"There's nothing i can do about it...

... so i don't even think about it."

This is a direct quote from a co-worker of mine. He was talking with another coworker. This is a short version:

He was approached by the mother of a fellow who is Regular Army and has just been returned to duty in Iraq. Her son had been injured over there (combat or not is unclear,) and she wanted to talk to my coworker about his feelings about the current military policy regarding Iraq and tours of duty in general. She wanted to hear his opinion speaking as a former serviceman (USN, Ret.)

She was particularly upset by today's news (see link in earlier post by Tom R.) and was taken aback by my coworker's unawareness of the news (today's and in general) concerning Iraq.

When he told her that he paid no attention to the war news, she asked why. His answer is the title line of this post.

i find his answer disarmingly honest and more than a little disconcerting.

As citizens of what purports to be the "World's Greatest Democracy," is there TRULY NOTHING we can do about such things as how the USA conducts its foreign policy?

Or, is it desirable for certain factions to have the citizenry of this nation merely BELIEVE that "there's nothing i can do about it?"

And by extension not even think about it?

-mw.

I think the only practical things your co-worker or any of us who are not in charge of an operation like Iraq can do is vote or protest. If the co-worker choses not to follow the war news that is maybe not desireable, but none of us (except the omniscient few, you know who you are)can be fully briefed on every issue we periodically elect a representative govenrment to deal with.

"Injustice results less often from malice than from willed inattention."
--Guy C. Quinlan