Who supports the troops
By Libby
Let's ask a soldier who is fighting there. G'Kar, the new milblogger at Obsidian Wings has this to say.
I think that nails it. Instead of pointless sniping at opponents of the occupation, the pro-administration defense team should be taking a hard look at just what they're advocating. Supporting ill-advised policies is not the same as the supporting the men and women who are forced to follow them.
Let's ask a soldier who is fighting there. G'Kar, the new milblogger at Obsidian Wings has this to say.
I have no use for the support of people who uncritically assume that, since we're at war, it's their duty to support it in order to help the troops. History is replete with examples of troops getting the shaft during wartime, and the only way to protect them against that is through critical thought. You can oppose the war without opposing the troops; people do that every day. I would much prefer the support of people who have examined the war, found it wanting, and seek to bring me home than those who will continue mindlessly beating the war drum regardless of the circumstances on the ground. (Please note that my own position on the war remains one of principled uncertainty.)
The sooner people realize that critical thinking is an asset rather than a liability, the better off we will all be.
I think that nails it. Instead of pointless sniping at opponents of the occupation, the pro-administration defense team should be taking a hard look at just what they're advocating. Supporting ill-advised policies is not the same as the supporting the men and women who are forced to follow them.
Labels: Bush Administration, Iraq, policy
posted by Libby Spencer at 3:38 PM
7 Comments:
I agree with you that it is possible to support the troops while questioning the mission.
However --- in the meantime --- could the Left quit showing their support of the troops by shutting down, vandalizing, and attacking Military Recruiting Stations?
Because there simply is no way to spin that as "Supporting the troops".
Robbie, I completely disapprove of that particular civil disobedience. For one thing I don't approve of vandalism for any reason and for another, it totally flies in the face of free speech. I think they have the right to demonstrate outside of the building in protest of using the troops badly in an unnecessary war but I don't condone the storming of the offices or the attempt to shut them down. The military has the right to exist and is necessary for our defense.
Whoever these people are, I'm embarrassed that they're associated with the left. I don't think they're representative of most of us although I have to admit I think they are a far larger group than the usual fringe element on either side.
Supporting the troops while disavowing the war and BY disavowing the war is a no brainer - but only to those who have a brain.
The right will never admit to it, the ignorant and uneducated don't know HOW to think about it and half of Americans are too busy watching the Simpsons to care anyway.
There is an enormous amount of energy put out here in these liberal blogs, but for the most part only other liberal bloggers ever read it so much of that energy is wasted. Seriously, besides Daily Kos, Huff and a couple of others, how many are ever quoted in the press? How many liberal blogs appear on the right wing bloggers blogroll?
Are we just ranting back and forth to each other about these things?
Brian - to some extent yes we just railing to each other but you never know when you'll get through to the average Jake. In today's media environment, generating the volume is what gets the big liberal bloggers quoted.
I support the troops while exercising caution in opposing the war. Why? My daughter is an officer serving in Iraq right now (third deployment). I keep a low profile to protect her from any number of things that can go wrong, i.e. prejudice against women in the military, a career compromised by an anti-war family member, even fragging.
No doubt, the war is illegal. It was predicated on lies and deceptions. The administration has broken laws, broken international treaties, and violated major portions of the U.S. Constitution.
Regrettably Nancy Pelosi took the impeachment option off the table, and there is no political will to bring this rogue administration to justice.
I comment here and elsewhere as a semi-fictional character called "swampcracker." It is the only way to express my views while protecting my daughter.
That's a sad state of affairs, but I think you're right in being anonymous. I've had threats against me back when I wrote under my own name, but you won't hear the "conservatives" who want me to take responsibility for the things someone else did at a recruiting office somewhere, taking responsibility for that -- or for anything else that happens as a result of their rhetoric.
It's just another offensive tactic to put us on the defensive.
No matter what - they've always got a story to bark about or a straw man to burn so that you won't notice the millions dead or homeless or maimed and a whole generation of Iraqis doomed to misery that they are responsible for.
Why the hell should we apologize to pirates or profiteers or war mongers or the killers and torturers of women and children?
The left my ass - this isn't about social policy or economics, it's not about conservatism or progressivism, it's about stopping an enormous crime and the people who support it will never be able to apologize enough in this world.
Sorry my cable has been down all day so I didn't chime in but I think you two have said everything worth saying already.
Post a Comment
<< Home