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Iraq: A View for the Bottom

By John Zutz

My feet hurt. Every muscle and bone in my body is sore. I think even my teeth ache. My eyes are blood-shot. I've only slept 12 hours in the past four days.

But damn, I feel good.

I just spent a long weekend in Silver Spring, Maryland, near Washington DC, listening to a group of young Iraq and Afghanistan war veterans tell their version of the war. I wasn't surprised to learn that Privates, Sergeants, and even Captains points of view didn't resemble the Pentagon versions. Iraq Veterans Against the War (IVAW) has been aware of those differences and spent the weekend making sure the version from the bottom got told.

IVAW called the gathering Winter Soldier: Iraq and Afghanistan. They fashioned the hearings after the Detroit Winter Soldier event held by Vietnam Veterans Against the War (VVAW) in 1971.

The Winter Soldier name came from Thomas Paine, who wrote, urging troops to withstand the terrible winter conditions at Valley Forge, "These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman."

Have no doubt; these young men and women are patriots. Standing up in the face of the government and speaking truth to power takes courage. Holding true to the oath they swore to uphold and defend the constitution of the US is the definition of valor. Facing their personal internal demons requires a special form of bravery. If they were "summer soldiers" they would have abandoned their posts long ago.

I learned about the legacy of GI and veteran resistance. I heard how our "rules of engagement" became guidelines, and then were disregarded entirely. I listened to veterans and their families tell about the crisis in veteran health care. I learned how sexism and racism affect the troops and the occupied countries. I was informed about the cost of the occupation and the pillaging by contractors. I found out about the breakdown of the military and the future of GI and veteran resistance.

And that was just in the formal sessions.

I'm not going to try to quote statements by the participants because they are available through internet sources. The major traditional media outlets ignored the event, or minimized it, except the foreign press.

However, the hearings were streamed live as well as being broadcast over Pacifica radio and Dish TV. I'm sure the complete testimony will be available on line or on DVD soon. I recommend that everyone listen. It's over fifteen hours of testimony, but much of what is said will make an honest citizen ashamed.

Face it, the military's job is to break things and kill people. The "mission first" attitude of the military means that a humvee gets more respect than a human – even if that human is our own, but especially if he is a foreigner.

The young men and women at Winter Soldier volunteered to serve our country. They were trained to act in certain ways and to react reflexively. They were taught to believe that the enemy is sub-human. It's no surprise that nasty things happen. The peer pressure of the military hypnotizes the troops to go along.

But not everyone is drinking the Kool Aid® of good predictions that our administration is handing out. People who pay attention have noticed that the White House and the "experts" have been wrong all along.

IVAW and the people at Winter Soldier woke up. They realize the things we are doing in Iraq and Afghanistan don't align with our morals or our values. They understand that we're doing much more harm than good. They've dedicated themselves to making things better, beginning with the end of the occupation.

That's why I feel good.