Chickenhawks.

[unhappycamper]

http://www.ivaw.org/node/1942




Chickenhawks.
by Justin C. Cliburn | Mon, 10/22/2007 - 8:33pm

I walked into my Political Theory class last January and immediately noticed Matt sitting at a desk with a familiar, satisfied smile on his face. I didn't know Matt, but I knew that smirk. I couldn't place it, made a mental note, and moved on.

April came and the semester was almost over. Before the period began one morning, a few students were discussing when they had first registered to vote, a rousing discussion in a poli sci class, I guess. Matt was standing with his hands in pockets and, looking directly at me, said with great gusto, "I remember the day my registration card came in the mail, and it said Republican." He stood there, staring at me with that same satisfied smirk on his face. After what seemed like an eternity of silence he asked (more like indicted), "You're a Democrat, aren't you?" Then it hit me; I had seen that smirk before . . . on the face of George W. Bush.

Matt and I got along fairly well in that class, mostly because I didn't speak too much about the war as it didn't come up in conversation very often. I heard him speaking to others about the war and listened from a distance as he pretended to know everything it. I laughed to myself as he talked about how honorable military service is; if it were so honorable, why was he in my college classroom and not living on Pad 15 at Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq, I thought. Even though I saw these contradictions, I let him have his fun for the most part and kept to myself, but every time I have seen him since, I immediately think to myself "Chickenhawk."

Fast forward to the Fall semester and we again have a political science class together. We've gone toe to toe in debating the war and I've laughed in his face as he cites his source for how great the situation on the ground is: one of my comrades whose job in Iraq was to escort the Colonel the four miles from the palace on Camp Victory to a palace in the Green Zone three days a week. After dropping the Colonel off, his big decisions were whether he should eat at Michael's Restaurant; go to the food court; or swim at Liberty Pool. Decisions; decisions. We've agreed to disagree in the end, but I always come away thinking of him more and more as a chickenhawk who thinks that supporting pre-emptive strikes and hawkish policies makes up for his fat, rosy cheeks and complete lack of aggression.

So, you can imagine the spike in respect I gained for the man when I heard him refer to himself as a Chickenhawk. We were talking about fantasy football and comparing team names, which are half the fun of creating a team. My fantasy football team's name is and always has been "Arrogant Americans." It's self-depracating and somewhat of a political statement, but, most of all, I find it funny. "My name has always been The Chickenhawks." Matt said with that smirk on his face. I almost choked on my gum I laughed so hard. "I appreciate the fact that you can poke fun at yourself, man." I said with a smile on my face.

"What do you mean?" the Chickenhawk replied.

"What is a Chickenhawk?" a woman asked from the peanut gallery.

"It's a funny-looking animal with a funny name; there was a cartoon about one." Matt answered her with a stern determination in his voice.

". . . or it's what you call someone who supports war and the military but is too afraid to ever serve in one himself." I added.

"I've never heard that!" was his immediate, adamant reply.

"It's true, man; look it up." I told him in between laughs.

His face was now as red as ever and he looked angrier than I had ever seen him.

"It's just a stupid cartoon named Foghorn Leghorn; that's all it is!" he said, seemingly trying to convince himself that the irony was all a fluke. I had to go and politely excused myself, but I still laugh to myself every time I see his red and embarrassed face in his mind. Each time I see that arrogant, "Dubya" smirk on his face, I'll think of the "Chickenhawk" face and die laughing at the sweet irony that I couldn't have scripted any better myself.

Arrogant Americans versus The Chickenhawks sounds like it could be an intrasquad scrimmage, but, sadly, only one of the coaches would appreciate the satire.



http://www.ivaw.org/node/1942

[BrklynLib at work]

1. Just another indication of what "morans" they are.....and so totally out of touch with reality that

they do not even know the current meaning of "Chickenhawk"

[hobbit709]

2. They think they know everything

but in fact they are so clueless that it almost hurts to watch.