The Logic Behind Supporting Our Troops

Patriotism isn't just an act one does to show support for their country. No, it's much more than that. Showing patriotism, and in essence showing your support, means that you are giving your consent. Whether you agree with the war or not, most people would agree that the soldiers, the men and women that are over in another country fighting and dying for the glory and honor of this country, don't need to be judged, they just need our support. Well, I have to disagree.

The logic behind patriotism is quite fail proof. It's loaded with guilt and shame so if you don't show your support for the troops, you are the bad guy. Even if you are adamantly against the war and have very good reasons for that, you are expected to support the troops. If you don't you are un-American, a commie scum bag, or my favorite catch-all name, a terrorist.

So, let me see if I get this right. As a person who is against violence, against murdering innocent people, against war for profit, and against the U.S. policy of forcing democracy onto other nations, I still have to show my support for the troops or be labeled as a terrorist? I have to show my support for the men and women who in essence are being paid money to go into a foreign country and kill innocent people? This is patriotism?

It sounds more like a sneaky way to get people to support the war, not necessarily the troops.

Some of you have easily been brainwashed into believing that all Iraqis or all Pakistanis or Afghans are the bad guy. Really? So dropping bombs on an entire village and wiping entire populations out is necessary because all Iraqis/Pakistanis/Afghans are evil. Yeah, that makes sense.

Face it, your spouse, child, sibling, parent, didn't go over to another country to fight for our freedom. Our freedom has never been threatened by poverty stricken villagers in a third world country. They went over to do whatever the chain of command tells them to do, without asking any questions, so that at the end of the day their paycheck is secured. That is the bottom line. There is nothing brave about that. I do not support that.

If they weren't getting paid, they wouldn't go. Some will argue that the pay is not near enough and that they do it because they are patriotic. Patriotism is a veil for selfishness. It's nothing short of nationalism, and if we can recall back far enough, that didn't work too well for the Nazis.

If you notice in the picture above, there are two American soldiers waiting to blow a guy up in a mud brick and straw hovel. Is this not the perfect illustration of a bully? Invading a Third World country, where most people live in hovels like this, and trying to pull off the facade that we are the good guy and they are the bad guy is not only unrealistic, it is an insult to me and any other intelligent person out there.

Now, I know most people reading this will not even get this far in the article before being outraged. How dare I or anyone speak out loud against our brave American soldiers? Well, I think what I have to say needs to be said, and it needs to be said out loud and often. I may be in the minority, but I am not alone. In fact, the reason I am writing this is because of a video I saw about a guy named Dusty Smith who feels pretty much the same way I do about this. The link for the video is here. Warning, Dusty has a potty mouth.

If you watched Dusty's video then you know how I feel. Soldiers are not good role models. They are not brave. They have made some pretty poor decisions in life. It's not anything that I feel I have to support. While I don't wish any harm to them, I am not rooting for them.

Let me share a little secret with you. Here in America it is absolutely voluntary to join the military. No one shows up at your door on your eighteenth birthday and takes you from your family so that you can go join the army. That just doesn't happen here. So, no, I do not feel any kind of obligation to a person who, because of greed, lust for power, or just plain stupidity, decided to join the military. I feel bad if you come back hurt, but not sorry for you.

In other countries like Iraq, joining the military is not voluntary. Soldiers do show up at your door on your eighteenth birthday and literally take you away, by force if necessary, to join the military. For these men, I do feel sorry. They aren't fighting because they are getting paid, like American soldiers are. They are fighting because the alternative is torture and death. Compared to them, American soldiers are the most greedy, selfish, arrogant bastards that ever walked the planet.

Not all soldiers are greedy, selfish, war mongers. I mean, there have been many that have gone with the patriotic mindset and returned with open eyes. They aren't proud. They are humbled. I could give several examples, but I don't think it's a big secret that many soldiers, if not all, do not come back feeling like they accomplished much.

This article isn't intended to bash on anyone. I only want to say out loud what many are feeling but are too afraid to say. This country doesn't tolerate insubordination, too well. When our government leaders are telling you night after night, that we have to go to war and all Americans should support it, I can see why so many of us just go along with it. But you get to a point where your conscience just doesn't let you sleep at night.