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Bush: Chickenhawk*-in-Chief?
The steadily unraveling situation in Iraq begs closer attention to Bush & Co.'s abuse of the world's most potent military, as well as the complete lack of military service among key hawks in his inner circle.
First of all, stunning military victories should not be considered a Bush success, because each President inherits his predecessors' military. Bush was in office less than a year before he attacked Afghanistan. Key military hardware advances of the Clinton era were critical to early success there and in Iraq.
* A chickenhawk is defined as someone who advocates war as a means to achieve political policy, but who failed to take advantage of the opportunity to serve in the military when they were young and the opportunity arose.
Bush & Co.'s military record
The President's military record is dubious. This is not surprising, since Bush's position in life is not the result of brains, hard work or even luck, but rather, wealth and privilege. His military record is recounted elsewhere:
- The Straight Dope
- The Washington Post
- USA Today
- Calpundit: shows evidence that Bush was actually demoted to the National Guard reserves for his failure to show up for regular Guard duty.
- Gulf War Veterans Association: says Bush is guilty of military crimes.
The only member of the Bush war cabal to serve in the military is Donald Rumsfeld, who served three years in the Navy from 1954-57.
Dick Cheney received received five deferments to keep him out of Vietnam during the mid 1960s, as the conflict there exploded into full-on jungle warfare and thousands of his countrymen died. He said he had other things to do.
The list of Republican war mongers who avoided military service is posted in many places on the internet, and is also the subject of an amusing set of playing cards, and a video. Here are the highlights
- Assistant Secretary of Defense and raging war-monger Paul Wolfowitz
- Richard Perle: Longtime confidante of Wolfowitz and other Bush & Co. hawks, resigned as Chairman of the Defense Policy Board amid conflict of interest charges.
- Eliot Abrams: Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Near East and North African Affairs. Convicted of lying to Congress about his involvement in the Iran-contra scandal while working for the Reagan White House.
- Karl Rove: Bush's top political advisor, sometimes called "Bush's Brain."
- Tom Delay: House Majority Leader and a leading congressional Chickenhawk: has stated there was no room for patriotic folks like himself to serve in Vietnam because minorities had taken up all the slots.
- John Ashcroft: Attorney General.
- Rush Limbaugh: Radio talk show host. Could not serve in Vietnam because of cysts on his big fat ass .
- Bill O'Reilly: Another media loudmouth and prominent hawk.
- Trent Lott: Former Republican Senate Leader: Could not serve because he was busy being a cheerleader.
- Dennis Hastert: Speaker of the House
- Chickenhawk database
- List of who served
Abuse of the World's Most Potent Military
Bush's ill advised conquer and occupation of Iraq has stretched U.S. military very thin:
- Soldiers have to be sent back to the front before while still injured, meanwhile disability claims among soldiers skyrocket.
- Some U.S. soldiers have to buy their own protective gear. Others improvise their own, meanwhile contractors have all of the latest protective gear.
- Stocks of spare parts and basics like guns and ammo have dwindled, hundreds of vehicles have been blown up and burned, all of which will cost billons and take years to replace.
- Patience is wearing thin with as soldiers endure heat, tough conditions on the ground in Iraq.
There is increased talk of reviving a military draft, and even some Republicans are on board. Some argue that reviving a draft is the only moral choice for a democracy, as it helps ensure that all of the people dying in Bush & Co.'s imperial adventures are not exclusively minorities and/or poor. Others disagree, arguing drafts are unfair and UnAmerican, all-volunteer armies fight better, or that military demographics are not out of whack. Besides, they say, the rich or well-connected always found a way to get out of military service
Meanwhile, Bush screws the real soldiers fighting his immoral war: