you grandchildren for the facts...

That we're even contemplating putting another Bush in the White House -- and that there's no public outcry every time Dick Cheney speaks out publicly -- simply boggles my mind.