I don't support our troops.

RogerChristie · Posted: Wed Jan 25, 2006 10:22 am Post subject: I don't support our troops.

Edited by Roger Christie

JOEL STEIN:

Warriors and wusses

I DON'T SUPPORT our troops.

I'm sure I'd like the troops. They seem gutsy, young and up for anything.

And I've got no problem with other people — the ones who were for the Iraq war — supporting the troops. If you think invading Iraq was a good idea, then by all means, support away. Load up on those patriotic magnets and bracelets and other trinkets the Chinese are making money off of.

But I'm not for the war. And being against the war and saying you support the troops is one of the wussiest positions the pacifists have ever taken — and they're wussy by definition. It's as if the one lesson they took away from Vietnam wasn't to avoid foreign conflicts with no pressing national interest but to remember to throw a parade afterward.

Blindly lending support to our soldiers, I fear, will keep them overseas longer by giving soft acquiescence to the hawks who sent them there — and who might one day want to send them somewhere else.

Besides, those little yellow ribbons aren't really for the troops. They need body armor, shorter stays and a USO show by the cast of "Laguna Beach."

The real purpose of those ribbons is to ease some of the guilt we feel for voting to send them to war and then making absolutely no sacrifices ourselves.

I understand the guilt. We know we're sending recruits to do our dirty work, and we want to seem grateful.

After we've decided that we made a mistake, we don't want to blame the soldiers who were ordered to fight. Or even our representatives, who were deceived by false intelligence. And certainly not ourselves, who failed to object to a war we barely understood.

But blaming the president is a little too easy. The truth is that people who pull triggers are ultimately responsible, whether they're following orders or not.

An army of people making individual moral choices may be inefficient, but an army of people ignoring their morality is horrifying. (An army of people ignoring their morality, by the way, is also Jack Abramoff's pet name for the House of Representatives.)

I do sympathize with people who joined up to protect our country, especially after 9/11, and were tricked into fighting in Iraq. I get mad when I'm tricked into clicking on a pop-up ad, so I can only imagine how they feel.

But when you volunteer for the U.S. military, you pretty much know you're not going to be fending off invasions from Mexico and Canada. So you're willingly signing up to be a fighting tool of American imperialism, for better or worse.

I know this is all easy to say for a guy who grew up with money, did well in school and hasn't so much as served on jury duty for his country. But it's really not that easy to say because anyone remotely affiliated with the military could easily beat me up, and I'm listed in the phone book.

We shouldn't be celebrating people for doing something we don't think was a good idea. All I'm asking is that we give our returning soldiers what they need: hospitals, pensions, mental health and a safe, immediate return. But, please, no parades.

Source
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Johnny J · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 1:19 am Post subject:

Roger:

It's very heartening to see you post this article, given your background as a vet.

Recently, I went to a screening of Winter Soldier and a member of Vietnam Veterans Against the War spoke afterwards. His testimony was especially poignant as he admitted that he joined the military in support of that war, and only turned against it after he got there. It was great to see that that organization is still around, and that there is an active chapter here in Chi-Town.

It is very important for veterans with differing views to come out to state their position, to show the public that the military isn't entirely composed of people who support these crazy foreign adventures. Wouldn't it be great if the rank and file spoke as one voice to support the interests of the people, and not as a tool to line the wealthy class' pockets? It would be the end of aggressive militarism if this ever happened.

"Support the Troops" has for too long played on peoples' sense of loyalty to divert attention from real analysis.

Johnny J!! ccc

:

"Patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel."
from Stanley Kubrick's 'Paths of Glory'

**aeroplane** · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 11:52 am Post subject:

Amen, Johnny J. Cool

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indicaspice · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 3:55 pm Post subject:

Michael Allison · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:14 pm Post subject:

I don't disagree with that view 100%. I think the writer makes a point that needs making.

However, I feel terrible for the dedicated young men and women that are part of the killing machine.

I don't wanna steal JC's material, so I'll quote him:

"Forgive them, Father. They know not what they do". Sad

**Ferre** · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 6:03 pm Post subject:

The American troops today, The crusades, the Spanish inquisition in South America, which whiped out nearly the entire original population in that continent, nazi soldiers, soldiers from the old USSR, they all have/had one thing in common, They are/were paid soldiers who do not fight on their homelands on their own soil to defend their country against an invasion. They ALL fight for personal gain, using various excuses to justify this for themselves and others.

I can not have respect for those soldiers, they have brains and they enlisted themselves. every person makes choises, those troops made a very bad choise and killed (murdered) numerous innocent people and I fail to see why I should have any respect for that.

just my two cents.
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Michael Allison · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 6:22 pm Post subject:

I don't think they understand that as well as you do, Ferre.

That's the point I'm making.

They really don't know any better. Their society says they are "serving their country". Their teachers and parents and ministers all agree, too.

Very few Americans are aware of what we are really doing. Those that are aware are portrayed as "defeatist" or "unpatritotic" or worse. It's a no-win situation.

zero · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:02 pm Post subject:

I support this whole war. I think George Bush is doing a fine job as president. He only spies on the American public because he has to, to keep us safe. Besides, what were the arabs gonna do with all that oil anyways? Anyone who dies on thier side deserves it, you know they are non christians anyways. We should have the right to invade other countries, to bring democracy and currupt capitalism to every man woman and child on this earth. We are civilized and the rest of the world are savages, they need our help and guidance to learn how to teach thier children intelligent design and about jesus. If a few people die in the proccess, it was gods will. We are doing gods work, anyone who doesnt accept that is on the side of satan.

Im bieng serious. I have decided to become a born again christian and preach gods word to the heathens of the internet, to try to save you all from yourselfs. You all need jesus, and without him, you wont understand why we have to go to war with everyone.
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**Mystic Power** · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:18 pm Post subject:

Oh my god...I've also heard rumors that Brother Zero has, recently, become an Amway distributor...

Run for your lives!!

Ben
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**Ferre** · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 7:21 pm Post subject:

Hehhe zero, you're too funny. Laughing

I do understand 'the why' very well Michael, that's not hard at all to see from here, it's not that I do not understand why and how people are deceived and I have been thinking many times about this and what to think of those people who let themselves be deceived so easily and with open eyes, and who deny the truth even when others stick it on their forehead, I asked myself, does that deserve any respect?

More than half of the world population are scheeple but they can be used as a very destructive tool by those who can deceive the gullible. that's what we are witnessing, it's a shame that our world turned into this media controlled monster.
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zero · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 10:08 pm Post subject:

Stokes · Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2006 11:24 pm Post subject:

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Michael Allison · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 2:22 am Post subject:

I really needed that laugh, zero.

It's been a long day with the weight of the world on my mind, it seems, and I really needed that.

Laughing

indicaspice · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 3:41 pm Post subject:

**Ferre** · Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2006 4:11 pm Post subject: