This statement was the basis for a discussion on a conservative radio talk show this morning. It’s about the most asinine thing I have ever heard. “He” said he wanted to get on top of this situation (they are "marching to Texas this weekend) before it turned out to be another Vietnam where the soldiers were spit on when they returned home. First of all, that was greatly exaggerated; like bra-burning. (I was there) In any case, to think that Cindy Sheehas would condone spitting on returning soldiers just doesn’t make sense, as her dead son was a soldier.
It is statements like this that confuse people who don’t take the time to really think about them logically. Of course you can support the troops and be against the war. The focus is on Bush, not the soldiers.
It could be demoralizing if I was fighting in Iraq and felt I was risking my life for nothing noble or good. And I know the parents who have lost their children will have a hard time living with that idea. Wars are hell and started by old men, safe in their arm chairs. We have to get out before we screw up another whole generation like we did the one that had to go to Vietnam. I remember Johnson just throwing more and more troops into the war and in the end we had to turn and run. Bush has now announced he is sending 150,000 more troops.
You know what was funny. That talk show host opened the lines and everyone that they let through disagreed with him so they stopped taking calls. It’s too late to stop this jagernaut that one lone grieving woman started. Too late. Thank god it’s happening before we lose many more thousands of soldiers, like in Vietnam.
I support the troops because they are our friends, our fellow citizens, our fellow humans, our nieces & nephews, our sons & daughters or even our mothers & fathers. They volunteered to help our country. They did not decide the policy.
If an individual goes over the line the individual is wrong but the bulk of our military are good people who care about our country.
I was in favor of giving Colin Powell the time to build a coalition to force Saddam out of power. I am against our execution of the buildup to war and the shortsightedness of the administration of what the occupation would mean. I am disgusted by their use of WMD to justify the war when the justification should have been removing a cancer. I despise the way the administration has pissed off the world at every step.
So Pro-Soldiers, pro-war but against the bone headedness that has left them in such a bad position.
To be fair, there is an awful lot of confusion on this point on all sides.
A bunch of misguided individuals have decided to protest the war at Walter Reed Hospital. This protest has at times included mock coffins. This is quite tasteless, as the patients inside the hospital frequently lost friends at the same time they were injured, and many of them suffer survivor’s guilt.
I fail to see how this sort of protest can be supported by anyone with a lick of sense.
I agree there’s no sound logical connection, and that it’s typical right-wing radio propagandist idiocy. About all you’re going to get out of “debating” this topic is a picture of the grim reality of the right-wing defense of Iraq-II. Can you handle that much stupidity?
You know, I can now understand why, after a military coup, those in power go out and murder all those who opposed them. It’s awful to feel that way. I have daydreams about Rush being secreted off to some island (like Napolean) never to be heard of again. Or Drudge dying of distortion and lying disease. I feel in my heart they are damaging my country that I love. They are ripping apart the foundation of our country by pretending that the only world that exists is a political one. Of course they are well paid so they are protected from the fallout of their venom. Rush Limbaugh is a drug addict for god’s sake and millions of people still call him up and say “mega-dittos Rush!” like they are honored to be part of that garbage. And he calls Cindy Sheehan a media whore. He is the biggest whore of all. He sold out decency for the ducats.
I think there is an important psychological defense that those who push us into these unwise and unjust wars prey upon. It is this: The people who are sent off to fight in these wars and their friends and relatives strongly want to believe that this war is the right thing for the obvious reason that they need to be able to justify their sacrifice as being worthwhile. (I don’t think anyone would dispute this; in fact, I heard a piece on NPR by a woman who had a son who died in Iraq and was strongly against Cindy Sheehan say as much.)
In my opinion, those such as our President (and some of those who support him) who to advantage of this psychological defense to build and sustain support for an unwise or unjust war are really doing something quite reprehensible and it is incumbent on us to expose them for what they are.
These are the same types that decided to pour out wine to protest the French and to burn Dixie Chicks cds because they said they didn’t like the President.
They do believe that if you see an Alec Baldwin movie that you support him and his political causes.
So if that is true, then supporting the troops means supporting the war.
Of course it’s not but some conservatives seem to have that mindset.
