Good sift. Thanks, Hive.

*requeue

Re-queueing this video for one more try; last queued Friday, December 7th, 2007 7:51am PST - requeue requested by submitter Hive13.

It pisses me off that he had to die for nothing.

I can't figure out why it doesn't piss other people off, too.

Rougy, he was doing his job. He died doing something that he personally believed in. He was a SEAL and a dedicated member of the armed forces. His death was not in vain. He died honorably.

You may not agree with the war, but men and women, even 18 year old kids are volunteering and dying for the belief that they are doing something for the greater good. Don't discount their sacrifices. I don't agree with WHY they are there anymore, but I love them all and support them in life and in death. I spent 2 years in Iraq and I lost several of my dearest friends to stupid shit, but they are all heroes to me.

Hive, I don't think you and rougy necessarily disagree on this.

The fact that soldiers are brave and honorable does not speak to the orders they are given.

I think this is especially relevant in circumstances where the memory of these heroic people seems to be used as a cynical political ploy.

I am tempted to pay more attention to the legacy of the orders, and the needless deaths of brave men an women who would be no less heroic where they still alive.

While they have accepted the risk, we(as in our government) have accepted, and disregarded, the responsibility to ask these risks of them only when justified by compelling need, which we do not have.

I don't think anybody here would say that Lt. Murphy alive without the "Medal of Honor" is not as honorable or brave as a Lt. Murphy who died in the line of duty and was awarded one posthumously.

While we can honor those who have died, if we are not angry that they died under current circumstances, as rougy is, how do we honor those, who are just as brave and honorable, who need not die?

See how the President reads the speech like an automaton -- no recognition of this man, his life, his sacrifice. If he did, he'd have to examine himself and his own life -- and ooh, boy, I wouldn't want to be around if that ever happens.

"It pisses me off that he had to die for nothing."

Note: the Medal of Honor citation was for an action in Afghanistan, not Iraq.

I wasn't aware that pursuing bin Laden was a worthless cause.

"I wasn't aware that pursuing bin Laden was a worthless cause."

As if that's what we were doing in Afghanistan.

I don't think they actually said he died in Afghanistan, but only in an "enemy controlled area", which probably means he was in Pakistan (at least technically).

Operating in Pakistan is pretty iffy. While they are not a StateSponsorOfTerrror (with no explanation why they are exempt) they are allowing local tribal leaders to support OBL and friends.

While Pakistan is allowing use of military power in the case of "hot pursuit" it's a rather dangerous way to run a military campaign. We could be letting Afghanistan secure it's own borders and put diplomatic pressure on Pakistan to let us actually operate in their territory, or we could just let OBL sit in Pakistan.

If we spent our energy getting real intelligence, instead of sending in strike teams and getting the locals all riled up(and closed lipped), we might actually find him.