Support The Troops
I got an email yesterday. from Clay Smith, some random ass person I do not know.
If you seriously only support the troops who are against the war you are a liberal piece of shit. I hope you can sleep well in your hippy world tonight even though you know that there are men and women dying just so you can have a stupid facebook group to express your misinformed opinions. You don't have to support the war, but you're a god damned waste of life if you don't support the troops who are fighting it.
I think it would be a good idea to finally speak out about the subject of the war and how I feel about it and the troops fighting it.
I'm not a big fan of the military in general. I can't say I don't support the military, because that's not true. I see the need for a military, and I support it when it goes to war to protect our lives and our democracy (Civil War, WWII, Afghanistan, etc.)
What I don't support is that the military delibrately targets and recruits in poor neighborhoods. Much more so than in rich ones. Poor children are more likely to enlist because they want to go to college and travel, and wouldn't have the money otherwise. Then, the military sends these CHILDREN to fight in wars they might not believe in and force them to stay or risk jail time. Then the kid dies. They send poor children to their deaths for something the soldier may not believe in because they know the child wants to go to college and see the world and wouldn't be able to do it any other way.
They use bootcamp to break their spirit, and make them all think uniformly. Which is good in theory, but then that creates this thing called GROUPTHINK--if you only have people around you who believe the same things you do, it's easier to lose touch with reality. They fill them with fake patriotism. The weak-minded fall into it, some don't and want to get out. Too bad! If you do you'll go to jail. The US military is similar to a cult in a lot of ways. You do what you're told without question, you believe what we believe and if you rock the boat or try to get out...you're going to hell, you fuckers! I have NEVER been one to not question authority. It's dangerous to teach people to not question authority. That's what causes dictatorships....Hitler all freakin' over again. What did the fucking Nazi's say. "It wasn't our job to question." It's the same thing with the US military. It's a fine line we're walking, again, am I the only one who realizes how dangerous that is? Are there people who support that kind of thing?
I'm also not big on the fact that from what I understand, the military discourages one looking at "the enemy" as human. I mean, and how could we? Most of the soldiers sight of the enemy is from a thousand miles up....or from the scope of a gun. It's a like a got damn video game. That's also very dangerous. That's what causes war crimes, and rape, and killing civilians. Sure, the people that do that might be just "a few bad eggs," but the military sets the stage for it. I don't like that.
Now as for not supporting the troops. I support some of the troops. Honestly, some people love the job.....some people love the adventure of it. I don't think I would love killing people, but hey, that's not on my conscience. Some people believe in the war in Iraq, some of those people are soldiers. Of course they should be there if they support it. But, I can not in good conscience support people who fight for something they don't believe in just because they're told, or because it's their job. Hell no. I can't understand that. That's not bravery, that's fucking stupid.
The only people that need to be joining the military are people who are ok with dying. Honestly. I mean, of course not everyone dies, but it's a possibility...much more so than in everyday life. Just like I think people who do NASCAR, or any other life-threatening shit should be ok with dying, I feel the same way about the soldiers. The military personel should also, if picked to go to war or overseas, pick where they go. The US is always meddling in some shit, there's got to be tons of options. If you believe in bringing democracy to Iraq, go fucking do it. If you believe in kicking the fucking shit out of Osama Bin Laden, go for it. Of course, their also needs to be troops here, ready if we're attacked. If some shit like 9/11 goes down, we need people ready and waiting. Then, after the attack, chances are we're gonna want to go to war with the country and kick their fucking ass. That's when you take the volunteers, because some shit is going down now! What you do is you inspire respect for all human life in people. You inspire and encourage courage of conviction, and passion in people. "Al Queda killed 3,000 fucking people in one attack? Children are without parents? They don't let the women be educated in Afghanistan? FUCK THAT! I'M GONNA ENLIST!" People have to be willing to leave their families and possibly die for causes they believe in. If you're having people their who aren't willing...then you have things like Abu Ghrab. I'm personally not willing to voluntarily die for Iraq, or even Afghanistan. But anti-racism, my spiritual beliefs, my belief in freedom, one day I'll have children....would I die for those things? You bet your fucking ass I'd die for those things.
