This morning, someone at work sent an email to everyone on campus wishing a happy 232rd birthday to the Marine Corps. Of course, that spawned all sorts of responses, and now we're in the middle of an orgy of God Bless America and random patriotic BS. This is what I would send back, but I don't need the fights.
I've never really been sure what people mean when they say things like "I support the troops." Do you, do you really? Or do you root for them to win, because America is Great? Do you lobby on their behalf with Congress? If you could, would you sign up for the military, so that you could literally have their backs? And, most importantly, do you honor their sacrifices so much that you embrace this simple little thought - that we should never, ever, send people off to die unless we absolutely have to?
Every day that we keep fighting over in Iraq, it hurts just a little bit more. The truth is, and those of us who were paying attention knew this in 2002, despite the hoopla on CNN and Fox and in Washington, there was no justification for sending a single soldier into Iraq. Our country started a war based on lies and greed, and every day that fighting goes on just exacerbates the crime.
Sunday is Veterans Day. In honor of that day, let's all *really* support the troops. Bring them home.
This is what I would say, but I won't.
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For those who have not yet read it: War is a Racket by General Smedley Butler ca. 1935 - the man who almost singlehandedly exposed a fascist coup to overthrow FDR.
http://www.ratical.org/ratville/CAH/warisaracket.html
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