"Families"

From Neil Young's Living with War blog and site - His Families video:

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As it happens - I was with much of my extended family yesterday including a nephew who is the Marines who has a Purple Heart after having been wounded in Iraq. I mostly avoid the subject - or avoid saying what I think about it - but yesterday I did tell him and several other family members (some who knew what I thought and some that did not) that I did not think that the US was ever at risk from Iraq or that Iraq was in any way responsible for 9/11 (?) (?) (?) (?) - the main justifications for the US invasion. (Assemblage and analysis of misleading and inaccurate public statements about the invasion here).

They pretty much all acted like I was from another planet (notice that I create planets - that is one of the reasons for that - I do not share the same reality as many people who live around here). And we all knew that there was not going to be anyone who was going to change anyone's mind about it all. They have their sources that they trust - I have mine. We were all amicable about it. I figured my nephews might as well know what their liberal aunt thinks.

I think that I am probably more disturbed about nephews and the children of friends who go off to fight in this war - than many people who support the war - it's an awful thing to know that people that you love are going off to fight in such a fiasco. People such as my extended family members (my immediate family thinks more like I do) - are able to be filled with pride and self-rightousness (which is the point of propaganda, after all). So there may be comfort in that.

I am very concerned for all of the people there. Soldiers and Iraqis (or whatever country it is at the time) alike. It's a horrific, unnecessary tragedy. But it is a tragedy manufactured mostly by the United States. And as far as I'm concerned - we have nothing to be proud about.

The US government has been very successful at getting people in the Middle East to hate us. And getting people in the US to hate Arabs/Muslims. And for setting the stage for more wars and devastation.