Here's a story direct from the front by Sean-Paul of agonist.org fame. He's currently travelling the silk road, and managed to have some meaningful converation with a GI in Tashkent.

"Well, all you really need to know is that [Afghanistan] is fucked. The pockets of resistance get bigger all the time. Of course the press is obsessed with WMD, Iraq and tax-cuts. They don't give a shit about us guys bleeding in Afghanistan. Nor do the politicians. They got us into this crap and they aren't giving us the tools to fix it."

That's a salacious quote, but there's a lot more to it. We need more of this.

The following appeared in the comments today on Howard Dean's official campaign blog, and it kicks. It's apparently in reference to this story.

Dear Dr. Dean:

I know this isn't exactly on topic, but I need a place to put this.

My friend died today.

My best friend, Lance Corporal Gregory MacDonald of the United States Marine Corp died in Iraq when his vehicle overturned while rushing to aid a group of fellow Marines who were being ambushed.

I met Greg when we were both in graduate school at American University. He was studying Arabic and Near East affairs with a focus on the Palestian-Israeli conflict and Iraq.

During the entire build-up to the war in Iraq, Greg argued forcefully and logically that the case being outlined was false and not consistent with any expert opinion on the subject. He was also a man in the finest tradition the USMC has ever produced, and when called to serve with his Recon unit (one of the most dangerous positions, even for the USMC), he did not hesitate to answer the call of duty.

As a final act defiance before setting out to fight a war he knew was wrong, Greg was interviewed on the radio explaining why the President had not made his case for war. He did the interview on condition of anonymity because he did not want his fellow Marines to think he wasn't 100 percent committed to their mission.

Dr. Dean, we need you more than ever. Something is wrong with this country when our best warrior-philosophers are thrown into the cauldren of Iraq by a President who went AWOL from national guard duty. Something is wrong with this country when an actual expert on the subject of Iraq is sent to war by a cynical, unscupulous Vice President who had "other priorities" when it came his turn to serve.

I'm tired of the chickenhawks who lie while our best men pay the consequences.

Greg told me many times that he would support any candidate who stood up forcefully against this war because it was wrong and was not sold on evidence, but lies and ideology.

Greg would have supported you, Dr. Dean.

And I support you Dr. Dean, because I can think of no other way to better honor the memory of a man ten times greater than our President, even when he plays dress-up in a flight suit - unintentially mocking those who fought and died in uniform.

Thank you

Posted by SZ at June 26, 2003 10:41 PM

I've felt for some time that true stories from the front, in all their pain and gore and horror, are the ultimate antidote to the Fox News drumbeat of war. Hopefully I'll be talking to a friend of mine in the air force about this in the next few days. His story just might make it's debut here on outlandishjosh.com.

Holy bajeezus. According to the Campaign Blog the Dean campaign raised over half a million dollars since his announcement speech on monday. They also had more than 5,000 first-time contributors. I'll be breaking out the plastic to send in maybe $20 (it's what I can afford) before the 30th. Just as soon as I square the sublet rent out here. But that's pretty Amazing, 5,000 new contributors and over $500,000 total in two days. Hot stuff.

And in case you missed it, the speech was pretty inspiring. If you didn't get a chance to see it, it's the most-watched video over on c-span.org. Do yourself a favor and enjoy the prospective power of American politics for 20 minutes. Watch it.

Top of the world. Califronia is it's own animal. A land sired by ambition and conquest. It is as once both perverse and sublime. I'm already half-drunk on my return and re-uniting with my good friends. Sorry if you were expecting a personal email. I'll get to all that tomorrow.