The Cunning Realist points us to this piece in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Profound stuff....
Interviews also show a side of Pat Tillman not widely known — a fiercely independent thinker who enlisted, fought and died in service to his country yet was critical of President Bush and opposed the war in Iraq, where he served a tour of duty. He was an avid reader whose interests ranged from history books on World War II and Winston Churchill to works of leftist Noam Chomsky, a favorite author.
Tillman read Chomsky? Christ, I have tried to read Chomsky but, it is about like reading a book of dog barking interpretations for a cat owner, sure it is probably informative but not too relevant in day to day life.
The soldier next to him testified: “I could hear the pain in his voice as he called out, ‘Cease fire, friendlies, I am Pat f—ing Tillman, dammit.” He said this over and over until he stopped,” having been hit by three bullets in the forehead, killing him.
No comment. I can say no more.
Yet other Tillman family members are less reluctant to show Tillman’s unique character, which was more complex than the public image of a gung-ho patriotic warrior. He started keeping a journal at 16 and continued the practice on the battlefield, writing in it regularly. (His journal was lost immediately after his death.) Mary Tillman said a friend of Pat’s even arranged a private meeting with Chomsky, the antiwar author, to take place after his return from Afghanistan — a meeting prevented by his death. She said that although he supported the Afghan war, believing it justified by the Sept. 11 attacks, “Pat was very critical of the whole Iraq war.”
Hmm. Just one Hmm. Reminds me of this quote.
A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.
Edward Abbey
1927 - 1989
I can think of a lot of wingers who need to read this.
But even if they did, Charlie, they would just disagree. Somehow that cheerleading Winger section is deaf to discussion. I supported going into Afghanistan. I thought it was well done, with international support (which it continues to have) and is successful enough to keep almost entirely out of the news. Problem there is that opium is their main export and the rest of the world has yet to find anything to replace it.
Somehow we read for all the details, looking for the whole picture. The Wingers seem to read for what is useful and ignore the rest. I don't understand that.