You Can't Make A Silk Purse From An Immoral, Illegal Occupation

To the Editor:

Several letters have been written about support for the troops. I proudly display a yellow ribbon indicating my support for our troops and the mission they serve.

There's been enough troop interviews in print and on television that clearly indicate the troops believe their mission is good and that the Iraqi people are thankful for their efforts.

So, if the troops believe their mission is good and that they are doing good, how can you protest the mission and the effort and support the troops at the same time?

Michael

Oh. You proudly display a yellow ribbon. Well, Mikey, there's nothing that makes you a better patriot than using our armed forces as a fucking fashion statement. Thumbs up, douchebag.

If you truly believe that the majority of press about this war casts our occupation of Iraq in a positive light, all it proves is that you don't get your news from a respectable variety of sources. In the end, though, that's almost secondary. Your core argument is that because the soldiers believe in their mission, that supporting the troops equates to supporting the mission. Let me assure you, Mike, that such a notion is complete horse shit.

Did you know, Mike, that it is actually illegal for active-duty troops to speak against the mission? It is also against military protocol for them to speak out against the president or his policies, since he is their Commander-in-Chief. Regardless of the legal and career consequences involved with slagging the occupation they're carrying out, though, just imagine trying to do a job that required you to risk your life on a daily basis for a cause you didn't believe in. Could you do it? Well, we don't give them an option about doing the job, so they have to find a way to spin the mission in a positive light, not just for show, but to maintain their sanity. Basically, Mike, what I'm saying is that until a soldier gets home or gets killed, you're unlikely to hear about his objections to the occupation.

If you wanted to find out the long-term viability of a large company, would you get your information from factory line-workers? Of course not. So why do you think that the best place to get an idea of the situation in Iraq is with the soldiers? Don't get me wrong; the opinion of a soldier is just as important as the opinion of any other American. It is not more important, however, nor is it ultimately qualified to serve as the basis for our foreign policy.

The real point, however, is that it doesn't matter how well we're doing in Iraq. It doesn't matter if we introduce democracy and stabalize the nation. I don't believe any of that will happen, but in doing so, it would not cause me to support the effort retroactively. This nation does not work on a policy of the cause justifying the means. It's not okay to arrest a man without charge if you find out later he was guilty. It's not okay to release neurotoxins in urban areas if it cuts down on gang violence. It's not okay for our leaders to lie and manipulate evidence to raise support for the illegal occupation of a sovereign nation even if it spreads democracy. We have to hold our leaders accountable and insist they put their service to the people of this nation first and foremost by being honest and following the law.

You can use the word "mission" all you want Mikey. It's more honest than "war", but it's still a euphamism for "occupation". I protest this occupation because it was begun on lies and bad intelligence, it is being used to grant dangerous levels of autonomy to our executive branch, it damages our credibility on a global scale, and it hinders the viable struggle against radical Islam while simultaneously increasing the influence of radical Christians here. The thing is, none of those things have anything to do with individual soldiers. They are simply doing the job we ask of them, and we need them to be willing to do that. It is not their fault that have been ill used, and I hope and pray for their safe return home. Maybe the difference is, I support the troops as human beings, while your version of supporting troops sacrifices them for your own sense of nationalism.