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=> Jeremy Hinzman's Frequently Asked Questions...

Jeremy Hinzman's Frequently Asked Questions...

Posted by Jeff (Guest) - Wednesday, August 25 2004, 8:26:04 (CEST) from Commercial - Windows XP - Internet Explorer Website: Website title:

...Tiglath...Farid...et. al... I think we need to create a "FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS" site similar to this one: http://www.jeremyhinzman.net/faq.html#1 .................... 1. Why did you join the Army if you never wanted to fight? 2. What is the basis of your rejection of this war? 3. What does your family think of your leaving the U.S.? 4. What made you decide to got to Canada? 5. What do you think would happen if you were to return to the U.S? 6. What if your refugee claim is unsuccessful? 7. Do you still have friends in the military? 8. Are you just using religious beliefs as an excuse? 9. Do you believe your CO application was actually lost? 10. What are your days like now? 11. Do you hate America? 12. Will you cast a ballot in the upcoming presidential election? 13. Didn't you just take the Army's money and run? 14. Is there ever a good reason to go to war? 15. Do you hope to raise your son in Canada? 16. How is living in Canada different than living in the U.S.? 1. Why did you join the Army if you never wanted to fight? I believe that you would have a hard time finding soldiers who, if they spoke honestly and in the absence of fellow soldiers to impress, would tell you that they actually yearn to fight. Granted, there are exceptions to this, but the Army is composed mostly of people who want to make a better life for themselves. The Army is aware of this and is very savvy in marketing it. In exchange for your innocence and morality, the Army provides the most socialistic environment available in the world. Literally everything about a soldier's life is subsidized. Perhaps I have a cynical view of human nature, but if one is guaranteed almost total security in their life they will take it, even if they have to exchange their autonomy. Read Erich Fromm's book Escape From Freedom, where he takes nearly 300 pages to expound upon what I have written above. This why totalitarian societies are able to emerge with the full knowledge of the citizenry involved. Most people are more than willing to sacrifice their freedom for security and piece of mind. When I enlisted in the Army, I won't deny that I was thinking in a pragmatic manner. However, just because I enlisted, I didn't abdicate my ability to evolve intellectually and morally, which I did as result of the circumstances I found myself involved in. top 2. What is the basis of your rejection of this war? I object to the Iraqi war because it is an act of aggression with no defensive basis. It has been supported by pretences that cannot withstand even elementary scrutiny. First, before the U.S. dropped the first bomb, it was quite evident that Iraq had no weapons of mass destruction. Second, the Bush administration had the gall to exploit the American public's fear of terrorists by making the absurd assertion that a secular Baathist government was working with a fundamentalist terrorist group. There was never any intelligence to substantiate this. Third, the notion that the U.S. wants to export democracy to Iraq is laughable. Democracy is by the people, not an appointed puppet theater. If the Iraqi people were to choose their own government, it is inevitable (by demographics alone) that the government would be Shia. A Shiite government would probably be quite un-open and even possibly hostile to the U.S. and its aims. It just so happens that Iraq is also the home of the second largest known reserve of oil in the world. America is notorious for its insatiable thirst for cheap oil. Perhaps I made a mistake by enlisting in the Army, but the U.S. is putting the lives of its soldiers in jeopardy in order to the line the pockets of big money. I will not get blood on my hands or put my life in danger for such an endeavor. top 3. What does your family think of your leaving the U.S.? My family, and Nga's family, have been generally supportive of our decision to come to the great white north. The notable exception is my grandfather who, although vehemently opposed to the Bush regime and its war, has notions of duty that prevent him from supporting what we have done. He takes the view that I signed a contract and I need to honor it. top 4. What made you decide to got to Canada? I vowed to my wife that I would not go to Iraq. We then had two options. The first of which was to simply refuse orders and take whatever consequences may stem form that. Those consequences would presumably include incarceration. I have already missed a large chunk of my young son's life and I wasn't willing to sacrifice anymore lost time with him, especially during his formative years. It is well known that Canada has a history of this sort of thing and, being aware of that, it presented itself as a possibly viable option. top 5. What do you think would happen if you were to return to the U.S? I would go to jail. And the U.S. does have a law