# Why should I thank the troops in Iraq? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [May 2, 2009, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075 "2009-05-02T09:36:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/81 "2009-05-03T05:45:31Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > You thank the troops because they volunteered to serve their country. > > If you don’t like the war they’re serving in, blame that on the politicians who sent them there not the troops themselves. Word. I have a cousin over there right now – he’s going to miss seeing his brother – an Iraqi vet himself – get married later this month. We keep in touch with him on Facebook, but I’m still… His brother, C.B., missed our grandmother’s funeral. (In fact, my aunt and uncle didn’t even tell him she died until he came home, because they didn’t want to distract him, and potentially endanger himself.) So for those of you who ARE religious, please, keep our family in your prayers. And if I’m not mistaken, isn’t **AirmanDoors** over there now? Both of my grandfathers are WWII vets, and all of my great-uncles are vets of either WWII, or Korea. (My maternal grandfather looked especially handsome in uniform. My mother has his dog tags in our cedar chest.) > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > Like, for example, not being an American or Christian. So we support a dictator over them, or drop cluster bombs on them, or drag them off to be tortured. Wow…just…wow. Because that totally reflects on people like my cousin. Go screw a pile of festering roadkill, you degenerate SOB. People like you make me sick. If anything, you are the Ann Coulter of the left. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/82 "2009-05-03T06:37:37Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > So what will the troops be doing when they are back then? > > I’m a little concerned at how a large group of testosterone-fuelled, raghead-hating young males are going to react to the inactivity of not being in a war zone. Let’s hope it’s not a long, hot summer! I know the thread turned away from this but I wanted to revisit. Ivan you do realize that the individual soldiers have not been here for 6 years right? British troops have drawn down considerably since 2003 (45,000 during the invasion, around 4000 until recently). Most of the Brits I have dealt with have been here on 6 month rotations. And for the last few years the British sector has been relatively quiet. The Brits turned over control to the Iraqis a while ago and have been training and support instead. I bet more were having a problem with being bored rather than testosterone-fuelled. So your entire post is invalid. The troops that were in the worst of the fighting were home years ago. So how were the previous summers? ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/83 "2009-05-03T07:04:35Z")
> [@Tristan](#): > > Close, but not quite. Der Trihs believes that the Iraq War is bad because we are doing it. Yeah, and I hate our freedoms too ! :rolleyes: I think the Iraq war is bad because it’s a war of conquest where we slaughtered thousands for no good reason, tortured people, and left their country in ruins. It reflects on us, because WE ARE THE ONES AT FAULT. I’d oppose it no matter who did it. > [@Tristan](#): > > Also, he will soon stop responding to this thread, as folks begin to attack him, which is his MO. Get folks riled up, then leave. Actually, I get tired of the threats of violence and the lies. Two of the favorite things of patriots. > [@SSG\_Schwartz](#): > > I guess you don’t read many of his posts. That is ok with me. There are thousands of posters and only so much time to read them. For the Record, **Der Trihs** , is a moron. Winning WWII to him was a mistake as was the conquest of the Americas. Oh ? And when have I ever said we should have lost WWII ? Not that I really expected a good patriot like you to feel confined by anything like honesty. As for the conquest of the Americas, of course it was wrong. It was genocide and land theft. > [@Guinastasia](#): > > Wow…just…wow. Because that totally reflects on people like my cousin. If he’s in Iraq, of course it does. He’s part of an occupying force in a country we devastated in a war of conquest. I see no reason to regard him as any better than any other such thug throughout history. Do you think the German soldiers didn’t have cousins in WWII ? ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/84 "2009-05-03T12:13:15Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Not to mention all the guys driving supply trucks, doing paperwork, cooking, and doing all of the other basic things that go on when a military is stationed somewhere. Are THEY all a bunch of “thugs in uniform” too? From my point of view (I toyed with that concept when I considered filing for conscious objector - France used to have mandatory military service. Thankfully, that ended one year before I turned 18), yes. It’s aiding and abetting the real thugs, meaning it’s both nefarious AND cowardly. ---
**Author:** ![Estilicon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/848f3c/32.png) [@Estilicon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Estilicon)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/85 "2009-05-03T12:55:28Z")
Stop using World War II as an example. It happened 60 years ago. Over the last couple of decades (Korea, Vietnam, Granada, Cuba, Panama, Irak, etc), your soldiers have invaded several countries all of them orders of magnitude less powerful than yours. There, with impunity, you’ve killed lots and lots of persons people, most of them civilians Individually I am sure that your soldiers are great parents and husbands, but taken colectively they are a nothing more than hired killers. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/86 "2009-05-03T14:28:49Z")
