August 15th, 2009 §
Back before the Pennsylvania primaries, I interviewed Bill Cahir, then running in the Democratic primary for Pennsylvania’s 5th District Congressional seat. He was a thoughtful, eloquent candidate, sharing his positions on media consolidation and making a case for single-payer health care as well as elaborating on the best way for the US to get out of Iraq.
Bill Cahir was killed in Afghanistan on Thursday, according to the Washington Post.
Cahir had to get an age deferment to join up with the Marines after September 11, 2001, but he felt that it was the right thing to do. When we spoke, he was still trying to do the best thing for America, and he died still serving his country. He would have made an excellent congressman, and I truly had hoped that he would run for office again.
Before signing up with the Marines, Cahir was a journalist, and he returned to reporting after his tour of duty in Iraq, before deciding to run for Congress. I stumbled across the news story by accident today while fact-checking a piece for the Nation and it brought me up short: I have several friends who’ve served in Iraq and Afghanistan, but no one (thank whatever you believe in) has yet been killed. I only spoke to Cahir once, but it brought the war back home to me.
Every death in Afghanistan and Iraq is tragic and unnecessary, and Cahir’s is sadly not out of the ordinary. My interview with him is here, if you’re interested.
October 25th, 2008 §
Watching this movie on OnDemand while I’m doing my reading–in other words, not paying a whole ton of attention. I’m not sure how historically accurate it’s supposed to be, but the Cuban Missile Crisis is kind of fascinating in any case. (Plus, I can indulge my weird historico-crush on Bobby Kennedy.)
What’s really crazy is to think about, say, the current administration in a situation like that. We’d be screwed–they’d have bombed first, and probably not survived long enough to ask questions later. Even with McCain’s famous temper and willingness to joke about bombing Iran…
I wonder how many people, put in that situation, would’ve managed to extract us from it in one piece? I’m not one for mindless JFK-hero worship, but it is fairly interesting to note that whether or not this movie’s accurate in the degree of resistance received from the military brass, there were definitely people who wanted to bomb, to invade, to do the kind of shit we’ve done in Iraq.
Of course, now we just go after countries without nuclear weapons, and without superpower backing.
May 26th, 2008 §
US Casualties in Iraq: 4082.
Total US Wounded: 29,978.
Total suffering PTSD and other mental health problems: Unknowable, probably everyone who’s been there.
Iraqi Civilian Deaths: Unknown, documented estimates between 84,050 and 91,713.
It’s time to stop fighting within the Democratic Party or more broadly, the American Left and come together to elect a president opposed to this war, as well as senators, representatives, governors and the rest who are opposed to this war. This is bigger than whether or not the media likes one candidate better. Real people are dying.
And just to note: John McCain was one of three senators not there to vote for the Webb GI Bill. One of the other two was Ted Kennedy, and we know where he was. I don’t know where McCain was, but considering that Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are still actively campaigning and McCain’s got his primary in the bag, his ass should’ve been there. Even if it was to vote against it, he’d at least be on the record. This is what’s at stake, people. Look at it.