I hear people say all the time about soliders "They knew what they signed up for, so they just need to do it." Really? Do you really think these people--who live in one of the safest countries in the world, pretty much devoid of war--know what war is really like before they witness it? I would imagine war is like getting married, or having a child. It's something that nothing and no one in the world can prepare you for. Plus, they're children....like 18 a lot of the time. What the fuck do 18 year olds know about the real world? Not much. They're fresh out of freakin' high school for fucks sake, which is NOTHING like the real world. Come the fuck on, these kids have no idea what they're getting into.
And while we're at it, people really need to stop with that "Freedom isn't free" crap. Of course freedom is free--it's in the definition of the got damn word! We have a right to live, to educate ourselves, to speak as we please, to be happy, to go wherever we want. That's the difference between the Civil War and WWII, and Vietnam and Iraq. Freedom was actually at stake in the Civil War and WWII. What freedoms did Vietnam and Iraq take away from us? Freedom and Democracy is not the same thing. They do not equal each other. Freedom may free, but democracy isn't. Not all the soldiers who fight have fought to preserve our freedom, or even our democracy. To spead democracy--which is kinda imperialistic, by the way, yes. To save the US democracy from the threat of collapse? No.
Of course I support the troops when they fight to protect our freedom and our country from invasion and installation of dictatorships. Who the hell wouldn't?! But, this Iraq thing, no. I can't support that, and I can't in good conscience and logic support those soldiers who are fighting in a war they don't believe in because it's their job, or because they're afraid of jail. That's a pussy move. I don't realy understand or respect people who don't stand up for what the believe in. It's very cowardly....wow, extremely cowardly to me. Probably because I value standing up for what I believe in, and it's so important to me. Having courage of conviction regardless of the consequences, that's what matters to me. And I admire the bravery of those who do it. People who won't do that are some of the worst kinds of people in my eyes. Weak, cowardly, and gullible.
I'm well aware that this is not a popular opinion with anyone, and I don't really give a shit. I don't want people to misunderstand me though. My opinion on this is a partly emotional, and partly logical-based (what I see as logical, anyway) opinion. This is not a political belief. No liberals, conservatives, republicans, or democrats believe this. Do not let my opinions influence your opinion of liberals--which I am--because not even most liberals believe this shit. I am not a representative, don't fucking make me one. This is a Lora opinion only. What I feel in my heart and in my mind. Take it as you will.
If you seriously only support the troops who are against the war you are a liberal piece of shit. I hope you can sleep well in your hippy world tonight even though you know that there are men and women dying just so you can have a stupid facebook group to express your misinformed opinions. You don't have to support the war, but you're a god damned waste of life if you don't support the troops who are fighting it.
I think it would be a good idea to finally speak out about the subject of the war and how I feel about it and the troops fighting it.
I'm not a big fan of the military in general. I can't say I don't support the military, because that's not true. I see the need for a military, and I support it when it goes to war to protect our lives and our democracy (Civil War, WWII, Afghanistan, etc.)
What I don't support is that the military delibrately targets and recruits in poor neighborhoods. Much more so than in rich ones. Poor children are more likely to enlist because they want to go to college and travel, and wouldn't have the money otherwise. Then, the military sends these CHILDREN to fight in wars they might not believe in and force them to stay or risk jail time. Then the kid dies. They send poor children to their deaths for something the soldier may not believe in because they know the child wants to go to college and see the world and wouldn't be able to do it any other way.
They use bootcamp to break their spirit, and make them all think uniformly. Which is good in theory, but then that creates this thing called GROUPTHINK--if you only have people around you who believe the same things you do, it's easier to lose touch with reality. They fill them with fake patriotism. The weak-minded fall into it, some don't and want to get out. Too bad! If you do you'll go to jail. The US military is similar to a cult in a lot of ways. You do what you're told without question, you believe what we believe and if you rock the boat or try to get out...you're going to hell, you fuckers! I have NEVER been one to not question authority. It's dangerous to teach people to not question authority. That's what causes dictatorships....Hitler all freakin' over again. What did the fucking Nazi's say. "It wasn't our job to question." It's the same thing with the US military. It's a fine line we're walking, again, am I the only one who realizes how dangerous that is? Are there people who support that kind of thing?
I'm also not big on the fact that from what I understand, the military discourages one looking at "the enemy" as human. I mean, and how could we? Most of the soldiers sight of the enemy is from a thousand miles up....or from the scope of a gun. It's a like a got damn video game. That's also very dangerous. That's what causes war crimes, and rape, and killing civilians. Sure, the people that do that might be just "a few bad eggs," but the military sets the stage for it. I don't like that.