> [@bump](#): > > The general idea is: > > 1. The government of a representative democracy and the actions of that government are a proxy for the will of the people. > > 2. The military of the nation deserves a certain measure of gratitude for being willing to put themselves in harm’s way on behalf of the nation… This is why I was thinking the headlines should have said “Sorry.” ---
**Author:** ![Olentzero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/90ced4/32.png) [@Olentzero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Olentzero)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/87 "2009-05-03T15:10:58Z")
> [@bump](#): > > [Soldiers] can disobey orders and end up in Leavenworth or Portsmouth Not necessarily! Sgt. Matthis Chiroux, one of the more notable refusal cases, went to court martial on April 20 for refusal to deploy and received a [general discharge](http://ivaw.org/node/5048) - he didn’t even get his GI Bill benefits taken away. What this tells me is that even the military is beginning to see the argument that this war is unjust, if not illegal, as not without merit. Sgt. Chiroux is a soldier I would personally thank (and have, as a matter of fact - OK, it’s Facebook, but work with me here) for standing up for what’s really right. In fact, for public record, I’ll do it here, too. Thank you, Sgt. Chiroux. Thank you for standing up and doing your duty as a thinking, reasoning human being. > [@](#): > > _but to expect a significant portion of the forces to do so is both stupid and unrealistic._ They did in Vietnam, and that without the benefit of relatively high-profile cases like Sgt. Chiroux’. No reason to think this time is any different. ---
**Author:** ![Jettboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/85e7bf/32.png) [@Jettboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jettboy)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/88 "2009-05-03T15:49:14Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > Invalid comparison. Being a person in military uniform and being placed in a situation (that you do not have control over) where you may have to kill or be killed, and then live with the consequences, is pretty unique to the military (and to police, etc to a lesser degree). I think the comparison is quite valid. The U.S. military is all _volunteer_; no one is _forced_ into their shitty job where they might get shot; not cops, not soldiers, not cabbies and not convenience store clerks. Whether their motivation is Queen and Country, Mom’s apple pie and 'Merican _freedom_, or just the desire to make an honest living doesn’t make any difference. It’s a job. Lots of people do a risky job that has some benefit to society on a daily basis, but they’re not seen as Golden Defenders of Liberty when they punch the timeclock. For what it’s worth, I come from four generations of Squids; my brother was in the Navy, my dad was in the Navy, my grandpa, his father…almost every male in my family except me and a few others served in the Navy. It’s an informal tradition in my family. Great-grandpa, East Texas dirt farmer, was drafted; grandpa thought sure as shit that Hitler or Hirohito was going to invade US soil and he didn’t want to fight 'em off from the rooftop with his hunting rifle. Dad needed a trade, my brother and every other Texas white trash kid from my family just thought it would be the best way to see the world on somebody else’s dime. To a man, none of them managed to delude himself into thinking he was joining to “defend freedom” or “fight for liberty” or any of the other bullshit slogans being tossed around. Despite their modest educations, most of them were, and _are_,able to see patriotism as the hogwash that it is; just do the job they signed on for without perverting it into some grand and noble ‘calling’. Men and women in the military deserve the same respect and consideration that I give to _anyone_ who has a shitty, and potentially lethal, job; no more and certainly no less. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/89 "2009-05-03T17:38:04Z")
Tell me, **Der Trihs** , are you one of those people who spits on Vietnam vets? Because you sure as shit sound like one. Not all soldiers are either shining knights, or Nazi thugs. Not everything is so black and white, as you always paint it. I’m against the war in Iraq (as are, believe it or not, my aunt and uncle!). But goddammit, stop blaming the fucking troops on the ground! Put the blame squarely where it belongs, and stop painting everyone with the same brush. You’re no better than assholes who claim that all liberals are communists, or that Planned Parenthood kills babies. You’re a moronic asshole, who assumes that everyone who isn’t with you is against you. I too would have preferred we go into Afghanistan after Bin Laden. But what’s done is done, and blaming all of the troops is just being a goddamned dickhead who likes to sit around and make judgements, much like those he claims to judge. As I said, you are the Ann Coulter of the Left. And I’m embarassed to be on the same branch, politically, as you. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/90 "2009-05-03T17:42:18Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > Tell me, **Der Trihs** , are you one of those people who spits on Vietnam vets?.. **Der Trish** actually exists. He is not an urban legend recycled and revomited year after year. So, no. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/91 "2009-05-03T17:53:54Z")
