|
Cute, but no.
There seems to be a bit of a trend in a number of liberal blogs of late: Accusations of Chickenhawking.
While I definitely understand the urge to call "bullshit" on the people who led the media and blog push into Iraq, this is not the way to do it. Yeah, the Democratic party has been the one to nominate veterans for the last two elections, but his lack of expirience didn't make Clinton any less the Commander in Chief. Similarly, bash Bush (and, while you're at it, Cheney) for avoiding service or for failing to have a coherent plan for Iraq; but the one doesn't have anything to do with the other.
This whole, "You like the war so much, why don't you marry it," thing doesn't really work. I generally like Michael Moore, but bringing the Marine recruiters to the Capitol in Fahrenheit 9/11 was dumb. Similarly, telling columnists (whether or not they're idiots and/or blowhards) that in order to support the war you need to fight it (or even more fucked up, have your kids fight it for you) is at best stupid, at worst offensive. It diminishes the sacrifices that soldiers, marines, etc. are making and it really doesn't make sense. There are some things that you just can't say, "put up or shut up" on. This is one of them. I'd love Michelle Malkin to shut the fuck up, but her going into my Army is not a viable second option. (Her stance on internment, however... maybe we can arrange something there.)
We have an all-volunteer military for a lot of reasons. One of those reasons is "freedom." Yes, that's right, one of my favorite parts about joining the Army was that I (and you) didn't have to. Military service is not a prerequisite for citizenship or political participation (outside a time of war [real war, not GWOT]); If that's not your pursuit of happiness, then go have a nice, non-military life. Another reason for an all volunteer military is that the Army, Navy, etc. don't want to have to deal with people who don't want to be here. I'm going to be a Platoon Leader, and if half of my guys are there because it was that or Canada, they are going to be less combat effective and more likely to get themselves, and me, killed. It doesn't matter how you do it, I don't want it, their Drill Instrutors don't want it, and the Joint Chiefs don't want it.
The First Ammendment (and, I'd say common sense) say that you can voice your opinions as you please with or without practical knowledge to back you up. I don't need to go to Iraq (yet) to be against our little war there. Hindrocket doesn't need to go there to be all for it. Stop saying he does. There are so many legitimate issues to beat these guys to shit with, don't use the retarded ones.
In summery (-rants): Calling "bullshit" is fun, but this is a stupid, defeatist (and often funny) way of doing it.
|
3 Comments:
bringing the Marine recruiters to the Capitol in Fahrenheit 9/11 was dumb
yeah, probably. But I don't think his point wasn't that senators have to send their kids to war in order to start one, but that other, poorer families' kids are asked to serve while theirs are not.
I think you're right about the chicken-hawk thing being a stupid rhetorical strategy. But I think a lot of people do find it pretty disturbing that folks who avoided vietnam through untoward means have been some of the biggest proponents of a war that looks a whole heck of a lot like vietnam.
I see that, but there are better ways to go about it. If this were a just or a righteous war( ie. jus ad bellum) and the American People had been told the reasons why we were doing it(ie. every major justification the Bush Administration wasn't wrong or an outright lie) this would not be at issue. If we thought the war in Iraq was worth it, Vietnam wouldn't matter at all.
The US was isolationist in 1941, but no one questioned FDR's WWI service record when we declared war. (Yes, I understand the analogy is very slim, but you get the idea.)
Yeah, I think the only reason anyone makes the chickenhawk argument is that the war is seen as so politically motivated, rather than as a necessity or moral imperative. Since many believe the war is waged for the benefit of few, I think people want those few to be the ones who have to sacrifice for it.
By the way, you should post more often - I'm bored.
Post a Comment
<< Home