I suspect they’re in denial; they bought into GWB’s Iraqi WMD War on Terra Horrorshow™, and now that the evidence is piling up that it was all a big smokescreen, they’re reluctant to admit that they got duped and/or made a mistake in believing George in the first place. So they redouble their efforts to “support the President” and lash out at the critics, hoping to silence their own inner doubts about the Iraqi Grand Clusterfuckup.
I realize this is an ultra left board, and most of the posters detest anyone who disagrees with them. But a few observations.
The OP has the facts of the situation very mixed up, not a statement made is true in what was said. Wars are not started by old men in arm chairs. There were direct attacks on American interests in WWII, and in this Iraq war. We are reacting to those direct attacks.
During WWII there were Gold Star mothers on every block, and not a one protested the war that I know of. I would like to know where the money is coming from to back the ads by Cindy, are they coming from leftest interests or indirectly from the insurgents. I can think of nothing the enemy would like better than to have more and more of these sick ads on American television.
No war has been without its opposition, I think that is healthy, but to play into the hands of the foe is regrettable. The Cindy’s do not speak for the majority of American mothers who have lost their sons.
But Americans will go on fighting for our freedom and the freedom of others so you detractors will have the right to speak your minds without fear of being jailed.
In the course of my lifetime I have visited many countries, and I thank God I am an American, living in a free country. I know you don’t understand, you couldn’t.
Wow, way to go to the extreme. I think her arguments are silly and self indulgent but you just basically went straight to McCarthyism by trying to associate her with the insurgents. Why can’t she just be a misguided mother grieving her son. You’ll loose everybody from your side with this argument and then blame it on the board being too leftist. :wally
What direct attack did Saddam Hussein’s regime make on the United States?
It comes from patriots like you and me. I’m appalled at the direction that George Bush is taking my country. I think he’s doing a horrible job and damaging our interests at home and abroad. I want him to stop. Why is it so hard for you to believe that good Americans of high principle might honestly disagree with you? Why can’t you just defend your position without characterizing those who oppose you as traitors?
That’s funny. I can think of nothing the enemy would like better than for us to squander our resources and the goodwill of our allies on an unnecessary war. The Iraq war has been a marvelous recruiting tool for our enemies.
Please explain how the Iraq war is protecting my freedom of speech. Because what you say makes no sense at all.
I’ll grant that you are a patriot. What you fail to realize is that those of us on the other side are patriots as well. At some point you have to move beyond platitudes, roll your sleeves up, and take on reality. The sooner the Republican party accepts responsibility for the mess they’ve created, the sooner we can all work together to fix it.
Not just right wing. A little over a year ago The Stranger, a liberal weekly in Seattle ran an article promoting the “Support Troops/Support War” stance.
I said I felt like, not that I would do it. AND that’s the difference!! Come on now, when’s the last time you wanted to get rid of someone… if no one, not human.
There are smily restictions? Please keep us safe from those bad smilies, oh moderator, defender of the realm and slayer of vicious emoticons!
Furthermore, Contradancer made comments about wishing exile upon Rush Limbaugh and daydreaming about the death of Drudge. There is a rule against wishing death upon people in the friggin’ PIT! But you instead want me to ease up on my Nazi references? Well having those objectionable to your agenda shipped off or dead is a tactic used by the Nazis. So pardon me if I make reference to said group.
Since I have paid to use this board, I expect to be able to exercise free speech as long as I go by the rules established here. I do not think my comment was out of line or out of context and I do not apologize for it. I do not toss about the Nazi tag lightly, and when I do I do not expect to be called down for it.
Suspend me, ban me, whatever. I will tell a poster if I feel he expressed notions that are best uttered when wearing jackboots.
“Putz!” is a insult, whether it is expressed by a smilie or not. Calling people Nazis has never been allowed, and besides is rather silly unless they have invaded Poland. We do get the occaisional neo-nazi, and should we get an actual member of the Nazis here you can call them “Nazi” all you like.
You appear to be unfamilar with the rules established here, or you would have known about the Putz and Nazi rules before; the Putz smilie even is specifically mentioned in the stickies. If you DO follow the rules established on this board, you should not have trouble; if you are determined to flout them, though, you will get banned.