> [@Estilicon](#): > > Do you realize that there is a difference between defending your country and attacking another one? > Besides, in case of an invasion, every citizen has the duty to defend their country, not just the professional soldiers. > You begin with patriotism and you end up killing babies. But then there is the other side of it. In the US, the last time we fought an unpopular war, people took it out on the troops. I think that after Vietnam a lot of people felt bad for giving shit to a bunch of kids who were no more in favor of the war than anyone else. Hence, the collective wisdom became even if we don’t like the war, don’t blame the soldiers who are after all getting shot and killed. I would argue that that sentiment has now swung too far in the other direction, and that the situation isn’t analogous seeing that there is no draft. But that is the reason, imho, why there is such a prevalence of troop adulation. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/92 "2009-05-03T18:06:39Z")
> [@Rand\_Rover](#): > > I like when these threads come along and give Der Trihs a chance to remind everyone that he is a complete waste of organs. Not if he’s keeping them in good shape for future transplant recipients. Just thought DT needed someone to say something good on his behalf! ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/93 "2009-05-03T18:14:16Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > **Der Trish** actually exists. Rub it in, why don’tcha? ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/94 "2009-05-03T18:29:32Z")
I see the “thank the troops” sloganeering as political. It’s an attempt to manipulate people into accepting an insinuation that the Iraq mess protected us from something. “Thanks” carries an implication that anything as done on our behalf. It was not. I’m sorry they had to go there. I’m sorry they got lied to and screwed by the last administration. I’m glad they’re coming back, but I don’t need to _thank_ them for anything. I derived no benefit or protection from the invasion and occupation of Iraq. ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/95 "2009-05-03T18:31:40Z")
> [@MichaelQReilly](#): > > But then there is the other side of it. In the US, the last time we fought an unpopular war, people took it out on the troops. I think that after Vietnam a lot of people felt bad for giving shit to a bunch of kids who were no more in favor of the war than anyone else. Hence, the collective wisdom became even if we don’t like the war, don’t blame the soldiers who are after all getting shot and killed. Well put. I _really_ disagree with the war in Iraq, but I believe that the troops are doing the best they can in a bad situation they have little control over. I deeply appreciate the bravery of people who are doing a job that I would not (could not) do. I’ll go one step farther and say that I feel the same way about police officers and firemen. Yes, all of these people get paid to do their jobs, but they are dangerous jobs that are there to protect me. I could not do those jobs, and I appreciate how hard it is and thank them when I get the chance. If I’m in a restaurant (fast food or otherwise) or coffee house and I see a soldier, fireman, or police officer I will pay for their order. This has happened most often for me in the drive-thru of Starbucks so I never actually get to talk to the person, but I always hope it makes them feel appreciated. So, thank you troops. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/96 "2009-05-03T18:42:45Z")
What did Iraq protect you from? ---
**Author:** ![Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bb73d2/32.png) [@Sleeps\_With\_Butterflies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleeps_With_Butterflies)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/97 "2009-05-03T18:46:16Z")
Did you miss the part where I said I disagree with Iraq? ---
**Author:** ![Bruce\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/22d042/32.png) [@Bruce\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bruce_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/98 "2009-05-03T18:50:16Z")
> [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](#): > > I see the “thank the troops” sloganeering as political. It’s an attempt to manipulate people into accepting an insinuation that the Iraq mess protected us from something. “Thanks” carries an implication that anything as done on our behalf. It was not. I’m sorry they had to go there. I’m sorry they got lied to and screwed by the last administration. I’m glad they’re coming back, but I don’t need to _thank_ them for anything. I derived no benefit or protection from the invasion and occupation of Iraq. Thats a very honest and well thought out response. I would thank troops. I’ve known a few and they never raped anyone. They had a dubious job to do. Even if we shouldn’t have been there in the first place, they still put their asses on the line. They are still American soldiers and one day the mission may not be so murky. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/99 "2009-05-03T18:59:59Z")
> [@elucidator](#): > > **Der Trish** actually exists. He is not an urban legend recycled and revomited year after year. So, no. No shit. However, considering it’s **Der Trihs** , and if he’s not actually a troll from the right, trying to make liberals look bad, I certainly wouldn’t put it past him. He’s certainly doing it metaphorically. A lot of vets came back from Vietnam and got screwed, if not spat on. But that doesn’t mean they were assholes. Just because we don’t have to worship them and support the whole political bullshit doesn’t mean we have to consider them murderers either. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2009, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075/100 "2009-05-03T19:00:14Z")
I’ll welcome them back. I’ll buy them a beer. I’ll be friendly and sympathetic. It’s only the specific feeling of _gratitude_ that doesn’t seem warranted to me, at least not for Iraq vets. Maybe WWII vets. Something was actually on the line for that one. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-should-i-thank-the-troops-in-iraq/495075.md?page=6)