By Flowers Bloom

Hi, I’m Flowers Bloom. I don’t understand why people want to fight with each other all the time. If we would all just give each other flowers, we could all be so much happier. Flowers are pretty, and they smell nice. That’s what we need, more flowers, and hugs. If we all just gave flowers and hugs, we wouldn’t have to fight in wars. “Hugs, not guns.” That’s what I always say.

Don’t you think that Osama bin Laden would want to be nice to us if we just had responded to him by giving him flowers and hugs? He would think we are so nice, and he would probably apologize for being mean to us.

We also shouldn’t use inflammatory words like “terrorist” and “attacked.” President Bush says that “terrorists attacked” us on September 11th. How would you feel if the President called you a terrorist, and said that you attacked his country? I would feel angry and upset if that happened.

Now what if the President had said, “I understand that you don’t feel good about how America pushes its way of life on everyone. Here are some flowers, and a hug. I’m sorry. We should try harder to get along.”

That’s not what happened though. President Bush continued the cycle of violence by invading other countries. War only makes people dead, but hugs make people feel good. You see how easy that is to figure out?

What about the golden rule? Doesn’t anyone remember that? “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Do Americans want people from other countries invading them and getting rid of the American government? I don’t. I doubt other Americans do either. So why are we doing that to the people of other countries. We should be nice to them instead, and they will be nice to us in return.

We should also have more bunnies. Bunnies are cute and soft and cuddly. Even a Mr. Tough Guy type gets all like, “Oh look at the cute little bunny. Fuzzy, soft wittle bunny wabbit. You so cute.” So how angry could Zarqawi or bin Laden be if we gave them bunnies? We could all just live in peace and harmony if we had more flowers, hugs and bunnies… And puppies and kittens too. They’re good for making people feel good too.

Let’s all give flowers, hugs, bunnies, kittens, and puppies, so we can have happiness and world peace. Think about it. You can’t hug your children with nuclear arms.

Related: Saving the World with Puppies and Kittens
Promoting Free Speech
Bloodthirsty Babykillers Slander Patriotic Americans
Global Warming and Narnia
How You Can Help Save the Planet

By Flowers Bloom

William M. Arkin writes a column on how The Troops Also Need to Support the American People in response to a report that the Troops do not support the very people who pay their salaries.

I would like to point out that I wholly support Americans exercising their First Amendment rights, even if the person doing so is a bloodthirsty mercenary in the military. I realize these young men and women are subjected to rigorous indoctrination by the Military Industrial Complex, and are also not very educated, so I am willing to tolerate it to some extent when Jack Booted thugs realize the error of their youthful ways and join the Anti-War campaign after their deployment, but this is just beyond the pale in it’s utter contempt for the rights of hardworking Americans who oppose Bush’s illegal war.

First up was 21 year old junior enlisted man Tyler Johnson, whom Engel said was frustrated about war skepticism and thinks that critics “should come over and see what it’s like firsthand before criticizing.”

“You may support or say we support the troops, but, so you’re not supporting what they do, what they’re here sweating for, what we bleed for, what we die for. It just don’t make sense to me,” Johnson said.

Next up was Staff Sergeant Manuel Sahagun, who is on his second tour in Iraq. He complained that “one thing I don’t like is when people back home say they support the troops, but they don’t support the war. If they’re going to support us, support us all the way.”

Next was Specialist Peter Manna: “If they don’t think we’re doing a good job, everything that we’ve done here is all in vain,” he said.

I find it to be a shocking and demoralizing “coincidence” that these uneducated, nearly illiterate young men have been so isolated from the sophistication and civility of American Universities that they don’t even realize that they are acting purely as tools of Chickenhawks that “Support the War” but are too cowardly to fight it, even up to and including reiterating the talking points of said Chickenhawk cowards.

I support the troops. I love the Military. I love the military when they airlift food and much needed medicine to poor, helpless people in Uganda, and I support them when they return home and joing the Veterans against the War. I love them and support them so much that I want them to return home and accomplish the goal they set when they joined the military and attend a University, subsidized by their tour of duty, and become the respectable, civil, and educated members of society that they had originally set out to be.

We pay their salaries, and this is how they repay us. We protest so that they can come home and get an education, and they treat us this way? When we indulge them in their terrible behaviors. We look the other way when the reopen the rape rooms under new management. We turn a blind eye when they burn mosques that are doing nothing more than holding multiple wedding ceremonies. We let it slide when they torture innocent civilians at Abu Ghraib and when they Murder soccer playing children in Haditha. I would expect a little gratitude.

Arkin says, “America needs to ponder what it is we really owe those in uniform.” I couldn’t agree more.

*You can’t hug your children with nuclear arms*

(H/t TAIR)
see also, Captain’s Quarters

UPDATE: The fascists are really coming out of the woodwork as a result of Mr. Arkin’s expose. He’s a true patriot, and intolerant Neanderthals on the right are calling him a traitor. He felt the need to respond with The Arrogant and Intolerant Speak Out. I think the point he’s trying to make is a legitimate one.

He never meant to insinuate that Baby Killers don’t have the right to free speech. It’s just disturbing when they exercise that right. After all, he’s but a mere journalist, yet they are the ones with the weaponry to shut him up… permanently. I fully understand, given the temperament and general disposition our military has for murdering innocent civilians, that he feels threatened by the response. I too would fear for my life if I were him.

It’s really quite discouraging seeing a person of such noble cause being attacked so viciously by right wing propagandists, exercising their courage.com behind the anonymity of a keyboard. Why don’t they exercise some real courage and enlist so that we can point out that their opinion is nothing but propaganda, and an attempt to stifle free speech? Can another Kent State be far behind?

Related: Saving the World with Puppies and Kittens
Flowers and Hugs
Promoting Free Speech
Global Warming and Narnia
How You Can Help Save the Planet

By Flowers Bloom

FIAR is otherwise engaged today, so I will be providing you with your weekly debate. I really do not comprehend the logic behind stating that visitor’s comments will lead to a Republican victory on election day. I don’t see the correlation between comments on a weblog and actual votes, but it does cause me to feel concerned by the level of hostility during this election season.

If you are unfamiliar with the rules, you can find them by perusing the blockquoted section of this posting. I do find it unusual that there need be mention of death threats.

Can’t we all just get along?