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THINKING FOR OURSELVES
Winter Soldiers and Sunshine Patriots
By Shea Howell
Michigan Citizen, Dec. 16-22, 2007
The Bush administration came to office with the intention of dismantling government. Using a combination of budget cuts and privatization of services, it systematically destroyed any sense of common responsibility. Now, to a startling degree, what’s left of the government is rejecting Bush.
Nowhere is this clearer than in his role as Commander in Chief. The rejection of Bush and his doctrine of perpetual war is happening at almost every level in the military.
It has been widely reported that the greatest barrier to an invasion of Iran has been the military leadership. Admiral William Fallon, head of the Central Command, and General George Casey, the Army’s Chief of Staff, have consistently rejected the idea that the U.S could contain or cope with the violence it would unleash by such an attack.
Military leaders in Iraq have been resisting pressure to tie Iraqi violence to Iran. Many correspondents report that military commanders are going to great lengths to do just the opposite, making clear that there is no evidence to link violence in Iraq with Iranian interference. Some are even willing to suggest that Iran has been influencing Moktada al Sadr to play a greater role as peacemaker.
Every day more soldiers are voting with their feet. According to an Associated Press report released in mid-November, the number of AWOL Army soldiers has increased 80 percent since March of 2003. The Army says 4,698 soldiers deserted their posts in fiscal year 2007, an increase of over 2,000 from 2006. GI Rights advocates say the number is far higher. Of course, soldiers go AWOL for many reasons, and the majority of them don't denounce the war. However, an increasing number publicly oppose the war, even though this could mean harsh punishments or jail time.
This spring Iraq Veterans Against the War will be holding the largest gathering of U.S. veterans of service in Iraq and Afghanistan to share their experiences in a public investigation called “Winter Soldier.” These soldiers, along with survivors of the war from both countries, will provide public testimony of what they saw and experienced. The group takes its name from Tom Paine saying, “Winter Soldiers are those who stand up for the soul of their country, even in its darkest hours. With this spirit in mind, these Winter Soldiers are standing up to make their experiences available to all who are concerned about the direction of our country.”
This week we also have seen the opposite of these winter soldiers. We are witnessing the actions of what Paine called the “Sunshine Patriots.” These false patriots are walking the halls of Congress.
This is a moment of extraordinary crisis for our democracy. It seems some members of Congress have been complicit in torture.
According to ths week’s Washington Post this week, since 2002 leading Democratic lawmakers have received “about 30 private CIA briefings, some of which included descriptions of waterboarding, overseas rendition sites and other harsh interrogation methods.” Officials present at the meetings told the Post that the reaction from legislators “was not just approval, but encouragement.”
The degree of complicity in Bush’s crimes by Congressional leaders, including Nancy Pelosi, is coming to light. Calls are mounting for the appointment of a special prosecutor to investigate not only the recent destruction of tapes by the CIA, but the relationship between Bush and Congressional leadership in both parties.
Our country has reached the point where many in our military have a greater understanding of our democracy than those in Congress. Saving the soul of our country will take more than winter soldiers.
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