There is nothing non-political about sending troops to war.

[brainshrub]

www.brainshrub.com/apolitical-sot

There is something deeply disrespectful about people who lie about their true intentions just to make you show up for an event.

For example: Approximately a week after posting a resume on the internet, you get calls from people who claim that they are looking for someone to manage a sales force, and they invite you to come in for an interview. The interview, however, is nothing more than a pitch to join a Multi-Level Marketing (MLM) scheme.

Republicans who support the President's war in Iraq are similar to MLM salesmen. From the beginning they have avoided saying they support the war, it's all about "supporting our troops." In reality, "Support Our Troops" (SOT) rhetoric is thinly-veiled pro-war propaganda designed to prevent people from asking questions.

Now that the Iraqi War is deeply unpopular, and very few people believe the hype anymore, conservatives have started a new strategy to veil their true intentions. This past weekend Ron Martin, a Department Commander for the Legionnaires in Indiana called for a new kind of Support Our Troops Rally:

Indiana Department Commander Ron Martin is encouraging all Hoosier Legionnaires to turn out for a special "Support Our Troops" Day Sunday, October 9, 2005, in downtown Indianapolis. <snip>

Most important about the rally is that it is strictly a show of support for the troops. This is a non-political function and is not pro-War or anti-War. Families and friends of military personnel from all branches are invited along with all others who wish to show their support for the troops. <snip>

Martin had to call for a "new" kind of SOT rally, probably because he knows how pro-war the old SOT rallies have been. While this event sounds like he's turning over a new leaf, the http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=52007">Legionaries are well-known for their condemnation of war protests, and have pledged their support for the President's actions in Iraq. Having them call for a non-political rally is a bit like the Klan calling for an racial-harmony summit.

I have been unable to find any evidence that the Legionaries of Indiana invited any peace groups to this rally, or that these groups even knew the event was happening. I emailed the Legionaries for a list of organizations that were formally invited, but I have yet to get a response. (I will update this blog if/when I get a reply.)



Why is the right-wing suddenly calling for "non-political" rallies, when nothing is more political than questions about war and peace?

The problem the right-wing has is similar to the problem people who sell MLM schemes: The language they use to justify their actions is not credible. They can't use the White House's talking-points because they've been discredited, they can't use patriotic language because it's been co-opted by the peace-marchers, and the fear of 9/11 no longer blinds Americans to the real costs of the Iraqi War.

The pro-war faction is hoping that at a "non-political" rally, hard questions about the nature of the Iraqi War can be ignored. Instead, it's all about how much they love their sons and daughters as they are shipped off to die. If ever there was a demonstration as to the lemming-like nature of conservative ideology, it's watching them at a "non-political" SOT rally.

Beware of people who invite you to a "non-political" SOT event. There is nothing apolitical about sending young people to their deaths. The Republicans have lost the argument, and now they want to disassociate "Support Our Troops" from the political context they created for it.

www.brainshrub.com/apolitical-sot