Pussy
An American soldier who fled to Canada when his unit was deployed to Iraq plans to plead guilty Friday to a reduced charge of desertion, his lawyer said.
Pte. Robin Long, 25, of Boise, Idaho, faces up to three years in prison and a dishonourable discharge, civilian lawyer James Branam said Thursday.
Long fled to Canada in 2005, but his request for refugee status was denied. He was deported from British Columbia on July 15 and sent to Fort Carson, Colo. after a judge refused to grant a stay of his deportation order.
How did you like that free college education, Private?? Pussy.
how many months of combat service have you done?
Comment by skinny dude — August 22, 2008 @ 7:48 am
Apparently he’s a soldier of fortune, as long as the paycheck and free edumacation was hunky dory he was happy to wear the uniform the minute he’s required to fullfill his “Terms of service” he runs like a leftarded fella.
Canada doesn’t need anymore cowards, having three leftwing political parties ensure us a life time supply of cowards.
I’m not sure what you mean skinny dude, I was a military wife for twenty years I’ve done my time for hearth and country.
Comment by Rose — August 22, 2008 @ 9:53 am
I could respect his opposition to the war if he had had the cajones to stand up and say, “NO!” to the war and dealt with the consequences of his conscientious objection.
As it is get this pussy out of my country.
DaWG
(not to be confused with Dr Dawg)
Comment by Dumbass White Guy — August 22, 2008 @ 11:23 am
Skinny Dude - Okay, if you’re going to toss the chickenhawk meme about (gad, how fargin’ tiring is that trope) I’ll chime in - with a 24 years of wearing the uniform myself with some combat cred - the boy’s a puling whiner, who at least has wiped his snotty nose and decided to take his lumps.
And still managed to avoid going to Iraq.
And gets to wrap himself in his morally smug stance of “I only deserted because I might be a liability to my fellow soldiers” meme.
Heh.
Good riddance to bad rubbish with a childish understanding of the world.
Comment by John of Argghhh! — August 22, 2008 @ 1:40 pm
The word “pussy” almost makes it seem like you are chiding him for being afraid to go to war. If you know the statistics for war, it’s perfectly natural to be afraid of it and to do everything possible to get out of it, especially if your country is not being invaded. The only thing he’s guilty of is being deceitful in accepting military money.
Comment by FreshWater — August 22, 2008 @ 9:52 pm
While agree that only an idiot wouldn’t be afraid of something like war, I feel that a man who makes a commitment to his country and then goes back on it because he’s afraid is a goddam coward.
RG
Comment by Right Girl — August 22, 2008 @ 9:56 pm
I wonder what the reaction would be to a woman who backed out because she was afraid.
Comment by FreshWater — August 22, 2008 @ 10:11 pm
Freshwater - what great source of statistics are you citing?
Heh. Courage is defined as doing what you have to do in spite of being scared. Lack of courage is defined, among other ways, by shirking the responsibilities you signed on for - to include deserting the team of soldiers you trained with.
Mom and apple pie may get you into uniform - but it’s your buddies, and the ability to rely upon them, that get you through combat.
Pardon me if I suspect your analysis stems from a great well of experiential deficit.
Do everything possible to get out of it? What alternate universe do you live in where volunteer soldiers “do everything possible to get out of it” when it comes to being deployed? A smallish percentage of them do, certainly - witness our deserter.
Others will choose to not volunteer to deploy, preferring to wait until the rota selects them or their unit for a trip to the box.
The *worse* thing he’s being deceitful of is the betrayal of the trust of his comrades, which is the glue that binds small units together.
Oh, certainly they are probably better off without him - but you, sir, give our oath-breaker too much credit.
I won’t speak for anyone else - but if a woman soldier volunteered, and then backed out, she’s as faithless as a man. Innie or outie, your genitalia does not excuse you from the oath.
Comment by John of Argghhh! — August 22, 2008 @ 11:03 pm
John, iuf I might weigh in with a couple of comments?
The “chickenhawk” meme isn’t weakened by dismissive labelling, I’m afraid; nor is it invalidated because you, a veteran with combat experience, defend the original writer. I give your views weight (and some respect) because of your experience - however, that doesn’t increase my regard for the folks whose contempt for people in Long’s position is based on their own best guess about what they’d “do” in his position, flavoured with locker room juvenilia.
Having said that, I agree with most of what you say. Enlisting in the Armed Forces implies an absolute commitment to accept whatever role the Forces see fit to assign to you. Anyone who claims to have been surprised by a combat assignment, or who suddenly rethinks their moral framework when they find out they’re actually going to war, is an idiot, a liar, or a gambler who played the odds, lost, and are trying to get out of paying their debt.
Comment by balbulican — August 23, 2008 @ 10:53 am
Balbulican - the point regarding “chickenhawk” is that it implies you cannot have an opinion on a subject unless you are experienced in it - and is, in and of itself, dismissive labeling, is it not?