that states that deserters can, in a time of war, be subject to the death penalty. Although I say it is unlikely, the Bush administration is known to set precedents, so I wouldn't put anything past them. top 6. What if your refugee claim is unsuccessful? I will appeal as many times as possible and, when those are exhausted, apply to be able to stay on compassionate and humanitarian grounds. Frankly, I don't think we will be a liability to Canadian society. We simply want to be granted some sort of status here and then sink into an a life of obscurity where we can be decent, hard working, tax paying citizens. top 7. Do you still have friends in the military? I haven't tried to contact any of my former colleagues since going AWOL. When I submitted my CO application I was fortunate to find out who my true friends were, of whom there were a few. top 8. Are you just using religious beliefs as an excuse? Should I apologize for starting to attend Quaker meetings after I enlisted in the Army? It was hard to ignore the Peace testimony that is so integral to the Quaker way of life. Although the timing may have been off, it spoke to me and my situation and made sense. The world is interconnected and violence -- for no matter what cause -- does nothing but foster more violence while taking away the humanity of its victims and turning them into mere objects. All of creation is infused with the divine, and to act violently against it is to act violently toward God. I wish I would have been privy to this before I enlisted. Just because I wasn't doesn't mean that I should have had to ignore it when it was encountered. top 9. Do you believe your CO application was actually lost? No. I believe it was deliberately suppressed for a time in the hope that I would have second thoughts and change my mind. When it was apparent that I'd do no such thing, the only way the cover their three months of inaction was to say that I never turned it in. A year later, when they returned the contents of the file, they made a humorous mistake. The original "lost" copy was included and had obviously never gone anywhere. top 10. What are your days like now? In the mornings, we usually take Liam to various playgroups in our neighborhood. In the afternoon, we alternate which one of us cooks dinner. I also try to go for a run while Liam naps. In the evening we play with our son and often go to various parts of Toronto and "people watch" to get Liam out of the house. After he goes to sleep for the night, I try to read or Nga and I watch a movie or do various other things. A great deal of this routine, or lack thereof, will probably soon change after I get a work permit and find some sort of employment. top 11. Do you hate America? No. I disagree with its current foreign policy and notion of itself as an empire. I refuse to be a pawn in enforcing this. As a nation, America has certain obligations towards other countries that we now ignore in the quest to serve our own needs. The American public needs to become aware of what a toll its collective lifestyle is inflicting upon the rest of the world. The only way it can be maintained is through the suffering and exploitation of the undeveloped world. top 12. Will you cast a ballot in the upcoming presidential election? Given our circumstances, I don't think I will be able to. If I could however, I would vote for Sen. Kerry. Not because I'm enthusiastic about his candidacy, but I see him being the lesser of two evils. top 13. Didn't you just take the Army's money and run? Should I be faulted for living a frugal lifestyle and not blowing our money on sports cars and entertainment centers? When we were at work for endless hours we would often calculate our hourly wage. It was well below the minimum wage. While I was in the Army, I worked very hard and feel that I earned every cent they paied me. We didn't simply sit in a box, doing nothing and waiting for war while being given monthly paychecks. We actually worked. top 14. Is there ever a good reason to go to war? I can empathize with a country that is acting in self defence. I don't see what it will achieve, though, other than begetting more violence. top 15. Do you hope to raise your son in Canada? I hope what we are doing is successful. A result of that would be our remaining in the country and raising our son here. top 16. How is living in Canada different than living in the U.S.? The differences are subtle and become more apparent as time progresses. The most obvious difference is how we deal with cultural diversity. America has the notion of the melting pot, where people forget about their cultures and become good little consumers. Canada has the notion of the mosaic, which celebrates diversity and the various riches that different cultures contribute to the Canadian social fabric. Also, although I hope I never have to utilize it, Canada provides a wonderful social safety net for its citizens that I have no problem paying a higher rate of taxes for. Last, but definitely not least, TIM HORTON'S! --------------------- - BACK TO INDEX - REPLY - QUOTE - EDIT - DELETE -

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