Now as for not supporting the troops. I support some of the troops. Honestly, some people love the job.....some people love the adventure of it. I don't think I would love killing people, but hey, that's not on my conscience. Some people believe in the war in Iraq, some of those people are soldiers. Of course they should be there if they support it. But, I can not in good conscience support people who fight for something they don't believe in just because they're told, or because it's their job. Hell no. I can't understand that. That's not bravery, that's fucking stupid.
The only people that need to be joining the military are people who are ok with dying. Honestly. I mean, of course not everyone dies, but it's a possibility...much more so than in everyday life. Just like I think people who do NASCAR, or any other life-threatening shit should be ok with dying, I feel the same way about the soldiers. The military personel should also, if picked to go to war or overseas, pick where they go. The US is always meddling in some shit, there's got to be tons of options. If you believe in bringing democracy to Iraq, go fucking do it. If you believe in kicking the fucking shit out of Osama Bin Laden, go for it. Of course, their also needs to be troops here, ready if we're attacked. If some shit like 9/11 goes down, we need people ready and waiting. Then, after the attack, chances are we're gonna want to go to war with the country and kick their fucking ass. That's when you take the volunteers, because some shit is going down now! What you do is you inspire respect for all human life in people. You inspire and encourage courage of conviction, and passion in people. "Al Queda killed 3,000 fucking people in one attack? Children are without parents? They don't let the women be educated in Afghanistan? FUCK THAT! I'M GONNA ENLIST!" People have to be willing to leave their families and possibly die for causes they believe in. If you're having people their who aren't willing...then you have things like Abu Ghrab. I'm personally not willing to voluntarily die for Iraq, or even Afghanistan. But anti-racism, my spiritual beliefs, my belief in freedom, one day I'll have children....would I die for those things? You bet your fucking ass I'd die for those things.
I hear people say all the time about soliders "They knew what they signed up for, so they just need to do it." Really? Do you really think these people--who live in one of the safest countries in the world, pretty much devoid of war--know what war is really like before they witness it? I would imagine war is like getting married, or having a child. It's something that nothing and no one in the world can prepare you for. Plus, they're children....like 18 a lot of the time. What the fuck do 18 year olds know about the real world? Not much. They're fresh out of freakin' high school for fucks sake, which is NOTHING like the real world. Come the fuck on, these kids have no idea what they're getting into.
And while we're at it, people really need to stop with that "Freedom isn't free" crap. Of course freedom is free--it's in the definition of the got damn word! We have a right to live, to educate ourselves, to speak as we please, to be happy, to go wherever we want. That's the difference between the Civil War and WWII, and Vietnam and Iraq. Freedom was actually at stake in the Civil War and WWII. What freedoms did Vietnam and Iraq take away from us? Freedom and Democracy is not the same thing. They do not equal each other. Freedom may free, but democracy isn't. Not all the soldiers who fight have fought to preserve our freedom, or even our democracy. To spead democracy--which is kinda imperialistic, by the way, yes. To save the US democracy from the threat of collapse? No.
Of course I support the troops when they fight to protect our freedom and our country from invasion and installation of dictatorships. Who the hell wouldn't?! But, this Iraq thing, no. I can't support that, and I can't in good conscience and logic support those soldiers who are fighting in a war they don't believe in because it's their job, or because they're afraid of jail. That's a pussy move. I don't realy understand or respect people who don't stand up for what the believe in. It's very cowardly....wow, extremely cowardly to me. Probably because I value standing up for what I believe in, and it's so important to me. Having courage of conviction regardless of the consequences, that's what matters to me. And I admire the bravery of those who do it. People who won't do that are some of the worst kinds of people in my eyes. Weak, cowardly, and gullible.
I'm well aware that this is not a popular opinion with anyone, and I don't really give a shit. I don't want people to misunderstand me though. My opinion on this is a partly emotional, and partly logical-based (what I see as logical, anyway) opinion. This is not a political belief. No liberals, conservatives, republicans, or democrats believe this. Do not let my opinions influence your opinion of liberals--which I am--because not even most liberals believe this shit. I am not a representative, don't fucking make me one. This is a Lora opinion only. What I feel in my heart and in my mind. Take it as you will.