Posted on 06/01/2006 8:45:43 AM PDT by screw boll
"I think it's actually possible to take this as a principled stand if you really do believe the mission is the wrong one, and yet still believe in and love our military men and women. "
I do too, as your sentence describes how I felt during Clinton's illegal NATO conflict with the Serbs. I wasn't in favor of more American sacrifice for European Muslims, I didn't care for the CIC...but I still supported the troops themselves. And many GOP Congressmen and officials agreed with me.
The thing is, most of the ones who are 'criticising the mission' now were all for it before. They have 'switched positions' for political expediency, not because of their principles.
"You CANNOT support the troops without supporting their mission. "
Sure you can. Kosovo is a perfect example.
I do not understand what you want me to explain
....you call something an example of duplicity, and plausible deniability, I say people think differently....you say gratuitous denial is not thinking, and want me to explain to you why I deny it?
I haven't denied anything....all you did, was define what I said, in your terms.
I have no idea how to explain to you, why people think differently...perhaps, it's because people are different? If you want to call it denial, OK.
Pardon the interruption, but this brings to mind a quote from T. Roosevelt/1918..."To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
DC chapter alert! Sound like anyone we know (Code Pink)?
"..."To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."
That statement itself (which I agree with 100%) is probably considered treasonous today.
When people like someone, they say that they are active thinkers, and can adapt to different things and change their minds as new data comes in...a good thing.
When they do not like someone, then the act of changing one's mind, is flip-flopping...not a good thing.
It appears relative to me.
Except in the case of Kosovo we weren't rooting for the mission to fail.
The peaceniks want the mission in Iraq to fail. They want the troops to cut and run, want us to be cowards, want us to be disgraced. Every American death is a triumph to them.
Contrast that to those of us who were against the Clinton NATO mess. We felt it was the wrong mission, and that we had no business being there. But once we were in it, we wanted to see the mission succeed.
I guess some things really are relative!!
Great article. Do you have a link?
This is sooooooooooooo True!!!
Thanks for the Post and the Ping.
[Mrs T]
Yes, I believe it is possible, mainly because that is how it is with a lot of people....many actually do support the troops, but in no way offer encouragement to those that would kill them.
Just saying it can't be that way, doesn't make it so.
If you don't support the war effort, you are offering encouragement to the enemy. I'm pretty sure you can understand that.
I doubt the enemy even knows I exist, much less what I think about this war.
In what manner, am I offering encouragement?
What you as an individual think or do has no affect to speak of. If one person doesn't support the war effort, no one cares. If 10 million don't, it becomes an encouragement to the enemy. For each of those 10 million to individually say, we'll, I'm just one person so it doesn't make any difference is just a morph of your earlier rational which I already commented on. You can't have it both ways and pretend it doesn't matter or it makes sense.
This new thing reminds me of the incident where NYC cops sodamized a guy with a broomstick. Rudy had to stick up for the police force, because all the critics wanted to hang all cops. Rough guys like cops and soldiers will sometimes get too rough. But they get most criticicism from those who don't have the guts physically to protect themselves or their families. There is this delusion that talk will solve everything. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Not so long as I have a bat or brick in my hand.
I sent in a letter to the editor along much the same lines.
Never got printed.
Go figure.
was because he was DRAFTED!
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