The Hard Truth
columnist: Brooklyn

Topic: Foreign Policy
Supporting the Troops is not Supporting the War

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I sometimes become very annoyed by the stupidity of people. Whether it's their blind belief in obvious untruths or their herd mentality causing us all to suffer on their behalf, it can be quite bothersome.

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by Brooklyn
(Libertarian)
Thursday, March 13, 2008

I sometimes become very annoyed by the stupidity of people.  Whether it's their blind belief in obvious untruths or their herd mentality causing us all to suffer on their behalf, it can be quite bothersome.

One of the most idiotic things I've seen people doing is posting their idea of support for United States troops in the form of various sayings, poems and writings strongly condemning an antiwar or anti-administration message.  Such messages do several unethical and unsavory things.  First, they equate being antiwar with weakness and anti-Americanism.  Secondly, they characterize those against an interventionist foreign policy as somehow being tantamount to aiding the enemy, an act of treason.  Third, they suggest the notion that American imperialism is at all times a benevolent and positive force in the world, as if American leaders can do no wrong in sending our brave men and women into battle. 

All of these assertions are false.  Some are obviously misleading and others are subtle distortions of reality.  Understanding this takes a greater grasp of reality than, "We're the good guys and anyone who disagrees with us are bad guys!  Go America!" 

Let's clarify some things.  First, being antiwar is not necessarily indicative of being a defeatist or a coward.  Being antiwar means you oppose a war or all unnecessary wars on principle.  Most persons who are against war understand that it is rarely necessary and almost always costs more in blood and treasure than it is worth.  There have been many retired military officials who have spoken out against our current war of attrition in Iraq.  Are they all cowards or against America?

Second, we aid the enemy by being over there.  Osama bin Laden and his cohorts have made many statements clearly indicating their delight with being able to engage our forces on their terms in their lands.  Former senior CIA analyst in charge of the bin Laden unit, Michael Scheuer, has written two books extensively exposing the grave errors of calculation that the current administration has made due to arrogance, hubris and failure to listen to their enemy's words.  Those words explain the reasons why they fight us, which essentially boil down not to "they hate our freedoms" but to our policy of interventionism in the Middle East.  Even Dick Cheney has stated this.  We occupy Muslim lands and build military bases there.  We support brutal and oppressive dictators like the Saudi royal family yet claim we wish to spread democracy.  We plunder their natural resources for lower-than-market priced oil while most people of those nations languish in poverty.  Our policy of interventionism has resulted in what the CIA calls "blowback", unintended consequences resulting from both our direct and our covert interference in the affairs of other nations.  Our leaders' actions do not justify the aggressive actions of the enemy but understanding your enemy's motivation is key to resolving the conflict.  If you eliminated most of the reasons "they" have for fighting us, those of bin Laden's ilk would lose their base of support.  Thus our policy of interventionism is inadvertently a policy of isolationism. 

Third, the suggestion that American force is always benevolent is, at best, naive and blind patriotism and at worst simply blind hypocrisy and supreme arrogance.  Although many actions taken by our government can have the noblest intent they often are poorly reasoned and lopsided in their results.  Woodrow Wilson's policy of interventionism extended and worsened the first World War.  Where there would likely have been a clear result and a diplomatic resolution to the war, unnecessary US interference resulted in the loss of over 100,000 American lives and the economic and social turmoil in Germany that allowed the rise of Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party.  Thus supposedly benevolent American interventionism inadvertently caused World War II.  Interference in Vietnam began over a false-flag event, the Gulf of Tonkin incident, which was admittedly staged to give an excuse to escalate military force in the area.  In order to prop up an unpopular and doomed government for the sake only of our supposed interests, we sent 58,000 American soldiers to their deaths in the jungle.  Vietnam now engages in capitalist trade with the United States in spite of our interference, not because of it.  The examples are endless.  Our CIA has caused the overthrow or exile of numerous countries' leaders including the democratically elected leader of Iran, Mohammed Mossadeq.   We installed the repressive dictator known as The Shah in Iran in 1953 merely because he would give us cheap oil.  His people eventually rose up against him in the Islamic Revolution of 1979, resulting in the Iran hostage crisis, the Iran-Iraq war and years of high tension between the United States and Iran among many other events.  It goes on and on.  We armed, funded and trained Afghanistan's mujahideen in fighting Soviet occupation, now we are entrenched in not only the same mess the Red Army found itself in but we are in Iraq as well.  The Islamist fighters of Afghanistan and those that joined them did not fear the Russians.  They welcomed the opportunity to kill them and kill them until they left and the only thing that has changed for them is the country they are fighting. 

Our foreign policy creates these problems and then they come back and bite us on the ass.  This must change and yes, one can support the troops by being against the unnecessary application of unjust and unAmerican principles.  In fact, I can think of no better way to support them than to bring them home to defend us here.  As a patriotic American, I think it is your duty to demand that we not enter into imperialistic adventurism abroad and iron-fist repression and censorship at home.  Those soldiers that fight valiantly for our country have sworn an oath to protect our Constitution and the freedoms it affirms against all enemies, foreign and domestic.  One might think more carefully about those enemies of the Constitution who are not on foreign shores but living right next door.  Our troops are out there following orders and doing the best they can to win for America.  If you will not fight for freedom here, then what are they fighting for there?

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2008 Brooklyn, all rights reserved.
Published: Thursday, March 13, 2008
Last modified: Thursday, March 13, 2008

The views expressed in this article are those of Brooklyn only and do not represent the views of Nolan Chart, LLC or its affiliates. Brooklyn is solely responsible for the contents of this article and is not an employee or otherwise affiliated with Nolan Chart, LLC in his/her role as a columnist.

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