This article really, really, pissed me off. I fumed, I cursed, I stamped my feet (okay, not really), but I couldn’t come up with the words to voice my distaste. So, I e-mailed it to Brad, who is much better at expressing his opinion on this kind of thing than I am. Therefore, I provide you with his (R-rated) response.
“Wow, Scarborough (or whatever the fuck his name is) closes his rant with the very reason why Glover could and should say whatever the fuck he wants. And wow, he convinced a corporation to change their ad campaign–what a fucking hero! On a side note, not only is Danny Glover outspoken about these issues (which as you know are not really very controversial if your head lives outside of your ass), but I’m pretty sure he stars in a lot of independent films that deal with the ideas that he’s outspoken about, like the films of Charles Burnett. I can’t figure out these conservative, middle American fuckwads. There’s so much hate, so much stop-the-evil-liberal bullshit. Shouldn’t their energy go elsewhere? I guess conservatives feel that the establishment is correct, and so these cats are defending their interests and beliefs, and that’s where their energy is directed. I just want to smack him upside the head with a phat history lesson.”
I am sad to see that Brad does not find Mr. Glover’s comparison of American soldiers to terrorists to be controversial. I know that there are people in this world that hate America, Americans, and a way of life that has provided Mr. Glover the chance to make a what I would assume to be a comftorable living.
I would welcome a history lesson from Brad, as he seems to be very well informed, and has a fine command of the English language, if in fact he is a drunken sailor.
Here is the (brief) history lesson you requested:
Both terrorists and soldiers can commit acts of violence as a means to social, economic or political change. Some feel that soldiers are more moral and justified in their acts than terrorists, but really that’s just a game of semantics. I see the distinction like this: U.S. soldiers commit acts of aggression to maintain, or extend, the current political or economic status quo—they “protect our interests.” By protecting our interests, they inevitably oppress others’ interests or worldviews. This is especially troubling when the people being oppressed are not able to express their frustration or disinterest except through violence—see Latin America in the 80’s, Colombia, Nicaragua, and many other nations and cultures changed by imperialism. This often produces terrorists.
Terrorists and soldiers are further mixed when discussing Latin American politics and the cold war. It is well documented that the U.S. pursued its interests in Latin America by training and financing many right-wing terrorist groups, like in Nicaragua in the 80’s. We financially backed a militant group in Chile that killed President Allende a few months after he legally won his presidency. The government we put in place to replace Allende was not widely supported by the Chilean people, but it was politically and economically supported by the U.S., so it remained in power. This is not unique in Latin America.
It is also well documented that we trained guerilla soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq in the 70’s and 80’s, respectively, and that we trained them in terrorist techniques (even a major Hollywood movie, Three Kings, discusses that one). Are these particular terrorists okay because they fought for our interests, because they were our soldiers, so to speak? Or are they inevitably bad because they’re terrorists? And if they’re bad, what does that make us?
The U.S. didn’t engage terrorists to overthrow Saddam Hussein in Iraq, but our actions were not justified in the eyes of our peers, and in many ways, this makes our actions similar to the actions of terrorists. We were not provoked into war, and we were never threatened. Iraq could not have gone to war with America if they wanted to—they just didn’t have the resources. There are also countless stories of senseless Iraqi civilian casualties. I may not agree with Glover’s comments, but I understand the source of his anger, and the reason for his comments. I was mostly offended by Scarborough’s useless comments, and how his tiny thoughts are a symptom of what I dislike most about America in the 21st century. If I’m either for you or against you, I’m moving to Canada.
One last thing: I didn’t intend for my email to be public (I apologize for the language), though I’m flattered that Steven thought enough of my rage to post it on his site.
Sorry for the tardy response. Thank you for the brief history lesson. The poor people in South America had the native culture stolen from them in the 1500’s by Spain. The region has been in flux since then, and that is not my fault. Unlike reading about it in a book, I was there in the 80’s as a DELTA force operator, and I had a chance to meet the people. I was pleased to have a chance to help them learn about techniqes that would help them to eliminate the people that forced them to grow narcotics to sell to the stupid in our own country to fund the war they were waging against civilization. Was I a terrorist? No.I was helping people that just wanted to be left alone to grow meager subsatnice to feed the family. The people I met would much rather of been growing food to feed the kids, but that got them killed. We prvided the knowlege and the means for those fine people to forge there own destiny. The poor folks in central Asia, I have met them too. They had the culture stolen by the Macidoinians long before you and I were born. I helped them too. When I was a boy, we had civil defense shelters. We had air raid drills in the school. The fact that you did not do these things, would tell me that we won that war. I fell vindicated. I have been shot, I have killed people to defend the freedoms and the way of life that you take for granted. That would tell me that I did not labor in vain.
The lessons of history are clear. If you are not strong, if you are not forcefull, all that you hold dear will be taken from you. It is wrong, but it is real.
The freedoms you have were not free. I have seen the price. In the eyes of the down trodden, and in the eyes of my codre as we tried to help them. I do realize that I will never make you understand, as due to my sacrifice, and the sufferings of many, you will not endure or experience what we have. That in itself is victory, and the highest form of praise. When you are ready to abandon the land of the free and the home of the brave, please advise, and I will gladly help you pack up your vile goods that this evil system has provided you.