The troops.

NOT CRAP but only if they're white and believe in Jesus

My brother's old friend brian is a 'the Troops.' I've known this kid for maybe fifteen years and have watched him grow up. his family wasn't that well off, so he went into the Army to pay for college. Unfortunately our president is a twat. He recently had leave for family matters and I got to accidentally run into him three days ago. He is still great. he's still warm, funny, smart and hates some of the crazies he's had to be around. There's no way I would vote crap.


Faiz

My wife has a friend who got bounced from the Amry Reserve into combat duty. He may not have been the sharpest knife in the drawer, but he also knew very soon that he'd stepped into a pile of very deep shit over there, and his letters where both impressive and scary documents of how fucked up things are in Iraq. I think a lot of guys over there are like him -- just people who signed on for something because they needed a few bucks and then found themselves in a war zone. They're in a very bad place, but I don't think they're bad people, at least for the most part.

Like the bumper sticker says --
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS.
IMPEACH THEIR COMMANDER.

My grandpa told me today that he doesn't support the troops. When pressed, he said he doesn't object to anything they're doing, but he doesn't, you know, send them any money or anything.

See what he did there?

Anyway, Not Crap. I wish they weren't misused so much.

I don't hate the American flag, but the people who have it splattered like pigeon shit all over their cars tend to be people I disagree with about God, the Universe and Everything.

Like those who prominently display the flag, people who talk a lot about The Troops tend to make my blood pressure rise.

This is not, though, the fault of The Troops. We need a standing army, though they are abused, not infrequently, by the powers in control. NC.

absolutely not crap. i have known many and they are incredible souls.

This is stupid.
It's pretty bad when I am saying something is stupid.

I'm not sure why supporting the troops is so important in a situation when military service is voluntary. I mean, in Vietnam, and the World Wars, the boys were getting their asses drafted or thrown in jail if they didn't go. They were screwed and tatooed either way, so I would consider them worthy of some support.

But nowadays, people have been going to the army 'cause they can't find a better job, walking in with open eyes and signing up, assuming that they're never going to go to war 'cause they keep thinking "Whose gonna fuck with the U.S. army, right?" (or some of the redneck types who are looking forward to a war where they can "off some towelheads")

Or the ones who signed up way back in the Clinton years, when not a war was in sight (other than bombing a few Serbs), thinking it would be a secure job, no chance of possibly ever getting sent anywhere or actually "getting killed."

Anyway, should it be obligatory to "support" these people? And what does
that "support" actually boil down to? A yellow ribbon? A bumper sticker?

I mean, nobody is going to support you if you fuck up and make a retarded decision that will have dire implications on the next few years of your life. Unless that retarded decision is joining the army!

Mazec wrote:I'm not sure why supporting the troops is so important in a situation when military service is voluntary. I mean, in Vietnam, and the World Wars, the boys were getting their asses drafted or thrown in jail if they didn't go. They were screwed and tatooed either way, so I would consider them worthy of some support.

But nowadays, people have been going to the army 'cause they can't find a better job, walking in with open eyes and signing up, assuming that they're never going to go to war 'cause they keep thinking "Whose gonna fuck with the U.S. army, right?" (or some of the redneck types who are looking forward to a war where they can "off some towelheads")

Or the ones who signed up way back in the Clinton years, when not a war was in sight (other than bombing a few Serbs), thinking it would be a secure job, no chance of possibly ever getting sent anywhere or actually "getting killed."

Anyway, should it be obligatory to "support" these people? And what does
that "support" actually boil down to? A yellow ribbon? A bumper sticker?

I mean, nobody is going to support you if you fuck up and make a retarded decision that will have dire implications on the next few years of your life. Unless that retarded decision is joining the army!

You don't seem to grasp who exactly is in the army. It's people from really small towns all over the US who have no options whatsoever when it comes to getting out of that small town. Ever spent any time in one of those towns? NOTHING going on, no jobs, no nothing. For those who want out but cannot afford some big city college ride straight out, there is really only one option to make it happen. The Army. So, do I support poor people from podunk towns trying to better themselves, yes. Do I support them when they are forced into dumb situations that might get a ton of them killed for no good reason? yes. I know what you are saying about 'they knew getting killed might be part of it' but when a buffoon is leading them into the meat grinder for no reason, I tend to have sympathy.
Do I feel bad when a cop gets shot? No.