I have been accused many times by some radical JoeUsers for not supporting our troops or for that matter even respecting them even though the bloggers knew I was a WWII Marine, which, however, was no excuse for not “supporting” our fighting men and women. In fact that in itself was all the more reason for supporting them. The problem here is in the semantics of support: it either means let the troops alone to do their job; or question the value of what they are supporting, along with the strategy their commanders dictate.
It is true in WWII—no bloggers then but an abundance of letters to the editors—the nation, not unlike on 9/11, was in unison. I’m sure had there not been severe censorship, there would be, though minimally, servicemen who were against the overriding strategy and particularized tactics but in the main it was left to pundits to question. With the exception of Tarawa—a tiny desolate atoll costing thousands of casualties within the 72 hour duration—marines in general did not say, “Why Guadalcanal, Saipan, Iwo or Oki?” After all, these were stepping stones to Imperial Japan. I am certain that some troops in Iraq have questioned “Why knock down this door, assault Fallujah again, Anbar two more times, climb onto the deathtrap humvee?” But I’m equally certain that it didn’t matter because they follow orders.
As far as civilians go, it is a duty in a war of choice and not clear as to its objectives requires questions just as the right wing and I continually badgered Clinton’s selected wars.
I owe no apology to the troops for my trying to safeguard their rights as humans engaged in an arena of chaos that never should have taken place.
While some JoeUsers are prone to give me history lessons, I ask, what should their position be in face of the following facts:
The initial catalyst for the war was that Saddam promoted transnational terrorism by colluding with Al Qaeda, building WMDs, all of which constituted preëmptive war.
Hans Blix and his UN inspectors had no respect for the US.
Fraudulent Niger documents on aluminum tubes and yellow cake.
The integrity of a highly respected secretary of state and general jeopardized by a misinformed administration.
Preëmptive war defied international law, and worse partly on the shady advice of Ahmad Chalabi and his ilk.
Humanitarian realization that never materialized.
That Saddam was an evil dictator was the argument, oblivious to others who were just as evil.
Suspicion that the real motive was indeed oil and military bases in the Mideast and protecting Israel.
Endless array of Commanding Generals withdrawing from Iraq operations while our Grunts stuck it out.
The main thrust of the surge misplaced as Petraeus and Bush claimed victory in Anbar when in fact it was secured before the surge and omitting the political failure aspect.
Those of you who support the troops fighting midst this nebulous theater of war do an injustice to their rights as citizen soldiers.
You owe them an apology.