QUOTE FOR THE DAY I: “I’d much rather be doing this than figthing a war,” – helicopter pilot Lt. Cmdr. William Whitsitt, helping the survivors of the south Asian tsunami. Earth to Whitsitt: you’re a soldier.
A reader responds, eloquently, to Sullivan, pointing out in polite terms what a %[email protected]# idiot Sullivan is and what the soldier really meant. A snippet:
EVERYONE in the military would rather be saving lives than taking them. More important, most military personnel don’t see any difference between the mission in Iraq and the mission in tsunami-stricken south Asia. The goal is to help people who have been ravaged by forces beyond their control to get back on their feet and join the community of nations so they won’t continue to be a burden (or danger) to us.
Relief work is hard and dangerous and unpleasant. No one enjoys the stench of rotting corpses, whether its in Fallajuh or Banda Aceh. Military personnel will be exposed to any diseases that break out. Working in the tropics with only rudimentary living conditions (as those assigned onshore to the cleanup and reconstruction will face for months) is no picnic. Flying supplies off of ships to remote locations over miles of ocean and jungle will not be accident-free.LCDR Whitsitt’s point is, he’d rather risk his life helping the Indonesians than fighting in a place where some of the very people he’s risking his life for are indifferent at best, and gunning for him at worst. However, like virtually every other person in the military, he’ll do his best to accomplish the mission assigned to him by the nation’s leaders… in Baghdad or Banda Aceh.
My point is not that bringing relief to stricken people is somehow less worthy than fighting wars. My point is that the military is primarily about fighting and winning wars – not disaster relief.
People pay $1300.00 a month for a blogad on a website offering that type of deep insight. Unbelievable. The only point showing, Andy, is the one on the top of your head.
Joe Schmoe
The really unbelieveable thing is that Sully is the person who was all gung-ho about the war in Iraq but suddenly collapsed in hysterics after he discovered that we were placing womens’ panties on prisoners’ heads in Abu Gharib. Now it seems he’s butched up again.
Mikey
The man said he’d rather be doing this. At least he has his priorities straight – he’d rather be helping in a crisis than not. Hm. Tough call, that one.
thibaud
Sully’s a most excitable young man.
And the most over-rated blogger around. Fortunately, more and more bloggers of real judgment and insight are appearing on the scene. In another year or two Sully will be less read and linked to than Wretchard or Diplomad or other more sober commenters we’ve yet to hear of.
Terry
I dropped Sully from my bookmarks early last year, in part for the reasons noted in Juhn’s post, as well as the comments here. In another venue, Sully wrote late last year that he “has lost thousands of readers” in recent months. With more posts such as the one John has linked to, Sully appears headed for more losses in 2005.
wild bird
It shows their human we in the USA are helping out the less fortunate and those who are the victims of this recent disaster so if you idiots in your places of luxery and privlage(hollywood)can take this then go out there and help them instead of waiting for your paperazi hyenas to show up and quit laying around waiting for the next movie contract to come your way and stop acting like your royalty and roll up your sleaves and do somthing for the world rather then lay around whinning about the election and dont bo afraid of dirting your lily white hands you rich spoiled hollywood brats
CadillaqJaq
So Sully still has a few readers? Pity.
Sandi
Maybe this would satisfy Sullivan:
Then maybe not, as it wasn’t the US Coast Guard.
Kimmitt
Sully’s an awesome read — a deep peek into the unexamined subconscious of a thoroughly disordered mind.
JohnO
I used to read Sullivan, but as of about a year ago his writing seemed to be completed in a state of constant hysteria. It’s like he suffers from a permanent case of The Vapors.”
Slartibartfast
I’ve already got that: my own.
Maybe he’s Turning Japanese.