What do the War Monkeys really mean when they say "Support the Troops"?

Frankly, I'm tired of hearing it, "maybe you don't like the president but you HAVE to support the troops", and tired of them shoving that phrase down my throat like an insult. And they use it like a sledge hammer to shut down any argument against Bush's glorious war.

It's uber-nationalism, not patriotism that makes them bark these three tiresome words. They jam it in your face and dare you to say otherwise like bullies.

I'll be patriotic, or unpatriotic as I damn well please thanks, so don't try to blindside me with that stupid, worn out, hollow and meaningless mantra.

when they say, "support the troops" what they really mean is, 'support the insane policies of the little maniac that put the troops in harm's way'. They're not patriotic, they're nationalistic. Mindless morons that continue to think that the U.S. can do no wrong and that we're the moral equivalent of 'true north' on a compass. They're sheep. Mindless sheep following a shepherd off the edge of a cliff to their deaths.

Mindless sheep following a shepherd off the edge of a cliff to their deaths.

It can't happen soon enough.

People mean a lot of different things with those stupid magnets
or when they spout that almost-content-free phrase.

Some mean: "I sure hope my son/daughter/husband/wife/father/mother
comes home with all their parts still attached."

Some mean: "I support the effort that our volunteer soldiers are
expending and believe they deserve appropriate pay/aftercare."

Some mean: "I support America's right to kick anyone's ass that I
believe needs kicking."

Some mean: "I sure do like the hundreds of thousands in tax cuts
that Gee Dub has thrown my way, and I'd hate to see him tossed out
over that stupid war he started."

Some mean: "I support President Bush in his war against commie
pinko homo-lovin' women-equalifying DemoRATs like that guy
drivin' next to me in his faggy Prius with its Kerry sticker."

Without clarification from other clues (such as other bumper
stickers, their tee-shirt, or their Brooks Brothers suit), you
really can't tell where on the spectrum any particular magnet-
mounter/phrase-spouter lies.

Tesha

"I support America's right to kick anyone's ass that I
believe needs kicking."

and

"I support President Bush in his war against commie
pinko homo-lovin' women-equalifying DemoRATs like that guy
drivin' next to me in his faggy Prius with its Kerry sticker."

Because true caring thinkers aren't hypocrites.

mean on mine.

I drive a big SUV because, because... I feel safer (while endangering everyone else driving a smaller vehicle).

or a small penis.

* Manual laborers I can understand.

1. Explicitly, support the troops, a/k/a the home team, no matter what. You know, school spirit, patriotism, the Marine Hymn, etc.

2. Implicitly, support the corrupt administration that is exploiting the troops to gain more illicit wealth for a few individuals with connection to the administration.

"I support the troops, it's the REMF's I can't stand."

Any vet, and a lot of civvies, know that acronym and what I mean by it quite plainly.

Those that don't, ain't worth talking to.

To any one in the service, having been in the service, or knows what it's like being in the service (via friends, relatives, etc), they are the worse of the worse.

Rear Echelon Mother F#@&kers

are the ones who stay behind the lines and give orders that cause some poor grunt to get shot.

"no matter what they do."

besides of course slapping a Chinese made yellow ribbon magnet on their SUV's.

"ditty bags?"

Betcha 99.99% of the time all they're doing is the yellow magnet.

The way they see it, the whole world can be divided into binary pairs. With/against; good/evil; black/white; rich/poor; gay/straight; foreign/domestic. They have explicit instructions as to which side of each line they are to be on. Anything else is other/evil/black/poor whatever.

"Troops" get to decide all on their own where they're going and what they're going to do when they get there and they do it because they love the Pretzledent.

"Troops" are easily offended and will get all depressed and put down their weapons when criticized.

"Troops" all believe in their mission so much, that if they fail (which of course, they won't), America will be taken over by radical Muslims who will rape women and take away all our freedoms.

"Troops" never complain, do bad things or make mistakes. If someone accuses them of that, they'll get depressed again and stop fighting.

Am I leaving anything out, Rush/Hannity/O'Lielly, etc.?

Never once have I gotten one of them to give a response to the concept that if the troops really were undermined by some criticism of the political decision to go to war in America, then they are rather weak, not strong, and not really fighting for freedom, but for the Rethugs.

They never answer that contradiction. They don't think about it or see reason, but they never answer that one.

:yourock:

"Support the troops" so i don't have to go, because like my chimpy leader i am dimestore patriot.

I support my war-pig president's slaughter of people half a world a way. America, right or wrong...etc.

As for the troops; to these people, they are just tools of political manipulation. They don't give a shit about the working class and poor kids who comprise the bulk of that aggregate collectively known as 'the troops'.

“..the point of public relations slogans like support our troops is that they don't mean anything, they mean as much as whether you support the people in Iowa.”

http://www.zmag.org/chomsky/interviews/9201-propaganda.html

How's that for a bumper sticker?

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I think that is a sweeping over generalization. The majority of our troops are trying to do the best they can and adhere to the laws of land warfare. It saddens me that there is anyone who make such a judgement based on the acts of a few.

committed a massacre. And I do not support them. I do not support what they did.

And the government has tried to cover up even the little that was somehow discovered months and months later. The true extent of both the torture and the massacre(s) remain hidden.

Maybe pointing that out is unpopular, even angering to many people.

But it had to be said.

I'm a retired Army NCO. Maybe I can offer some insight on this, if you are truly interested in listening. Don't jump to the conclusion that I'm a "War Monkey" whatever that is. I'm a registerd Independant voter, and I try to think in terms of issues, not personalities.

To me, it is easy to support the troops without supporting the war. It simply means that you care about their health and welfare, that you care about them as fellow Americans and you don't want to see them hurt. Not supporting the war does not equate to not supporting the troops in my book. If they are orderd into a conflict, they have no choice but go. Once there they are in an untenable position, they may not want to hurt other people, but in many cases if they don't, they will be hurt themselves or killed. So, to care for them, you want them to be there in sufficient strength to accomplish the mission and you want the equipped to do the mission. You can do this, while hoping they will come home at the same time. I don't think there is any fundamental conflict in that line of thinking at all.

Take me for example. I give this mission untill about this December, if the IA/IP aren't up and running by that time, I want the troops to start coming home where they belong, regardless. It isn't the fault of our grunts that their bosses failed to plan adequately for the war, and failed to plan at all for the post combat phase. The continued stubborness of Rumsfeld in refusing to admit even one of his many mistakes is absolutely infuriating to me.

Although I can't argue with anything you wrote.

Obviously, that's exactly the point of the OP. You're looking for a fight that doesn't exist here.
The Professor

They are acting out of blind patriotism, are incapable of analyzing and critically thinking things through, and don't want to be confused by criticisms, valid or otherwise. So, they support the troops by telling folks like us to shut up.

They NEED us to shut up. Too much information makes their little brains hurt.
The Professor

by it. It is the complete opposite of what the war monkeys mean...which is for 'us' to STFU.

http://kfmonkey.blogspot.com/2006/05/lions-led-by-donkeys.html

<snip>But the fact is that soldiers make this choice in a specific context. They are not just entering a job. They are, to pull up my Catholic high school education, entering into a covenant with us. They take an oath to sacrifice their lives, if need be. That is, in my faith anyway, the holiest thing a person can do. In return, the civilian side of the covenant is a deep responsibility, a responsibility far beyond the emotional support one gives a sports team, or the minimal responsibility one has with employees. Our oath is simple:

We will make sure you have the equipment you need.

We will make sure have a clearly defined mission.

We will make sure that such missions are as well-planned as possible.

We will take care of your families while you are gone.

We will take care of you when you come home.