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FYL, #49/50, for being disrespectful to a veteran of any nation.

OP, thank you for serving your country. :) I'm sorry that an ignorant/senile/rude old woman did something like that to you. You should be proud of what you have done, and I hope this experience doesn't mar it for you.

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I and those veteran who came out clean and spoke on media against the Afghan war speak for humanity. And you and this guy with medals talk about so called respect. Go eat it!

Do any of you even know what the Taleban do? Every year hundreds of woman cover themselves in petrol and set alight to it, trying to kill themselves, as it is the only way to escape from the arrange marriages forced on them by the people we are fighting against. This may not be the entire reason we started the war, but it is definitely why we should continue it. Every soldier who dies valiantly in combat will save the lives of thousands of men, woman and children who choose not to follow every single word in the K'oran.

And anyway, the Afghan war is way more justified than the Falklands war, and you never hear people insulting that one, do you? (doesn't apply to non-Brits)

You speak for humanity? Then speak out and denounce evils that are done, not specifically insulting the people who go to stop it. I am not naive, I am sure that cruelties have been committed by soldiers on all sides- American, Canadian, British, Australian, Taliban alike, and the others who flock to the banner of ANY war.

What gives you the right to speak out and denounce one side before any others and claim you are speaking for humanity?

Our soldiers are fighting a greater evil. They are fighting a self-inflicted genocide, by a regime that is headed by crueler, bloodthirstier men than our Presidents or Prime Ministers. They are fighting dictators who have no check-and-balance system, who drive some of their own women to suicide and tell their children to strap themselves with bombs.

How dare you claim to speak for humanity?

You don't speak for me, dipshit. I don't agree with everything the military-- mine, right now, especially-- has done and I don't believe patriotism is not questioning the military. I do believe that it takes courage to risk your life every day you go to work, though. I do believe that people in the military have done deeply admirable things throughout history, and that they deserve to be acknowledged for standing up the face of inexcusable evil and saying, "No." They (and their families) have paid serious dues. You can wank on the internet all you like, but don't say you speak for me. You don't.

more justifiable than the falklands war, you are joking arent you??? the falklands war was fought by the british to protect a british land, with british people living there, who didnt want to be argentinian, but british, and the afghan war is being fought to prevent terrorism and to protect western nations against extremist faggots, and to make life better for the locals in afghanistan, but the falklands war was much more important than the war in afghanistan will ever be, for a start the taliban arent even a uniformed armed forces, so the western countries will never win as the rules of engagement forbid us from descending to the talibans level.

The OP isn't saying that we should all respect him for being an Afghan war veteran. But it's standard practice to wear your medals at a military service of any kind and he's saying f his life because the old woman started yelling at him and calling him a liar during

But the REAL question is: Was he actually lying?

he was DOING his JOB. I don't recall any soldiers approaching their political leaders and saying "oh, btw, could we go to war in Afghanistan plz?"

Actually....In Canada, our forces in Afghanistan are made up of militia, to the tune of 20 to 30% in each and every Roto. These part time soldiers do everything from being in infantry sections, quick reaction force, provincial reconstruction teams, to police mentoring. Not only are they all volunteers to wear a uniform, but each and every one of them has volunteered for Afghanistan. Militia cannot be ordered to war, they must volunteer. They do not have to go, but they do, in droves. Im not sure of the casualty rates for militia, but several dozen have been killed or wounded. So...yeah, they actually DID say: Send me to Afghanistan...please!

Do you even know what the TALIBAN is? You're an idiot if you think the 'Taliban' and 'Islam' are the same thing. Illiterate warmonger.

Agreed. Old bitch needs what's coming to her.

(Directed at #56)
I'm confused as to how you're relating the Taliban to marital affairs in other nations. And are you referring to the ancient practice in which women by choice set themselves alight on their husband's funeral pyre? Because I hardly see why we should wage a war over cultural differences. Although I would believe you if you were referring to a small number who are forced to do this, it's not some pandemic.

that being said, thank you for the service you've done for America. Although I may not support the war itself, I still believe that you and all the other soldiers overseas today are American Heroes.

hear hear

yea if i was there i would put her on a plane and throw her out in afganistan(wrong spelling don't judge) and watch her get shot.

i agree and fuck that old ass and her closeminded ness i hope she gets capped in her old wrinkly ass witha glock. FUCK!

The OP is obviously young so the old woman probably assumed the medals belonged to one of his elders, most likely grandfather. I doubt the OP would refer to his grandmother as "an old widow".

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I don't. Australias involment in Afganistan is ridiculous. We're only there because Howard would lick the shit from Bush's asshole.

