Bowe Knows…

Humor me while I reminisce about the old days and one of the most remarkable athletes I have ever seen in any sport (no, not him, or him…how old do you think I am?).  Bo Jackson.  Baseball or (American) football, he was outstanding in both sports – he could have been an all-time Hall-of-Fame candidate if not for blowing out his hip and further subsequent complications.

One of the more memorable episodes of the flash of light that was Bo Jackson was a series of commercials by Nike, “Bo Knows” (if you like a heavy guitar, listen to Bo Diddley on this commercial).  In this series, the cross-training abilities of Bo are explored in numerous sports.  Bo knows them all (well, Gretzky doesn’t think so).

[amazon asin=1626361053&template=*lrc ad (left)]I know none of you come here to read about such things.  I take this opportunity to reminisce on the simpler, pre-911 days of my youth – or, let’s say, my less-aged.  The topic, as you have likely surmised from the title of this post, is Bowe Bergdahl and the controversy surrounding his release.

I will begin by stating that I have no idea of the truth of the circumstances behind his capture or release; behind any actions he may or may not have taken.  None of it.  The story is a controlled one.  But the controversy – even outrage – is based on the narrative provided, and it is this narrative that I will examine.

The feigned controversy is in regards to the trading for terrorists:

Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said he was “extremely troubled” and that “This fundamental shift in U.S. policy signals to terrorists around the world a greater incentive to take U.S. hostages”. This sentiment was repeated by Congressmen Buck McKeon and James Inhofe, who released a joint statement saying that terrorists now have a “strong incentive” to capture more soldiers.[amazon asin=B001FA0N3I&template=*lrc ad (right)]

Pretty laughable.  Like they didn’t have reason already?  Actually, this might preclude the reason they have to kill US soldiers, and capture them instead.  You would think this is a good thing.

What is the real reason for the hostility – hostility in the politicians, the media, and much of the public?  It is because Bowe knows (at least reportedly)….

Bowe knows the truth behind the US government’s foreign interventions:

The future is too good to waste on lies. And life is way too short to care for the damnation of others, as well as to spend it helping fools with their ideas that are wrong. I have seen their ideas and I am ashamed to even be american. [sic]

[amazon asin=0990463109&template=*lrc ad (left)]A soldier “ashamed to be an american” is a sin worse than death – what does this say to the countless millions who stand cheering and weeping when returning soldiers are paraded at sporting events, or when the fighter planes fly overhead at parades?  If the soldiers are ashamed, what does this say for those doing the worshipping?  Are they dupes?  No, better to be hostile.

Bowe explains that it is the brown-nosers (this is graphic enough for my blog, he writes in more graphic terms) are the ones who get promotions.  Brown-nosing soldiers?  What does this say to those 40 million back at home, playing “Call-of-Duty” while sitting in their basement in front of the HD screen, with Cheetos strewn all over the floor?

The system is wrong. I am ashamed to be an american.

There he goes again, being ashamed.

The US army is the biggest joke the world has to laugh at. It is the army of liars, backstabbers, fools, and bullies.

What?  The few, the proud (oh, that’s the other guys)?  A global force for good (nope, wrong bunch again)?  Be all you can be?  A place for liars and backstabbers?  This can’t play well on Sunday mornings.[amazon asin=B00BTI6HBS&template=*lrc ad (right)]

I am sorry for everything here.

Not only is he ashamed, now he is sorry.  Americans don’t apologize for freeing the world, Bowe.  You don’t know Diddley (I couldn’t help it).

These people need help, yet what they get is the most conceited country in the world telling them that they are nothing and that they are stupid…

Finally, something many Americans might agree with.

I am sorry for everything.

[amazon asin=B005S28ZES&template=*lrc ad (left)]Apologizing twice!

The horror that is america is disgusting.

That takes it.

No wonder America doesn’t know Bowe.

They also don’t know his father – you know, he grew a beard and everything, even learned the language of Bowe’s captors.  (Don’t tell your neighbors, but I bet he can even find Afghanistan on a map – if they knew, they would be even more upset).

His father’s reply?

OBEY YOUR CONSCIENCE!

Dear Bowe, In matters of life and death, and especially at war, it is never safe to ignore ones’ conscience.

This might actually require many Americans to look in the mirror.  What a terrorist.

Bowe knows too much; this is the source of the hostility.  Bowe exposes the truth, and therefore the exposes the corruption in American society – the corruption that makes possible the actions of the political leaders.  Bowe exposed this corruption – this is why he is hated; it has nothing to do with five for one, or encouraging terrorists.  Israel makes such trades quite often – you don’t hear any angst about this from the politicians and pundits.

Israeli prisoner exchanges refer to exchanges of prisoners during the Arab-Israeli conflict. Israel has exchanged POWs with its Arab neighbors, and has released about 7,000 Palestinian prisoners to secure freedom for 19 Israelis and to retrieve the bodies of eight others.

Bowe is the boy who shouted that the emperor has no clothes – but I wrote that lost chapter one year ago, for another American that other Americans loved to hate.  It didn’t seem right to cut and paste from the previous post.

And Bowe gave me a reason to look back fondly at Bo.  And listen to that guitar once again.

Reprinted with permission from Bionic Mosquito.