But they support the troops
Whenever I hear a progressive soul declare, “I support the troops,” I’m instantly skeptical.
In most cases, I’m not buying what they’re selling. Every time I hear that phrase, it sounds like an inadvertent revelation of true feeling — sort of like when somebody says, “I have lots of black friends.” You hear that, you can almost always be sure it’ll be immediately followed by some bigoted remark.
It’s possible to both support the troops and oppose their current mission in Iraq, of course. A childhood friend of mine, a well-regarded screenwriter, can be caustic about the Bush administration’s conduct of the war, but he’s genuinely supportive of military people. He’s a veteran himself, and understands the value and purpose of a well-trained military.
But when the N.C. Bankers Association announced plans to sponsor a parade in Raleigh this past weekend, a flurry of letters to the editor of the News & Observer made clear that many people simply can’t abide what the military is, and does. There was this declaration, for instance:
Is this a salute to our troops or a salute to our violent capability and an opportunity to promote violence to our youth? … Showing off our killing machines doesn’t strike me as a way to entertain the community.
Ma’am, if you subtract the “violent capability” that is the U.S. military from the world altogether, is it a better place? Ask any Kosovar or any non-Taliban Afghan — or for that matter, any European old enough to remember the Second World War — and get back to me.
Then there was this:
The upcoming Salute to our Troops is right out of the playbook of the German military leaders of the 1930s, designed to build support for an ever-increasing militarization of the nation to be financed by the taxpayers.
Forget about the noxious equating of the military with Nazi storm troopers; this guy may not have understood that civilians (specifically, bankers) organized the parade as a thank-you to military families. But I’m being generous here. He probably did know that, and didn’t care. The military is evil, you see, and strict adherence to fact is a luxury when you’re fighting evil.
Want more? Try this one:
Eager to deflect growing discontent with the Iraq War, the military was happy to answer the call when the bankers put forth a plan to host what can only be called a celebration of war.
Oh, please. If firemen drive their trucks in a parade, can it “only be called” a celebration of fire?
This stuff is not just nonsense. It’s fatuous, hysterical nonsense.
April 28th, 2008 at 1:37 pm
That’s a pretty sweeping (and inaccurate, I might add) statement regarding progressives and the military. I hate the wars we are currently involved in, but what on earth does that have to do with the soldiers? I totally blame this administration for the debacle, not the men and women who are just doing their jobs.
Your character assessments sound like they came straight off Fox News. Perhaps you should ask an actual progressive what they think. I believe you will find that most are angry with the ‘President’ not the troops.
May 2nd, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Folks with a more reasoned and balanced progressive perspective about our military are out there (see Sheila above).
But you know what they say, people who send letters to the editor (or call in to their local talk radio show) represent the lunatic fringe. We (I mean “They”) are compelled to share their enlightened perspective on the subject of the day whether anybody wants to hear it or not.
Maybe it’s lonliness and desperation. That’s freaking sad. Hell, if your kids or spouse ignore you, and the bank teller and Piggly Wiggly clerk go on break when they see me (I mean the poor saps) coming, then somebody’s gotta take up the slack. We all need love - or at least somebody to nod in feigned interest while we ramble on and on and on…
That’s why you’re my best buddy Dan! I’m bunking with you dude. I’m tired of eating government cheese and livin’ in a van down by the river. Get the cleaning woman to give the guest room the once-over! You got cable in there, right?
But why don’t you return my calls? That’s not very friendly! I got a Chinese Checker board and a buttload of dirty limerics to share with ya’! Have you heard There was an old blogger named Dan…?
You out there Dan? Hello?
Why does this always happen to me?
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:45 pm
There is an old blogger named Dan.
Who’s attention I seem to demand.
Dear Mr. Gearino.
Your columns are keeno!
Please call me. I’m your Number 1 Fan.
Here’s one that keeps the profilers at FBI headquarters in Quantico up at night:
I don’t care. I don’t care.
It’s your fault my life sucks. I don’t care.
My dog makes me do bad things.
I like to watch stuff burn.
I don’t care. I don’t care.
Gearino rocks.
He’s mine! Stay away from him!
I mean it!
I don’t care.
This stuff is probably a little disjointed and off-the wall for Raleigh-Durham. I bet it’d play big in Purgatory though.