WOW, you are an idiot. Australian troops are still in afghanistan, and last time i checked Kevin Rudd is the current PM of Australia and Obama is the President of the US.

Bush is gone, you idiot.
catch up on current events smartass.

Congratulations on not only having incredibly flawed logic, but also lacking the capacity to keep up on current events!

Well I know who the current leaders are, but Howard wouldn't have sent the troops there if Bush hadn't asked him too. I can only hope Rudd isn't so easily influenced and removes the troops as per his election promise. Although Rudd's current handling of the refugee situation isn't a good indication of his future leadership.

Perhaps I shouldn't have used such harsh language, but I truly believe that Australian troops have absolutely no role in Afganistan.

maisie2, learn a thing or two. Rudd is in charge of Australia now, and he is still sending troops into Afghanistan. I know a guy over there right now, and one of my friends is deploying in January.

Unlike Iraq, most people think Afghanistan is a worthy war. They threw the first punch, so to say, by flying planes into buildings on foreign soil and killing thousands of innocent people. Last I checked that is a pretty legitimate reason to go to war. WW1 was started over the assassination of a prince, so I think a war on the Taliban over the deaths of thousands of innocents is legitimate. And we are the US's allies, allies help each other during wars.

Most of the Australian troops over there at the moment are part of Reconstruction Task Forces and are helping to train the new Afghan military and helping them get back on their feet and run their own country. Our soldiers did not ask to be sent to war, they are doing their job. So shut your face and stop being so disrespectful to people who are only doing their job, and risking their life to do so.

In australia? Probably the only afghan vet in the whole country.

there might have been other afghan vets there, but who's to say they served with him and know who he is??

My cousin is an Afghanistan Vet you prick

One 'o' short of WIN!
Thanks, OP.

So fucking awesome.

I think you're reading too much into this. The OP is obviously young so the old woman assumed they belonged to one of his elders, she wasn't his grandmother or thought that she was.

#21 isn't saying she was his grandmother, just that the medals may have looked like something people from her generation (husband, brother, etc.) received after coming back from a war. And since the OP IS likely young... his grandfather or someone would likely be from that same generation.

Not only does Canada have an army, we also have a navy and an air force. Google "Vimy Ridge" for some information on what Canadians did to aid in the creation of Remembrance day. My grandfather (Canadian) fought in WWII in the air force and there are Canadians over in the middle east right now. But I do suppose your country fought for your right to be ignorant if you choose.

Canada lost over 60,000 men in WWI. Yes, it has an army. It just doesn't cause news worthy scenes.

#33, don't forget WWI and the Korean War, and the Cold War/nuclear arms race.

#28, the Canadian army has a long history in fighting in major wars and going on peacekeeping missions. Just because we don't invade other countries to steal their oil and dispose of their leaders doesn't mean we don't have an army.

Way I understand it, Canada has one of the most advanced armed forces in the world. I don't know if it's true, but I believe it. Remember Katrina? Canadian rescue workers were there before American!

78 I can't even fathom how completely fucking stupid you are, or who would sell you that line of bullshit.

Oh, please, fathom. Irony = lost?

Not only do they have and army, but these badasses are in it!

http://steynian.files.wordpress.com/2008/09/lumberjack-commandos.jpg

(That is CADPAT on the helmet, isn't it?)

They look to be Assault Pioneers...the beard says so anyways.

He's Australian.

In Australia veterans wear their medals on one side while grandsons or relatives representing a veteran wear the medals on the other side, this old woman thought he was supposed to wear the medals on the representing a veteran side of his chest.

Are you kidding me? Think too highly of themselves? It wasn't the vets choice to go to Afghanistan or anywhere else they may have been deployed, but it was their choice to selflessly enlist in the Armed Forces, which is HIGHLY commendable. I'd like to see you even attempt to do the same. DOUCHEBAG.

OP- Thank you for selflessly fighting to protect the Freedom which many take for granted.

We went to Afghanistan to destroy a corrupt theocracy that didn't let women have any rights, killed homosexuals on principal, drafted children to be suicide bombers, and was one of the most opressive regimes in recent memory.

OP - thanks for serving. From one vet to another.

What #55 said, and also to build schools for children, help repair irrigation and farming equipment damaged by Taliban attacks, and working with village leaders to root out terrorists.

Seriously, before you act like an asshole at least learn a little bit about what is going on in Afghanistan first.

Uh, we're using our army right now in Afghanistan. We've been there since 2001. The government has announced they're going to start pulling the Armed Forces out, but they won't be gone until 2011.

