Comments on: What is the normal rate of suicides?

By: Don Daily

Don Daily — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 00:40:29 +0000

“the very job Bush promised never to put them through.”

We let two oil men in the white house convince us we would leave Iraq when the mission was accomplished. We might as well have been trying to pull the fat kids hand out of the cookie jar. I read an article recently that said new exploration has shown Iraq may have more oil than Saudi Arabia. Think maybe Bush Co. got that info a few years earlier? One life lost is too many when we have enough oil in the US to quit M.E. oil forever. The shale formations in the Green River hold more oil than SA. If people in this country would stop fighting every effort to produce more oil domestically we would not need the M.E. My niece’s husband has been to Iraq. He lived in a half blown up bank in a very bad area for months. That sort of thing stays with you until you checkout. Some military personel are choosing to checkout early. Please go to this site and get involved. If we take away the need maybe we can leave Iraq?

http://www.AmericansForJobsAndEnergy.org

By: alpowolf

alpowolf — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 23:45:15 +0000

Another equally ghoulish talking point, that I hear repeated ad nauseum by the whores at Faux News, is that “well the rate is still lower than society at large”. The fact that even the official figures (which, as others here have said, are certainly lowball) are trending up is ignored. They also ignore the living whose souls have been torn apart, for whom death might well be mercy.

By: 1984

1984 — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 18:39:37 +0000

Talking point from the ministry of truth.
This is the new number, therefore this is the normal rate. No story here…

By: Lester Ness

Lester Ness — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 06:06:01 +0000

For every person who kills themself quickly, there will be many more killing themselves slowly with booze, etc.

By: Larry Battis

Larry Battis — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 02:45:38 +0000

Does anyone really believe the official 2007 tally of, “115 troops taking their own lives.” That number is low by a thousands. This is just the tip of the iceberg of disgrace that is the military medicine/V.A., for the new millennium. It’s time we stopped wasting mega-mega-bucks on the oil-wars and started funding progressive social programs to rescue this Nation and the World from the quagmire we are presently creating. Let’s try being the good-guys for a change.

By: DemsRNeoConsToo

DemsRNeoConsToo — Sat, 31 May 2008 16:19:04 +0000

My dad, the Fox “News” devotee, is a huge fan of Kiplings, having grown up in the British Empire himself.

A few Christmases ago we got into it about Iraq — I asked him if he would sacrifice his beloved grandchildren to “bring democracy” (that was the excuse du jour at the time for raping Iraq) to Iraq.

These same grandchildren were about to open gifts in the living room, expressions of pure delight on their faces, as there are on many young faces on Christmas morning. Well, except for Iraqi Christians these days…

He blinked and then said, “Yes.” I said, “Great, old man — why don’t you let the kids decide for themselves whether they want to die or be horribly physically or mentally wounded while killing innocent people.”

Then I recited that line from Kipling.

I’m not sure if he’s changed his tune about the war, we stay out of discussing it in order to maintain his heart health and my sanity, but I do think that line from Kipling made him
consider the fate of everyone involved in the horrific insanity that is Iraq / Afghanistan.

Maybe we should tattoo Kipling’s line on the foreheads of every talking head in the media, and every member of congress. Oh — I forgot — THEIR kids won’t be drafted when we attack Iran, just ours.

By: Kirk Hayes

Kirk Hayes — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:20:04 +0000

Rudyard Kipling, a big supporter of english imperialism, wrote, upon the death of his son in defense of the empire, a poem that includes the following:

If they ask you why we died, tell them because our fathers lied.

This applies equally to those killed as well as those who kill themselves, being unable to expunge the demons in their mind created by the machinations of the megalomaniacal among us with their supporters who sent these brave people to hell for a lie.

Kipling recognized the futility of supporting empire when his son died doing so. When will we wake up, quit accepting lies and leave people to their own devices?

By: Skulz Fontaine

Skulz Fontaine — Sat, 31 May 2008 13:08:47 +0000

Suicide could be considered to be perfectly normal. Look at all the other insanity that has graced Amerika since the coronation of Amerika’s boy king George. Rendition, illegal detention, torture, John Yoo, wars of naked aggression, graft, corruption, congressional cowardice, congressional sedition, Karl Rove, ABCBSCNNMSNBC, Nancy Pelosi, war profiteering, warmongering, and mercy, this listing could grow to considerable length in not too many more key strokes. The amazingly sad part of all this, it isn’t Amerika’s service boys and girls that ought to be taking their own lives due of whatever demon-driven madness they live with. Nope, can we all say “ritual sepuku?” How about it kings and corporate princes of Amerika? Up for a little “honorable” way out?

By: anti-neocon

anti-neocon — Sat, 31 May 2008 06:28:34 +0000

Please keep on sharing your experiences, charlie.

By: anti-neocon

anti-neocon — Sat, 31 May 2008 06:26:40 +0000

Thank you for this profundity, DemsR…

By: Eugene Costa

Eugene Costa — Sat, 31 May 2008 03:10:12 +0000

Prescribed amphetamines in US combat forces:

http://www.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2003/02/57434

By: charlie

charlie — Sat, 31 May 2008 01:56:56 +0000

To DemsRNeoConsToo and all others.
I remember Vietnam all too damn well. I got back to the states from that hell of a mess of “imperial war” in September of 1971 after my tour with 5th Marine Regiment. Ever since Shrubbie started his wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Vietnam has returned to me every night and many days.
War is something that never stops “giving” to those who are caught up in it on a personal level. Just watch some of those WW2 vets. They get interviewed and they remember things from then, 60+ years ago, as if it just happened.
War is the most pornographic thing we humans have ever devised. Why do the troops kill themselves? Some people cannot continue life after what they have seen and done. And when they find out it was all a big damn lie, well, you think how you would feel. You enlist thinking you are “defending” America. You take an oath to defend the Constitution against ALL enemies, foreign and domestic. You get sent to the war zone. You do your job the best you can. You see and do things that no human being should ever even think of, let alone actually do. Then, after you get home, hopefully in one piece, you find the truth that it was all just a train car load of bull crap. Makes you doubt yourself for sure. It has been many years since I “came home” only to find that home still does not really exist.
I have great compassion for all the troops in the current illegal wars. They will all need much support and care from all of us. They have been lied to, as we all were. But, they have paid a huge price.
semper fi