NationStates Jolt Archive

I was just listening to this song for about the millionth time, and with all the controversy going on about the ongoing war, I thought it might be a good idea to pass on the rather powerful sentiment of "This Is War" by Smile Empty Soul.

i'm just a normal man
i wouldn't hurt nothing at all
but here we are

our leaders have a plan
i'd only kill if it's for them
now here we are

i drove in a car and flew in a plane
to come to your house and kick your door in
now it's down to this, it's just you and me
i'll blow your fucking head off for my country

i go to church and tithe
i go to work in a suit and tie
but this is war
i'm really not sure why
but the tv says that you are wrong
now here we are

[chorus]

my feet hurt from the sand
but still i march on gun in hand
cause this is war
this isn't what i planned
i wanted to be so much more
but this is war

[chorus]

Indeed.

Indeed.


finally a response. thank you!

Powerful sentiment my @$$, its pointless crap that applies to nothing.

I think it's quite ironic that no one really knows how this war is supposed to solve anything. I mean, responding to killing with more killing? It doesn't seem logical.

I think it's quite ironic that no one really knows how this war is supposed to solve anything. I mean, responding to killing with more killing? It doesn't seem logical.

So I guess the Second World War wasn't logical. Yeah, we probably should've stayed out of that one too.

Which war are you talking about? There are quite a few going on in the world today you know. That is why most anti-war songs are pointless. War can not be summed up or analyzed or by any song. If an artist wants to make a point about a specific war they should spend the time to come up with a song that actually deals with that war, not some generic crap.

I think it's quite ironic that no one really knows how this war is supposed to solve anything. I mean, responding to killing with more killing? It doesn't seem logical.
It has nothing to do with logic. Sometimes you ahve to do what is best. Sometimes fighting is the best option.

I think it's quite ironic that no one really knows how this war is supposed to solve anything. I mean, responding to killing with more killing? It doesn't seem logical.

That's a good song but it kind of oversimplifies the war in this context. The greater good of the world needs to be put before the good of the individual. And that oversimplifies my point too. Ah well.

The assumption is that the killers will continue to kill despite whatever sanctions are placed upon them. Therefore, the only way to stop the killers is to kill them. It sucks, but some people are just messed up in the head.

So I guess the Second World War wasn't logical. Yeah, we probably should've stayed out of that one too.

Great, now this is going to turn into some little bitchfight...or not.

Look, in case you can't tell, I'm against war. I'll support the poor guys who were sent over there to die for us, but I won't support the cause.

Besides, WWII was under vastly different circumstances.

Personally, if we needed to send troops over, we needed to at least send them after the group who took credit for the attack, instead of Dubya finishing what his father started. (Afghanistan was supposedly the origin of the attack, not Iraq. Explanation, anyone?)

Apparently no one is getting the point that I was originally trying to make.

Neither side seems to know why we are fighting. They were just told that the other is wrong. That's all I was trying to say.

The Man He Killed, by Thomas Hardy

"Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!

"But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him and he at me,
And killed him in his place.

"I shot him dead because –
Because he was my foe,
Just so – my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although

"He thought he'd 'list perhaps,
Off-hand like – just as I –
Was out of work – had sold his traps –
No other reason why.

"Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown."

This will only be a bitchfight if you want it to be, AFS. I can't speak for the Iraqis, but I feel Bush has adequately explained his rationale for America going to war. I don't agree with everything he's said, and I don't imagine anyone here does. However, the good that can come from the action we are taking now greatly outweighs the negative, or the good from not invading. That is why we are fighting. As for the Iraqis, I imagine some were fighting out of a patriotic sense of duty and others fought because they were/their family was threatened with death.

How can you support soldiers without supporting their mission? Simply put, you can't. The purpose of a soldier is to fulfill a mission. By illegitimatizing that mission, you illegitimatize the soldier.

Hitler and Saddam both slaughtered their own people, and both threatened their neighbors against the explicit declarations of the world community. The scenarios, if not our reasons for entering the conflict, are very similar.