Before that, we were doing NATO missions all over the world and various peacekeeping/human rights missions. Before that was the Gulf war, the Cold War, and the Korean War, and then WWII and WWI.

Pardon? We (Canada) has participated in more conflicts than your country lol. Just between the Korean war, and the Afghan war, we participated in 57 seperate conflict operations, mostly under UN auspices. The reason you do not hear of this, is becasue your media does not report it. The major difference between our armies is not the amount they are used, its the how and why. Our military is used becasue we are asked by other countries to intervene, not for *Canadian interest*. We go to the places without oil, and without industry, or without exports. We go becasue we are needed, and becasue we are asked. Then we come home. I personally havnt served in almost 20 years, but the lads today do just as much good as the lads in my day, and I'm proud of them.

same here. and if people want to talk shit, let 'em.

Err... heads up, now that he IS president, you don't exactly get a choice in the matter of "accepting him" as your president or not. He's the president, grow a pair and live with it.

As to "he sure as hell isn't my president", read above.


Also, how the HELL can Obama be putting the US into a worse crisis than Bush managed? Please, explain.

Headboarder - I trust you were also against the people who proudly rejected Bush as their president.

Also, Obama seems to be steering towards a possible huge debt crisis and is looking at restricting individual liberties even further - but other than that, he isn't really doing anything different from Bush on the 'crisis' front. Not that he isn't doing any good things, but that's not what your question was.

OP: You have my respect for restraining from tearing her a new one - either figuratively or literally. I know several soldiers who wouldn't have kept as composed as you evidently were. Thanks for your service, and stay safe.

You would be correct. While I don't believe Bush was a good president, he was still elected twice by the nation and that would make him the president, whether some people liked it or not.

Hear hear!

My ex is from canada and he says Canada doesn't have an army. it's called a "peace force". I'd say someone could invade them and nothing would happen... except no one really wants canadians as citizens.

Your Ex is talking out his hat. It is not and has never been called a peace force, ever. It is the army madam, and this army defeated yours when your country invaded us....twice. We have also done more of the heavy lifting in Afghanistan than any other army. Stop watching Fox Noise, propaganda is not information, or history.

Dunno if this is the same everywhere, but I know some people wear medals on the opposite side if they belonged to a family member/ancestor rather than the person themself. So it's possible it is true and the woman thought that he was wearing an ancestor's medals on the wrong side, as I believe was said in the original post?

In Canada (and some other Commonwealth nations), you wear your own gongs on the left breast, but many also wear their fathers/grandfathers gongs on the right breast as a show of respect. What I do is wear mine on the left, and my dads (WWII) and granddads (WWI) on the right on the inside of my jacket....no one needs to see em, so I don't display em.

Thanks for the clarification people, but the OP stated they were his medals...

Right...which would place them on the left hand side. The old bird was complaining that they were not on the right hand side, being his granddads...so from her (wrong) perspective they were on the wrong side.

Just to let you know, I am one of those morons. You really do make some valid arguments, especially for countries such as the U.S. or the U.K. There are also wars of conquest, and wars to extend opression, and wars for genicide. In this I agree with you. However, there are other countries, and other armies. I was personally involved in 3 conflicts. One was in Namibia, where we went into a mess, and left with them being a free democratic country, with a security force capable of protecting themselves. One was Cyprus, where we stood between the Greeks and Turks and prevented them from killing each other. The last was Bosnia, where we protected civilians of all three sides, from genocide. In none of these cases was there any benefit whatsoever to my country (Canada). There was no oil, no resources, no industry to speak of. We went becasue we were asked, and we were needed. The OP served in Afghanistan with the Australian army. There is no benefit for Oz in being there either. The reason his country, and mine have forces there, is for the following reasons: Women who vote, have their fingers cut off. Little girls are punished for the crime of going to school by having acid thrown in their faces. Women who are raped, are killed after...because they allowed themselves to be raped. And becasue teenaged boys are conned into wearing suicide vests and blowing up countless innocent people. If you think this is moronic of us to try and stop, really, I can only pity you. Yes, people like myself, and the OP put ourselves into harms way, but no greater love hath he then that lay down his life for his brother. I have not served in Afghanistan...too old now. But I honour and respect the OP for doing what I can no longer do. He isnt a moron.

bookman 796, that is one of the best arguments for being in Afghanistan that I have heard. My government (English) has tried to convince us we should be there for years, and failed. What you wrote was perfect. Thank you. My respect to you and all soldiers, especially The Commonwealth ones who gave so much for so little thanks during WWII.

120# You obviously are a selfish prick who hates their country