The Foxhole Blogger

David Benson’s live blog from Iraq, The Foxhole Blogger, investigates the theories of war in Iraq than many people think about, here at home. He uses small witticisms to get his point across and to summarize all he has just written. I was really surprised at first reading his posts as Benson seems not really take sides for long. Most recently, he mentioned how soldiers are affected by coming to war, similar to the article we read in Rolling Stone, The Troubled Homecoming Of The Marlboro Marine. Benson wrote, “When soldiers o they leave behind a world that keeps going on without them”. I was moved by the way he portrayed the situation. I don’t think we realize how much the soldiers are really offering up by fighting. I know I would never have the strength to leave my home and fight with the prospect of losing my life at any moment. These men and women are courageous and brave.
Benson also talks a great deal about the Iraqi civilians, which I think is a great insight to something many of us are unfamiliar with. The author mentions that Iraqis have not conformed to the Western ways that we are accustomed to, but know how to fake it for reporters. He also talks about how Iraq is not suffering because of President Bush, but because of their own selfishness. The expression, “all for one and one for all” is nonexistent there. More commonly, each man is out for himself. It is too dangerous to care for the greater good as too few people follow this. The selfishness of the Iraqi people contributes more to their downfall than the constant fighting between soldiers.
Benson has a wonderful way of enlightening readers about the foreign issues in the Middle East that we have never really been introduced to. Somewhat quirky, this blog examines a different side of affairs that many people want to learn about – culture and lifestyles.