Dear 2 Dinar,

As a former-Marine, I'd like to thank you for the post of 05 May 08. Ben really elucidated I feeling that I live with constantly, yet am unable to effectively communicate. Ben's line; "The guilt of being indifferent to the hundreds of opportunities available to me because they all bored me and all I wanted to do was fight" sums up a daily struggle of mine.

I was an active duty Machine Gunner for A/1/3 and left the Marines with the plan of playing football in college then going back in to be an infantry officer, but football injuries caused me to fail my physical. Now I'm stuck in law school in New England, surrounded by elitists who complain about every little thing that goes wrong, always finding a way to shift blame from themselves. All I really think about is how much I'd much rather be in Fallujah right now, back in the only culture that has ever felt comfortable to me. It's nice to know I'm not the only one who thinks this way.

It's interesting that this post came out today. I had another dream about a failed attempt to re-enlist last night. Which I'm sure had something to do with the fact 4 Marines were killed in the Anbar Province yesterday, and one of my best friends is going back to Iraq in June.

Thanks for listening.

Richard
VT

Richard,

Thanks for your letter and for sharing your story. I was a bit apprehensive about printing that last article but as I've noticed more and more of our readers are vets like us who are living fairly siloed, confused lives, I thought I'd open up the discussion of these issues a bit more.

I caught the end of the PBS "Carrier" documentary series yesterday. In the show a lot of the sailors and officers talked about getting out and going on to civilian careers. For the ones that had families, I understood. But for the rest, I badly wanted to trade places with them. It's a way of life that has no equal.

-Ben

Ben,

I just wanted to write and say kudos on 2 Dinar! Your articles are on point. "Nothing Romantic About It" hit a chord with me. You wrote, "my war experience has consumed me ever since... souring every career opportunity with disinterest." It felt so good to know that I am not the only who feels this. Here I am, college educated, a wealth of experience from my tours in OIF, and I cannot find a job that keeps my attention more than 2 months. The only solace I have found has been a return to school for a graduate degree.

Thanks and keep on writing.

Dave
Dallas, TX

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the note and the kind words, I'm glad you found 2 Dinar and it means a lot to us when other vets give feedback and help keep us pointed in the right direction.

Moving on is undeniably hard. I just stay closely linked with other Marines and vets and everyday try to channel that impatient energy into finding the lifestyle that respects and lives up to the kind of experiences we've had in the service.

-Ben

Dear Steve,

Your suggestion of a National Service draft is an excellent idea that deserves much merit. It would allow enough freedom for people to choose something they are good at and/or enjoy while also serving the general public. This is a public policy I would endorse to the fullest extent. I have myself contemplated what type of public service I could enter, and have considered becoming a JAG when I earn my Law degree, or perhaps spending some years with the Peace Corps or a similar organization after I earn my BA.

This does not seem like an unreasonable burden on the everyday citizen, it retains a generally all-volunteer army, and any self-respecting American must recognize that self-sacrifice is necessary to ensure that the American legacy will live on. I have been a long-time reader (relative to the age of the site of course) and this is easily the article that I have agreed with the most. I do have a feeling however that an amendment would be necessary to prevent the inevitable squabbles over individual civil liberties. All in all, excellent proposal, and I know I'm not the only one out there listening.

Thank you for your service to this amazing country.

Andrew

Andrew,

Thank you for your letter. We're glad that you like the idea of a national service mandate. In our view, it's about time more Americans took responsibility for the direction of our country, and service is a great place to start. Your concern over individual civil liberties is certainly one of the largest obstacles to bringing this to fruition. A solution for this may be to give service credit for volunteering, however then we really just open a loophole for exploitation. The road is difficult, and possibly impossible to traverse, but if only a thousand people give more of themselves then they ask of others this country will be better for it.

-Steve

Ben,

[In regards to your article Environmentalism = Patriotism,] I enjoyed the article and agree with most of what you wrote. I do have one point of contention with your ideas, however. While I believe it is true that Israel should be supported by the United States, I do think that both the Israelis and the Palestinian people suffer under the arrangement.

I have two questions for you and they are admittedly rhetorical: How did the modern nation of Israel come into existence and who benefits from it the most? One book that you can read that will help you figure this out is The Secret War Against the Jews, by James Loftus, another is The Sacred Executioner by Hyam Maccoby.

Just think about the long history of the Jews being used as pawns and scapegoats by those in power. In my opinion it was not for their benefit that the Jews were enticed into creating the modern nation of Israel.

Please let me know what you think about this.

Michael
USA

Hi Michael,

I agree that both the Palestinians and Israelis are suffering. However, the history of how Israel came to be- defined from any perspective- has been eclipsed by the current paradigm, and is thus irrelevant to someone in my position- serving on the front lines of American foreign policy. My concern is about the future and safety of America, and secondarily about the well being of all other peoples around the world.

Frankly, I see the only positive outcome for the US, Israelis, and Palestinians to be peace (at cost to all parties), and it's unclear to me why the US and Israelis are content with a deadly stalemate in which, as you said, both sides suffer. The Arabs in the region are looking to the US to step up and make it happen- because we are still one of the most powerful countries in the world, and because Israel's power, in many forms, comes from us. The disengagement on the Palestinian/Israeli Peace issue by our current leadership is a boon for terrorism and a self-inflicted wound that will keep bleeding.

But back to the article I wrote- I sincerely think we're halfway out of the Persian Gulf if we can create peace in Israel/Palestine. It's not going to be easy, but that's what the Dept of State gets paid for. I think...

-Ben