If you aren't reading Steve Gilliard, you should

He's got a bunch of good stuff: From yesterday, Steve's account of seeing the John F. Kennedy (aircraft carrier) end with this touching note:

I think anyone who thinks of these people as some kind of robot killing machines need to see them in action. They need to see them talk to kids and explain their jobs. Most of all, they need to see how young they are, how very young.

I have a feeling of guilt after going to the Kennedy. That somehow, we let these people down. That we didn't do enough to protect them. It was an odd feeling, but one I had all the same.

The whole vibe was creepy, kids handling guns, kids in uniform. If Bush had a consicence it would bother him to send these kids to war for a lie.

And with his usual eloquence, a rebuttal to Democrats who think that foreign policy seriousness comes from endorsing imperial wars:

Second, "security" Dems need to state the obvious: Bush's policies have failed. Thay have made the country far more dangerous than need be. By their racism and imperialism, they have made the US far less secure. The US needs a very different and cooperative military, and one with radically new weapons to meet a new threat, light infantry armies mobile in light vehicles. We need a radical rethink of how we fight wars.

You need to cut the bullshit out about National Service and the disguised draft. You aren't sending your kids to Ft. Leonard Wood under ANY circumstance you can avoid. Stop seeking to send the poor there. America has had a draft for about 43 years of it's existance. That's it. Raise the pay, lessen the impact of IRR and improve family lives and once the war is over, people will join again.

He's on the blogroll to the right there - go visit.