Iraq had ties with numerous terrorist groups including Hezbollah. If our goal truly is to defeat global terror, we must attack it wherever it is found, and not focus on just one group.

This will only be a bitchfight if you want it to be, AFS. I can't speak for the Iraqis, but I feel Bush has adequately explained his rationale for America going to war. I don't agree with everything he's said, and I don't imagine anyone here does. However, the good that can come from the action we are taking now greatly outweighs the negative, or the good from not invading. That is why we are fighting. As for the Iraqis, I imagine some were fighting out of a patriotic sense of duty and others fought because they were/their family was threatened with death.

How can you support soldiers without supporting their mission? Simply put, you can't. The purpose of a soldier is to fulfill a mission. By illegitimatizing that mission, you illegitimatize the soldier.

Hitler and Saddam both slaughtered their own people, and both threatened their neighbors against the explicit declarations of the world community. The scenarios, if not our reasons for entering the conflict, are very similar.

Iraq had ties with numerous terrorist groups including Hezbollah. If our goal truly is to defeat global terror, we must attack it wherever it is found, and not focus on just one group.


I really think the terror thing has been completely blown out of proportion. Of course, that might be because I've been listening to too much George Carlin.

Terrorism probably is being blown out of proportion. I mean, it was only like 3,000 people who died at the WTC, right? I agree that the US is totally overreacting.

You support a soldier by hoping that they don't get killed and a family doesnt get devastated.

That's great, but the purpose of a soldier is to serve, and if need be, die. Yeah, it's sad, but it's a risk they take upon joining the military.

Music? What is this, how you say, music?

The Man He Killed, by Thomas Hardy

"Had he and I but met
By some old ancient inn,
We should have sat us down to wet
Right many a nipperkin!

"But ranged as infantry,
And staring face to face,
I shot at him and he at me,
And killed him in his place.

"I shot him dead because –
Because he was my foe,
Just so – my foe of course he was;
That's clear enough; although

"He thought he'd 'list perhaps,
Off-hand like – just as I –
Was out of work – had sold his traps –
No other reason why.

"Yes; quaint and curious war is!
You shoot a fellow down
You'd treat if met where any bar is,
Or help to half-a-crown."
Now see, I'm not the type of person who would sit down in a bar with the type of people that kill innocents. I don't know about you, but somehow the poem just doesn't fit anymore.

Oh, and oddly enough, I seriously doubt any of the band members in SES have been in anything remotely approching the military, just a tiny hunch.

So which war are you talking about again? As I said, there are quite a few going on in the world today.

Maybe Iraq? Alright lets say you were talking about Iraq.

Apparently no one is getting the point that I was originally trying to make.

Neither side seems to know why we are fighting. They were just told that the other is wrong. That's all I was trying to say.

So you were trying to lie? Ok I got it now.

We were told the other side is wrong and we were told why. But you know I guess rampant human rights abuses, illegally selling, torturing his citizens, using biological weapons on his own people, mass graves and over all not being a nice person. I guess those reasons alone aren't good enough for you?

Alright, lets through in the pretense and deliberate dodging and scraping by and faking out the UN in weapon inspection procedures. Or that Saddam should of been knocked out in the first Gulf War?

When all is said and done in Iraq it may be a failure and it may be a success. If it fails fine. If it succeeds we'll have created a free nation of Iraq. I'm not enough of a snob to think American lives are worth more than Iraqi lives. After all our people die in Iraq, Iraqis die in Iraq, but more died by Saddams hands than die now in our War.

Amen.

Music has always made a point about war. In the past it was up-beat songs to keep the war effort and soldiers moral up. Then after Vietnam, when wars were being fought for the wrong reasons, wars of attrition and wars that were just wrong, music has always played a huge part in many of the movements to try to bring awareness to the public.

My favorite...

Click (http://www.stephaniesworld.com/80_s_-_Jackson_Browne_-_Lives_in_the_Balance.mp3)

http://users.telenet.be/eforum/emoticons4u/violent/sterb132.gif