Accused GI Was a Major Wacko

The NYT reports that Steven D. Green, the former Army private who is accused of raping a 14 year-old Iraqi girl and killing her with her family was all sorts of effed up and crazy before enlisting in the service.

I know some of the right wing demagogues are going to want to burn the Times to the ground for reporting on this guy's unfortunate, troubled past, but it's an outstanding example of what's truly wrong with this war. So many of our soldiers are undereducated and have very little prospects for success in their hometowns, so they join the army as a last resort, as a ticket out of poverty. While it's an honorable pursuit, it does say something about the way our country looks at its national defense: we leave it to our poor, to our least-educated, and then expect them to behave responsibly when they're herded off like cattle to one of the most unnecessary wars in our nation's history.

In the meantime, President Bush is supporting Israel's attacks on Lebanon, saying every country has the right to defend itself against attack. That's all fine and good, so we should get ourselves out of Iraq and knock on Iran and North Korea's doors. Oh, Saudi Arabia should be paid a visit, too.