No, thanks: Stop saying “support the troops”

[cali]

<snip>

I could have asked how the donations would be used, but no matter the answer I would have kept my 18 cents. I don’t consider patriotism a beneficent force, for it asks us to exhibit loyalty to nation-states that never fully accommodate their entire populations. In recent years I’ve grown fatigued of appeals on behalf of the troops, which intensify in proportion to the belligerence or potential unpopularity of the imperial adventure du jour.

<snip>

Such troop worship is trite and tiresome, but that’s not its primary danger. A nation that continuously publicizes appeals to “support our troops” is explicitly asking its citizens not to think. It is the ideal slogan for suppressing the practice of democracy, presented to us in the guise of democratic preservation.

<snip>

The troops are now everywhere. They occupy bases and war zones throughout the Arab world and Central Asia and have permanent presence in dozens of countries. They also occupy every tract of discursive territory in the United States. The troops are our omnipresent, if amorphous, symbols of moral and intellectual austerity.

<snip>

Multinational corporations have a profound interest in cheerleading for war and in the deification of those sent to execute it. For many of these corporations, the U.S. military is essentially a private army dispatched around the world as needed to protect their investments and to open new markets. Their customers may “support our troops” based on sincere feelings of sympathy or camaraderie, but for the elite the task of an ideal citizenry isn’t to analyze or to investigate, but to consume. In order for the citizenry to consume an abundance of products most people don’t actually need, it is necessary to interject the spoils of international larceny into the marketplace.


“Support the troops” is the most overused platitude in the United States, but still the most effective for anybody who seeks interpersonal or economic ingratiation. The platitude abounds with significance but lacks the burdens of substance and specificity. It says something apparently apolitical while patrolling for heresy to an inelastic logic. Its only concrete function is to situate users into normative spaces.

<snip>

http://www.salon.com/2013/08/25/no_thanks_i_wont_support_the_troops/

this is a long, thoughtful and provocative piece.

[newfie11]

1. I agree. Nt

[Bernardo de La Paz]

2. Two-faced conservative platitude:

It's really about adoring defense contractors.

[Martin Eden]

3. Support Our Troops. Bring Them Home.

When I joined 100,000 other Americans marching on Washington 3/15/03 to protest the imminent invasion of Iraq, a small group of brain-dead counter-protesters (aka Morans) started chanting Support Our Troops!

I picked up their cadence and started shouting Support Our Troops. Bring Them Home. It spread pretty quickly, and pretty soon we drowned them out.

I like this quote from the OP:
A nation that continuously publicizes appeals to “support our troops” is explicitly asking its citizens not to think.

[Squinch]

13. THAT is the right slogan.

I support our troops. I support their right to life, and education, and a decent standard of living, and their mental health and the mental health of their families.

[dothemath]

26. Bull .........

I don't know what 'support our troops' means. Do you? I support mom and apple pie, but I don't plaster my car with stickers that say 'support mom and apple pie'. I don't have any in the windows of my house. I don't go around saying it because it is meaningless unless you are a member of the groups I will mention below.

I am a Korean 'War' combat veteran. I receive valuable support from the VA, for which I am grateful. I don't need a bunch of sheep doing anything else for me. If they try, I will politely, the first time, refuse.

The benefits and pay of military volunteers today is more than sufficient. No one made them volunteer. If they don't feel they are, they can get out and join the rest of Americans trying to survive in America today. There is 'support for our troops', but it is from politicians and the military-industrial complex.

[TxGrandpa]

30. I completely agree!!!

They weren't subject to the draft like those of the Korean and Vietnam era. It's their choice.

[Squinch]

42. That was kind of my point. We need to make sure we do things like care for the

families who are now taking care of someone with a traumatic brain injury. And we need to provide for that person with the brain injury forever. We need to make sure that we get to the bottom of the suicide epidemic among our Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. We need to prosecute "for profit" schools whose business model depends on preying upon veterans. We need to stop sending soldiers into tour after tour after tour of active combat duty without time between.

We don't need to be sporting car magnets.

And by the way, when disabled veterans experience more than twice the poverty rate as disabled non-veterans, there's something that needs to be fixed in the benefits and pay of military volunteers today.

[another_liberal]

4. Thank you for your service . . .

Now quit bothering me. I'm very busy making money.

[Scuba]

5. Want to support the troops? Stop sending them to war in support of corporate profits.

I hate those little yellow ribbons.



SSgt Scuba, USAF.

[steve2470]

6. Support the troops = modern day equivalent of America Love It or Leave It

YES, I do support the troops. THEY are not the problem. It's the civilian leadership, Pentagon brass and defense contractors that are the problem.

[unhappycamper]

7. Don't forget all those pesky congresscritters that vote for this crap.

We The People are left holding the bag at the end of the day.

