The politicalization of the military

For a very long time now Rush Limbaugh has been on Armed Forces Radio saying that Liberals are Traitors and not worth a shit. If I was a Republican and had been hearing that for several years and a Democrat became under fire from the enemy would I risk my self to aid that "traitor"? It is very destructive for the military to become polarized by politics yet America allows it. Why????Get Rush Limbaugh off Armed Forces Radio for the safety and cohesion of our troops......This is an extremely important issue IMO...I have been in the situation of depending upon others in my squad, platoon and company. There was no politics allowed in the Service at that time. Thank Goodness or I probably would not be here today. I wonder how many of those two thousand plus military casualties might have ended differently? I think Rush has steered some in the service to ignore when a Liberal needs assistance. Is that being an accomplice to evil?

Already, I don't like Barak Obama, nor Al Franken, going there, but now you bring up another group of people to worrry about . . . . The WHIG and its Enablers are people who think ANY means IS justified by their "Sacred" ends, afterall. It is too easy to convince onself of what can and can't be done in any given situation based upon WHO the doing is for, especially in the absolute Chaos of War, and especially by Private Contractors and persons hoping for future jobs, while and after they are in the Military. In short, I'm sorry to admit that I think you are right.

It seems to me that it's the first step in the formation of a military dictatorship. They seem to be in the process of trying to turn the military into a highly partisan organization that will eventually become simply an arm of the Republican party.

What will happen next time there is a Democratic CiC if much of the military has been brainwashed to believe that he or she is a traitor by definition? Will a Democratic president be able to count on the loyalty of the military? Are we creating conditions that could eventually lead to a military coup?

I'm also very disturbed by the increasing influence in the military of evangelical Christians, who seem to have greater and greater leeway to use the military as an instrument for winning over souls for Christ. I understand that many of the chaplains are now evangelicals and are using their position to actively prosylatize, while non-Christians are often feeling harrassed or intensely pressured to convert.

Turning our military into an arm of a single political party and its affiliated churches seems like a recipe for disaster as far as our Democracy is concerned.

service. The worst thing we can have is a hired armed force to represent our nation. There must be a real cross-section of citizens in the SERVICE of our country, not a bunch of hired mercenaries.

a universal conscription could simply become a staging ground for mass indoctrination, from which large numbers of young people would emerge newly "saved" and politically aligned with the Republicans. Universal conscription has been utilized in that way by many totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. I certainly wouldn't trust it with the current bunch of thugs that we've got running things.

As a draftee into the Viet Nam War, I whole-heartedly agree.

Not only would it provide a real cross section of america but very few Wars of Agression would ever occur. Mothers in America would not allow it...A side note I was drafted into the service myself..

now, a claim which will soon be established beyond any reasonable doubt IMHO.

Armed Forces Radio:
Rush Limbaugh = yes.
Ed Schultz = no.

Another war lie = The soldiers are fighting a war for democracy, for freedom of speech, for freedom of choice, etc. but yet they are not allowed the so called freedom and choices that they are told that they should be proud to die for.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

Thanks for the nice welcome :)

so I can't speak for them, but I have many family embers who are, and it always seemed like when it came to their attitude about politics in a war zone, there wasn't any consideration of it. I think that when your out on the front line you don't worry about what the other guy is going to do in a voting booth would you

regardless wha they believe, they are all you have at that moment I would guess. You can argue you politics when you get home. That would be my guess

Think about it. You made a great point that our soldiers and their families come from a cross section of our country and it's territories. Democrats, Republicans, Green Party, Libertarian, etc. They are putting their lives on the line for a war based on lies and their families are in agony worrying about their loved ones or grieving over the ones they have lost. And you are correct, it doesn't matter what the person's next to you political, financial or racial background is. Their life is in your hands as yours is in theirs.
It infuriates me whenever someone like John Kerry, John Murtha or Wesley Clark disagrees with the Bush/Cheney war policy, that the GOP instantly goes into attack mode by saying that democrats (with specificity) are traitors, they are hurting the moral of the soldiers, they are putting the soldiers live at risk, helping the enemy, etc. while totally excluding themselves for putting the soldiers in harms way in the first place for a war based on lies and furthermore, telling soldiers that are democrats themselves, that they and their leaders are traitors, helping the enemy, etc.
I'm sure a democratic soldier currently in harms way, a wounded soldier or a dead soldier's democratic family really appreciates hearing that.

In one of them I asked my folks for news of what was happening in vietnam because I had absolutely no idea what was going on. I said in my letter. "When I was in the states all I ever heard about was Vietnam and now I am over here I get no news at all. You probably know where I am and what I am doing more than I do" I suspect it isn't a lot different except for Rush Limbaugh's treasonous slant on AFR. I am sure Rush gives the troops all the information they need to feel Democrats are undermining them and making sure they are aware they are in a foxhole or riding around with traitors if they know there are Democrats among them. This makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. In Vietnam there was "fragging" of NCOs and Officers now I suspect it is Democrats that are getting fragged...

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The military isn't being fooled, they are smarter than that, you say. Except of course you throw in the racist remark in the end. That's too bad.

people who characterize groups of people they don't know using broad strokes of their brush, those types of prejudice people, I see.

I don't like, sorry

I don't like, sorry

They are pushing both in the all volunteer military.

And those that think Al Franken or or Ed Schultz will balance it out are mistaken, in my opinion. There is a lot of peer pressure in the military and those that listen to "liberal" radio will be seen as wimps and pussies...imo

are the ones that still worship ass-cyst limpballs and Bu$h.

Just my personal observation in the Army.

who care about politics. It's the political atmosphere and programs that put them in harms way. Some have read Michael Moore, Joe Wilson and books about 9/11. Don't think some in the military aren't questioning what's going on there or here.