Certainly, one’s level of experience in a topic is a useful metric for evaluating what informs the opinion, but it doesn’t invalidate the opinion in and of itself - which is the usual purpose to which the term ‘chickenhawk’ is put.
Comment by John of Argghhh! — August 23, 2008 @ 11:15 am
“Balbulican - the point regarding “chickenhawk†is that it implies you cannot have an opinion on a subject unless you are experienced in it - and is, in and of itself, dismissive labeling, is it not?”
I guess there are two interpretations of the writer’s intent in the context of this discussion, John.
The suggestion that one can’t have an opinion without personal experience is, of course, absurd - neither your government nor ours would function very well if we limited ourselves in discussion of public policy matters to areas in which we ourselves had professional expertise. I’m not a soldier, an economist, or a climatologist, but I have opinions in all those areas, and an obligation as a citizen to participate in the debate on those issues.
“Skinny Dude’s” comment, however, could also be interpreted as a not-very-well phrased restatement of the “walk a mile in my shoes” idea.
Comment by balbulican — August 23, 2008 @ 11:40 am
Interstingly enough, B - the individual in question also has *zero* months of combat duty, unless I missed (entirely possible) a prior deployment.
You took my point, though - as I was thinking when I hit “submit comment” on my previous… “I shoulda mentioned howcum nobody hits up non-player sportscasters with a ‘chickenhawk’ equivalent!”
Hey - we must be setting a near-record for non-troll discussion on a post of Wendy’s… and I bet “skinny dude” never came back to appreciate it!
Comment by John of Argghhh! — August 23, 2008 @ 7:22 pm
It always seemed to me that a soldier who decided to renege on his commitment had a perfectly honourable way out; he could accept a court martial and serve whatever sentence was handed down. He’d be acknowledging to the world that he was either an idiot or a coward, but fair deuce to him if he was willing to abide by the deal he struck with the state, which includes punishment for dereliction or abandonment of duty.
As for the civility of our discussion…well, only an idiot would pick a fight with someone living in a place called Castle Aaaarrrgghh. And I may be a goddamn lefty, but I ain’t an idiot. (No, the terms are NOT synonymous.)
Comment by balbulican — August 23, 2008 @ 8:14 pm
Snerk.
Has Wendy shown you the basement?
Oh, wait - I meant *this* pic of the basement!
Comment by John of Argghhh! — August 23, 2008 @ 8:34 pm
Heh. Well, I’m EXTRA glad I was polite. Not that I normally ain’t, but still…
Comment by balbulican — August 23, 2008 @ 9:36 pm
Oh, piffle - that whole domestic violence 2nd Amendment disablement thing went a long way to keep us collectors polite.
Most ‘a youse guys ain’t worth losing the collection over…
;^ )
But I *can* give ya a hell of a history lesson down there in the Armory.
Comment by John of Argghhh! — August 23, 2008 @ 9:56 pm
The problem with epithets like “moonbat” or “wingnuts” that they don’t allow for much variation within the species.
I lived for a few years in the Arctic, and still work in Nunavut and Nunavik for about a quarter of the year. Up north, the pantry starts at the front door and extends a few hundred thousand square kilometers and your dinner is on the hoof. Hunting is shopping, not recreation. So I have no problem with anyone’s gun collection, any more than I would with a collection of hammers - to me, a gun is just a tool. On the other hand, I have big problems with the Canadian government’s various botched attempts to regulate ownership.
Comment by balbulican — August 24, 2008 @ 5:53 am
I’ll take you up on that history lesson if I’m ever in Kansas, though.
Comment by balbulican — August 24, 2008 @ 5:55 am
Around here, of late, other than executing criminal pieces of paper for he sin of having targets printed on them, the hunting has been of coyotes, who have discovered that Castle Argghhh! is the coyote-equivalent of a KFC drive-through.
Comment by John of Argghhh! — August 24, 2008 @ 9:33 am
Sorry to hear that. They’re getting to be a problem here (Ontario) too…it’s a boom in the deer and wild turkey (winged, not bottled) populations.
So you’re keeping our girl down there, are you?
Comment by balbulican — August 24, 2008 @ 5:19 pm
ah the “chickenhawkâ€.
There’s always some kind of label, some ways to circle something an dismiss such a simple point. When I see someone call someone a ‘pussy’, or a coward, I usually find they likely are some chickenshit that hasn’t gone to war themselves. In fact, I see it all the time.
Now if someone with some er, ‘combat cred’, wants to call them a coward, well, I’m not likely going to say much. Valid opinion.
Mainly because I might know when to shut -my- mouthy pie hole in some cases.
Comment by skinny dude — August 24, 2008 @ 9:13 pm