[steve2470]

8. yes, excellent point, I should have included them in my rant nt

[avebury]

9. Agree. K&R nt

[stillwaiting]

10. "support the troops" means bringing them home safely for me, and I make sure I tell that to

anyone who utters that propagandistic phrase.

It should NEVER mean letting those in D.C. do whatever they wish to our troops whenever they wish to do it.

[TxGrandpa]

11. Include the empty phrase "Thank you for your service"....

....and calling anyone who enlists in the military as heroes.

They enlist because they wanted to, probably more for the benefits or other reasons. Heroes are those who do heroic deeds of courage, they earned it not just by enlisting for the benefits or because there are no job opportunities elsewhere. Labeling everyone as heroes takes away from those who perform heroic acts.

Just label me, United States Army Retired [way before Afghanistan, Iraq or the Gulf War]

[AnotherMcIntosh]

20. Before Ollie North was hired by Faux Noise to be a celebrity interviewer of the troops,

was that empty phrase "Thank you for your service" ever used?

He participated in transferring thousands of Hawk and TOW missiles to Iran which became our enemy after taking our embassy personnel hostage.

He gave aid and comfort to our enemy. What's worse, while doing so he gave dangerous weaponry to Iran. Hawk missiles can take down planes that fly within range. TOW missiles can take out tanks, even our tanks.

This celebrity traitor actually served in combat. That, and his microphone and camera crew, gave him credibility with the troops.

It also gave him cover when he wanted to pal around with the chicken-hawks who also repeated his nonsensical "Thank you for your service" mantra.

There are people who mean well when they parrot it, but it is an annoyance.

[Civilization2]

12. Agreed,. it is just more corporate welfare, they USE the military the people pay for it!

Most of us support the individual that was confused enough to join the military and "go fight" for corporate 1% greed-whores,. but we do see it is a 1% ploy to get the people to pay for their misadventures.

[libdude]

14. Well stated

that this Support Our Troops slogan and program is just a government attempt at psychological manipulation to obtain and retain public support for any defense program or budget or military adventure. It becomes the quick rule of thumb method of judging if one is considered a " patriot " or not.
As you listed, many sectors gain from this unquestions public support, transnational corporations that are involved in the various aspects of the military industry/ congessional complex do very well financially by using this
" Support Our Troops " strategy.
Many Senators and Representatives use this same strategy to get elected, retain their elected position, and receive monetary campaign support by advancing a pro- military agenda.
Private groups " charities " use the strategy to to obtain donations. One very public group when examined on their use of donations, for every dollar given about 48% is used for administration and fundraising.
Losers in this, the Troops, their families, America, the budget and last but not least the victims that are collateral damage of various administations that use the military to advance their theories of American world dominance.

[Blanks]

28. The flip side of that...

Is that people equate 'supporting the troops' with defense spending.

If you are FOR cutting defense spending, you are AGAINST the troops. Of course this is not the case, but for the simple-minded it is easy to turn the small town dude on the street against any politician promoting a cut in pork defense programs.

[The Wizard]

15. Selling war for profit using

uniform worship by appealing to the heartstrings is immoral.
At sporting events across the country they always have a salute to our troops protecting us from boogie men and demons in places none of us will ever see.
It's always the same enemies: ruthless dictators or the ism of the day.
Remember when Ho Chi Minh was a ruthless dictator and we were bringing democracy to South East Asia (SEATO)?
We have become a rogue empire bent on self destruction for the profits of the 1%.
OWS was exposing what Eisenhower warned against in his farewell speech. That's why paramilitary tactics were used to silence that movement. Talk about using chemical weapons on innocent civilians. The hypocrisy, it burns like pepper spray.
The road to empire is paved with failed republics.
The Pauls, Ron and Rand, may be odd balls and hucksters, but they're right about ending foreign military adventures.
We have to stop worshiping authoritarians in uniform because we have been conditioned to live in fear and to depend on any and all tactics used to silence dissent and conceal official misconduct against the people.

[Progressive dog]

16. This piece butchers the English language

It was either written by a non-English speaker or someone confusing tortuous wording with substance. It was long but it was not thoughtful.

[cali]

23. really? post examples that illustrate your claim

[Progressive dog]

27. So many examples, so little motivation to

analyze the word hash.

for it asks us to exhibit loyalty to nation-states that never fully accommodate their entire populations.

Where do you suppose there populations are supposed to be accommodated?
And this where the author struggles to find more words to describe the "imperial adventure du jour".

which intensify in proportion to the belligerence or potential unpopularity of the imperial adventure du jour.

[Blanks]

31. There, their, they're it wasn't that bad. eom

[Progressive dog]

36. I thought of monkeys trying to write Shakespeare when

I read that and now I can't get that picture out of my head. It was that bad.

[TxGrandpa]

32. It's the general theme of the article that counts, not...

...the grammar. Any attempt to deviate from the theme is just an attempt to sidetrack.

