lol emotive response. Sorry, I truly didn't mean to offend you, I was simply stating what I think on the subject. If you can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the U-S of A isn't there for non-resource reasons, then go for, all the power to you, but then again, I rather dislike being disregarded by cocky military personel who say "But I made a sacrifice!!!" OK, but that was YOUR choice to go there! (not specifically the middle east but the military) and by the way, 60% of US oil is foreign imported and the middle east (mostly SA like I said) imports large amounts of that.

And no, I do not have a rank (actually, Arn't all citizens considered green recruits?) But you cannot say by your experience that there wasn't an ulterior motive by the politicians who are machining the whole war back at home. After all, If the ME is "liberated" and "Democracized", the US and the west will easilly be able to secure the RIGHTS (not the oil, the rights to a percentage of it) and secure a little more time in a catastrophically self-destructing capitalist ideology (I'm not marxist, I just wish the Government would care more for the long term).

And I feel the need to tell you but I didn't put that link there on purpose, when I copied and pasted from the web I accidentally pulled in the search browser. 

But to ease your spirit, You're fighting and humanitarian work (which you ignored in my original post, thanks, my heart-felt appreciation apparently means nothing to you) ARE courageous and self-sacrificial, so I must thank you for our continued safety and contentedness, along with the thanks several afghani's and asians must have for you and your unit saving their life. But ok, let's all insult me again!!!   Yeay!! Forums!

@Scout - I actually did join over money issues, thats why you arent taken seriously scout. You make assumptions instead of standing on facts. I grew up on 700 dollars a month for three people in a house that was built before the government made it manditory to inspect houses to insure they were up to code. I couldnt even afford sneakers from anywheres other then Walmart. So yeah just because Ive seen what the military is really like and dont agree with your uninformed views doesnt mean I like the military. I just dont outright demonize them for things that arent real. If you paid ANY attention (your fifteen and in a country where the majority of Americans dont even know their own History so I can totally understand why you seem to find it hard to pay attention in a debate that you start) to what is said youd already know I WAS in the Army, but NOT anymore. I only served for 4 years. Theres only two reasons why I would leave the Army if I like the Military so much after 4 years. Medical or the Army forced me out.

1) I left with an Honorable discharge. I also recieved a GC so I never got into trouble. Which means, I didnt get kicked out.

2) I never recieved any injuries that warranted a medical discharge. I was healthy when I left the Army.

So why would someone (according to you) who loves the military so much leave it?

Maybe because in reality I have my own personal reasons that I dont agree with the Military. Since I know intimately what is wrong with the military and what is right with it. Im in a better position to criticize them then an adolescent that hasnt even gotten through US History classes yet.

@Fallen - Where was the exclamation marks from? Your arguement got shot down so you went after something that had nothing to do with what you were accusing the US of?

Your the one that made the accusations, not me. The burden of proof is on you. You claimed the US only invaded Iraq for  the resources. You then linked stats about another country that the US DID NOT INVADE. You ask if I can prove without a reasonable doubt the US didnt invade over fuel? Are you serious? Is your arguement that weak that you wont even show how you magically *KNOW* the US is there for fuel but you think Im stupid enough to go out of my way to disprove your unfounded accusations? Come on. We both know its a weak personal opinion of yours and you cant prove it, what so ever. So just drop it.

I dont need to be thanked, thats not why I went over there. Thats not what Im looking to be. Im no hero, Im no savior. I didnt outright attack you. I just disagreed with your statment of why we were over there. My original statement said that from personal experience I never witnessed anything dealing with Oil. You then responded with an aggressive approach at showing how your opinion of why we were in Iraq was right and I somehow (even though I had firsthand knowledge of the Oil Fields status just a year ago went over your head) didnt know what I was talking about.

lol so hostile, i was actually not meaning to be mean, but k. Whatever you say. And by the way, Saudi Arabia is basically the only reliable source of oil in the ME, but not the only POTENTIAL soruce. if the recovery and prosperity of Iraq led to less dependence on the corrupt, money-extorting SA gov, the west would jump on it.

And one more point you generously skipped again, you ignored my concillatory gesture for the THIRD time. Yeah, you're certainly a keeper.

Welcome to my world. I've been a critic of this organization for maybe three years now (since I started really caring about politics and world affairs) and one thing that's remained constant is that if you ever criticise the military, you always get harassed, cursed, flamed, etc. by people who take it personally. A lot of people aren't even willing to consider the idea that the armed forces might not be all that great. (And yes, Al, I'm speaking in general terms here)

See what I mean?

And Allegiance. i'm NOT generalizing, i'm simply trying to tell you what the army is used for. True the soldiers may be virtueous, but if the leaders (politicians with an agenda) are bumbling idiots, with only their own interests at heart, the virtue present in the men disspates to nothing within the whole.

And My claims arn't baseless, look it up on the internet, check the first 10 entries on google and Wikipedia.

But ok, call me ignorant again, like you do, but please stop being a typical army grunt (or whatever you've never specified your rank) that takes offense at free speech. Yet, I've told you several times that you are an honourable, decent person, from you I've gotten insults and typical internet flaming, to bad, you initially didn't sound to ignomiously naive.

IN canada we don't have enough people or enough money to have anything better that we already have.

Nobody in their right mind would invade us there is just snow here nothing else but dang snow and cold waether. LOL