Alright, that's it. That's quite enough. I'm tired of hearing the same craziness over and over from military people, their families, and politicians.
The line: He or she or they are "defending our freedom" by:
a. Simply being in the military
b. Serving in Iraq
That's total nonsense. No one is defending our freedom simply by serving in our bloated military, especially if it leads them to missions in places like Iraq, Haiti, and Bosnia. And no one is defending our freedom by occupying a half-assed country halfway around the world. The idea that Iraq was ever a threat to Americans' freedoms is both hilarious and revolting. The reality is that our own government is a much greater threat to our freedoms than any other entity or force on earth.
I saw yet another family of another fallen soldier talk about how he died "defending our freedoms" in Iraq. What in the hell are they thinking? What freedoms? Freedom of speech? Freedom of religion? The right to bear arms? Were the Iraqis preparing to invade America and abolish these freedoms? Was Saddam Hussein fantasizing about seizing the White House? Were such fantasies ever in danger of becoming, you know, real?
Sure, we can empathize with the rationalizations of people who have lost so much. Yet I find myself thinking that this family would do far better to keep their boys from serving in that stupid, stupid war. Protect life. It is so much more noble and heroic to honor one's life and one's future.
If you want to be a military man, then be a military man. But do it for the right reasons, and don't pretend to be doing something else.
1 comments:
I don't recall anyone arguing that Iraq was a threat, but I certainly remember some extremely articulate arguments to the effect that installing democracy in Iraq could, over the long-term, have a significant effect on reducing the growth of terrorism.
Not because Iraq itself was ever a hotbed of terrorism, but because installing democracy in a major country in the heart of Mesopotamia would inevitably cause the citizens in neighboring countries to begin campaigning for greater democratic freedoms themselves.
And unlike the petty theocratic dictatorships throughout most of the Middle East, democracies very rarely breed anything resembling terrorism.
In other words, Iraq was part of a long-term strategy, not a short-term fix or act of retaliation or self-defense.
For this reason, many Americans (including those who volunteer in the military) do believe their service in Iraq is in the cause of freedom.
You may disagree with them, and perhaps for very good reasons, but I don't think you can fairly accuse them of latching onto false bromides -- which seems to be the gist of your argument.
The fact that you see Iraq as a "stupid, stupid war" doesn't mean that your perspective on the path to American freedom obviates their own perspective.
Note, please, that I'm not arguing here for or against the war in Iraq. I'm making a different point.
I'm saying: The fact you personally disagree with or disapprove of the war, does not mean those who are volunteering to fight it are not sincerely motivated by the honorable promotion of American freedoms.
I happen to appreciate their efforts and their motivations even though I often find myself having conflicted feelings about the war itself.
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