[Progressive dog]

35. No, poorly used words do not an article make.

The author could have used a single sentence to give the theme. The point of an article is to expand on the theme, not to signify nothing.

[TxGrandpa]

37. Whatever you think, or however you feel.

It's not about the grammar, but the overall thought. Complaining about grammar, etc is just an attempt to obfuscate what the author or Cali was saying. You seem to be in the minority with complaining.

Another cliche...Have a nice day!!

[Progressive dog]

38. The overall thought requires one sentence.

If the article is posted just for the thought, a poll of one random person would serve the same purpose.

[TxGrandpa]

39. Are you against the article because of the content, or

......to show your intellect?

I believe the article was adequate. But if you feel otherwise, follow the link and email the author.

[Progressive dog]

40. Why should I email the author, excerpts were posted here

as if the OP agreed with it. You are defending it, not on it's merits, but because it supports your point of view.

[TxGrandpa]

41. I'm defending the theme and topic. nt

[Progressive dog]

44. So you will never support the troops

of your own country.

[TxGrandpa]

45. Judge for yourself:

Last edited Thu Aug 29, 2013, 09:40 AM - Edit history (1)

Like the theme seems to be, support the troops by bringing them home.. Your post continues the 'guilt trip' from the previous administration for not supporting wars.

[bullwinkle428]

17. "SUPPORT OUR TROOPS" got a huge push once Bushco initiated the conquest

of Iraq. The literal translation became "Don't question the president".

[Dustlawyer]

18. If the government really supported the troops out of our tax dollars like they are supposed to,

we would not have such backlogs at the VA. They spend all of the budget to fight and on these expensive weapons systems, none on the troops that are any use to them anymore. They are like broken or used up equipment, discarded!

[TxGrandpa]

19. Remember the fiasco at Walter Reed!!!! nt

[Dustlawyer]

24. That was one of the things I had in mind. I have to go to the VA hospital in the Houston medical

center from time-to-time and the difference b/w the VA hospital and the others nearby is stark. Dirty, smelly, run down, and overcrowded, compared to antiseptic clean, bright... Sad and shameful!

[backscatter712]

21. It's a guilt-trip.

They bash you over the head, tell you you're a horrible person if you don't support the troops - that means you're cruel and heartless towards the schmos that are out there fighting.

But when they tell you to "support the troops", what they really demand is that you Support the War.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

22. "Support our troops" = bumper-sticker slogan for those behind the troops. Far behind.

[Puzzledtraveller]

25. I'm a veteran and can't stand the troop worship.

[Nay]

34. Mr Nay is a Vietnam vet and hates that shit, too. nt

[90-percent]

29. Support Out Troops Yellow ribbon magnet stickers

Last edited Tue Aug 27, 2013, 09:59 AM - Edit history (1)

I recall another sticker that came out shortly after

MY STICKER SUPPORTS MORE TROOPS THAN YOUR STICKER

The one that's been on my tailgate since about 2005:

SUPPORT THE TROOPS - BRING THEM HOME!

For what good a fucking sticker will do.

-90% Jimmy

[Redneck_Dem]

33. I'll take care packages

hugs and well-wishes over political points anyday.

[hunter]

43. I can't say that. My dad and my father-in-law both got GI benifits.

My father-in-law escaped life as a Mexican "anchor baby" farmworker by joining the military. They used him as a guinea pig in nuclear tests. He got to witness a nuclear explosion up close. See the flash through the back of your head!

But afterwards the Navy paid for his university education.

My dad joined the military too so he could live up to the expectations of his family. His dad was an officer in WWII. My dad got some GI benefits for college, as an art major. He's still an artist.

Both my dad and my father-in-law missed "getting shot at" service in Korea by the skin-of-their-teeth. Random chance. My father-in-law probably got the worse deal but he lucked out by having radioactive fallout resistant genes. He also got to visit Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Some of the guys he was with in the trenches, the guys he marched across ground-zeros with, the guys digging in the ruins of Nagasaki, they were not so lucky -- killed by cancer.

I live near a public high school. I see the kids in ROTC often, just this morning I saw them in uniform, in the parking lot, working out with toy guns. They are all the kids of immigrants, documented or not, looking for a better life just like my father-in-law was. I can't help but support them. They want what anyone wants. The "American Dream."

I used to work for a general contractor (retired and sober now) who is a prominent "Veterans for Peace" guy. He saw horrible things in Viet Nam. Really, really horrible things. Bad idea to drink with him after work. You will not sleep.

My brother's godson saw horrible things in Iraq. His job was to scrape up bodies, brains, guts, everything, into body bags. He will never be right in this world. The nightmares will never go away. He still drinks.

But they all joined the military looking for something better.

I don't know what this says about our society, but it isn't good.