[lbo-talk] Tillman and the real GI

[Brad Mayer]

"Yet Pat Tillman is in no way the typical face of the dead U.S. soldier.
In fact, like so much of Bush's global conquest, this is a bloody lie.
The face of the dead U.S. soldier is not a 27 year old man walking away
from millions of dollars to make "the ultimate sacrifice" The dead
soldier is far more likely to be in Iraq or Afghanistan beyond their
tour of duty. The dead soldier, chances are, was suffering from
depression and crushingly low morale in the days before their death. The
dead soldier was making $18,000 dollar a year and possibly living on
food stamps. There is a 35% chance the dead soldier is black or Latino.
While one NFL millionaire served in "Operation Enduring Occupation"
there are 37,000 non-citizens occupying Iraq alone to benefit from a new
program that allows immigrants to apply for citizenship immediately and
not wait the usual 5 years. Maybe the dead soldier was recruited in the
US Army's new number one recruitment spot: Tijuana, Mexico."

"The true face of the dead US soldier, and the growing anger of their
families, is why Commander in Chief Bush has boycotted all of their
funerals. It is why photos of flag-draped coffins had to be smuggled
out. It is why the workers who took those photos have been fired."

Off the 'evil' Counterpunch site:

A Pawn in Their Game
The Utterly Un-Lonesome Death of Pat Tillman
By DAVE ZIRIN

http://www.counterpunch.com/zirin04292004.html