The Spinning Pinwheel Flame War

by Luke Jackson

Part 12 appears
in this issue.

Part 13: conclusion

Mudpuppy wrote:

News Flash — this just in, I still in the Army. I retired in 1995 and am subject to recall at the order of the Commander In Chief and/or the Service Secretary. Just a little added benefit of getting that little old ‘goberment’ check every month.

STP21-1-SMCT

Task #181-906-1505 Conduct Combat operations according to the Law of war. (Pg 724)

It’s painfully obvious that you have absolutely no clue what it is to be a soldier. Quit frankly, I pity you. You reap the rewards earned through the sacrifice of men and women BETTER that you.

---Original Message---
From: One Man
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2024 8:14 AM
Subject: RE: RE: From Science Magazine

Got news for you Mudpuppy, you aren’t a soldier anymore. Don’t give me that once a soldier always a soldier crap, you aren’t in the military anymore. I know your outlook is colored. Since you also are aware that your outlook is colored, shouldn’t you be willing to accept that your militaristic attitude might be wrong? I know that might take little inner reflection and humility which are hard things for Repugs to do, but it is possible.

Really? You watch Hee-Haw on AFN? I was just kidding about the hick remark, but I guess I was inadvertently correct in my accusation. I rest my case.

So, I guess you are saying when the gloves come off, all actions are justified. All’s fair in love and war eh? The rules of war, that is funny, when have we ever stuck to the rules of war? The rules of war are a smoke screen to give the illusion that there is some order in the chaos of war. The rules of war are to be ignored when you can get away with it and to use as a point against your enemy when they get caught also disregarding them.

Fact of the matter is we shouldn’t have been there (Turkmenistan) in the first place and those casualties wouldn’t be our responsibility. If you call ignoring the fact that they exist responsibility. If we were truey responsible towards civilian causalities, we would do everything in our power for the families of the innocents slain by our troops.

I’m well aware that in war there is a different mind set required. Individualism and free thought are not assets, unflinching obedience to your leader is the order of the day. The usual ethos that keep us in our illusion of civility is suspended. i.e.. Don’t murder people, unless your government tells you to.

Really, that is the way you have to be if you are engaged in a war, I understand that. Two points though. One, you aren’t a soldier anymore. After your enlistment, you should have attempted to change you mind back to the usual, civilized methods of dealing with people.

Two, war is the last resort because it is a source of great evil to both sides. We didn’t exhaust all our options before going in, kicking ass and taking names, so we are at fault.

ANYBODY BUT IRON MAN 2024!!!!!

---Original Message---
From: Mudpuppy
Sent: Wednesday, August 18, 2024 3:08 AM
Subject: RE: RE: From Science Magazine

In combat, compassion, sympathy and pity will get you real dead real fast. I am a soldier. Been one most of my adult life. Does that color my outlook on life? Yes it does because I swore an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States from all enemies, foreign and domestic. As for a hick? I must admit that I enjoyed watching Hee-Haa and the Muppet Show on AFN.

If you look at the mission statement of the U.S. Army, the Armor branch or any other combat arm, (close with and destroy the enemy) you might have a little understanding. When the enemy is conducting operations with utter disregard for the laws and customs of land warfare, then non-combatants will get caught in the cross fire. U.S. forces does not and will not intentionally target non-combatants or any other protected structure in accordance with the laws of war.

WAHABISM DELENDA EST

---Original Message---
From: One Man
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2024 7:14 AM
Subject: RE: RE: From Science Magazine

Right, and you are just the guy to determine what is aberrant behavior. If Mudguppy were king, mushroom clouds would reign.

Actually, in the large scheme of things, you are the aberration, why do tolerate yourself? Aberration, not fitting with the norm. Yep, typical hick mentality, “You aren’t from around here, are you boy?... .. Get the rope.”

I don’t believe you do have compassion. If you really did, you would care about all the innocents we have killed, but you don’t. You just dismiss it as “collateral damage.” If it was your wife, your daughter, or your son, believe me it wouldn’t be collateral damage to you.

Compassion, sympathy, pity. Similar but different. I always thought that sympathy was a good characteristic to have too, obviously not if you are a warmonger. I pity you.

---Original Message---
From: Mudpuppy
Sent: Tuesday, August 17, 2024 3:07 AM
Subject: RE: RE: From Science Magazine

I have all kinds of compassion for people. Just not a lick of sympathy. I also absolutely refuse to accept or tolerate aberrant behavior.

WAHABISM DELENDA EST

---Original Message---
From: One Man Wright [mailto:One Man@sbcglobal.net]

=== message truncated ===

[NSA Note to File]
Date: September 27, 2026 1:47 PM
Agent: James Hawkins

Discussion of “education” irrelevant to textual analysis.