Decorated Iraq War Veteran Aaron Hughes to Return Military Medals at Anti-NATO Protest

DemocracyNow.org - Veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will join thousands of protesters this Sunday at the NATO summit in Chicago. We speak to Iraq Veterans Against the War's Aaron Hughes, who's among a number of Afghanistan and Iraq war vets planning to return their medals of honor to visiting NATO generals. "[Veterans] have to live with the failed policy of the global war on terror on a daily basis," Hughes says. "What have we been doing in this decade-long war? There is a real moral disconnect between that the idea that our military can build a democracy and the idea that our military is trained and designed to control, dominate and kill people ... Occupations do not build democracies. Occupations do not extend individuals' freedoms. The movements of the Arab Spring, that was building democracy. The movements of Gandhi, of civil rights in this country, people's movements, that's what extends democracy."

To watch the complete daily, independent news hour, read the transcript, download the podcast, and for more information, visit http://www.democracynow.org/

FOLLOW DEMOCRACY NOW! ONLINE:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/democracynow
Twitter: @democracynow
Subscribe on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/democracynow
Listen on SoundCloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/democracy-now
Daily Email News Digest: http://www.democracynow.org/subscribe

Please consider supporting independent media by making a donation to Democracy Now! today, visit http://www.democracynow.org/donate/YT

• Category

  News & Politics

[thedelta88]

I was 18 days away from my 18th birthday on 9/11. I was very young but I knew that whatever we did about it would be a load of bullshit. I begged everyone I knew not to be taken by the patriotic horseshit and I like to think maybe someone who would have gone didn't because of me, but I'll never know. Our high school was crawling with recruiters and everyone who signed up is now either fucked up is someway or an aggressive cop here in town, which is also fucked up.

[poohORpoe]

“Military men are just dumb, stupid animals to be used as pawns in foreign policy.”

― Henry Kissinger

It's patriots like Aaron Hughes who admit what we are doing to the world and ourselves that will be arrested in Chigaco, dragged off and pawned some more.

[earblock ॐ]

another real hero .

[Orion Maybs]

Serve your country with pride. The few the proud.Fuck that propaganda bullshit

[thedelta88]

and what the fuck did I complain about? I said exactly what happened.

[thedelta88]

ya I made this comment 7 months ago I didn't even know what you are talking about. ok I'm a bad apple. you win.

[MM38084]

What is the VA?...Wow you have no clue......Before you complain learn what you are complaining about. You are a good example of a bad apple.....Just saying.

[thedelta88]

what is the VA? i'm a sad example of what? your comment doesn't make sense.

[MM38084]

Dude.....You are a sad example......You are young and have no idea what is going on at the VA......I am 100%

[jordon moe]

What an fucking pussy serve your country with pride

[Kristina Stukalenko]

@Russiangirlny1 The hijackers flew into those towers because in their twisted minds killing thousands of us would strike against the American empire. Bush senior did not get incinerated, honest people , innocents like you and I were the ones that were killed. And you want to give lunatics like them a pretext to the same in the future?