the war

[winterbadger]

This needs more thought than I can give it on my lunch half-hour (or the shreds I have left after eating and reading others' posts), but this quote struck me. It's from an article on the congressional primary in the NC county that's home to the US Marine Corps' Camp Lejune (and thanks to wcg for linking to the article!)

"There ain't no gray area between supporting the troops and supporting the command," said Bob Pruett, chairman of the district's Republican party, who must remain neutral in the race. "You can't go around bashing Bush and the decision to go into Iraq and also say, 'I'm supporting the troops.'"

I can't agree with that statement, and I have a fundamental problem imagining how any freedom-loving American can make it or agree with it. Our government is *elected* by us; we do not owe its members unquestioning and unthinking support. And we *can*, most definitely, support our service members and wish them the best without automatically supporting the decisions that sent them to war, the decisions that keep them there, or the men and women who made those decisions.

I have to think, and write, more about the war and related topics, but this reaction I knew I could, and had to, describe briefly.

Comments

[wcg.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I think he's full of shit too. There were plenty of Republicans who were happy to take issue with Bill Clinton during his Kosovo air war while still being supportive of the troops.

[winterbadger]

It's the constant escalation of one-upsmanship that I can't deal with. First it was "You're not patriotic if you don't agree with X" and those who didn't agree said "No, we can be patriotic and still disagree--look, here's where the Founding Fathers said that dissent *is* patriotic". Then it was "You aren't a good person because you don't support the troops", to which people are finally making the argument widely that, one can support the troops without supporting the mission. Now this crappy idea that you can't both support the troops and criticise the commander in chief. NO! This is not a Fredrickian military state! This is not North Korea!

It's just a small-minded attempt to demonise any opposition to their point of view as Evil. It's an attempt to use patriotism as a political weapon. It's not a new idea, but it's just as despicable and cowardly as it's ever been.

[onlyrobin.livejournal.com]

"You can't go around bashing Bush and the decision to go into Iraq and also say, 'I'm supporting the troops.'"


Oh yes you f'in can! I do it all the time. I hate the war. I've always hated war. But I do support those men and women that are over there fighting it. Not because I agree with it but because its their job and they don't have a choice. Its not like they wake up one morning and say, "Hey, its a sunny day outside, I think I'll fight in a meaningless war." Whatever.

I'm not going to get started, though - cause I'll go on and on and on and on. Grrrr....