"I Support the Troops, but..." Deep in the Heart of Darkness; Dispatches From Behind the Lines in Blue State America, Part II

"I support the troops," said Y reflexively, "but....they enlisted knowing what they were getting into in Iraq so if something happens to them, well..." "So you are saying that if a soldier is injured or killed fighting in Iraq, it is their own fault.," I replied. "Not all of them, she said. " A lot of them enlisted because they had no other options. They were poor and uneducated with no where else to turn. The military recruits in poor areas you know." The military recruits everywhere they can I replied.  In fact, they are having to go to court so they can recruit at Yale Law School. "It seems to me that you are saying that the military is made up of the bloodthirsty or society's victims for whom the military is the last option. That is insulting on the one hand and condescending on the other," I said. "Look Joe", she replied, "It may hurt your feelings, but that is the truth regarding the military. They do not want people that think for themselves, they want people they can brainwash and those are the the stupid, the poor, and those that want to kill." "Do you even know anyone in the military," I asked her. "No, she said, "but I once met a former military guy at a protest. He mentioned that his education benefits had been cut off because he was against the war." Sounds to me like he is full of shit, I said in not so many words. I told Y that the military wants those that can think, adapt and take initiative. That is what has made the American soldier the better of his enemies. However, they did want people to understand that in the heat of battle, they wanted people that would follow orders without debate. Y remained unconvinced. She is also convinced that our troops are targeting innocent civilians in Iraq. But that is another dispatch. Well at least she supports the troops, eh? Imagine if she did not.....

Thanks to Mudville Gazette for the Open Post.

Comments

[Billy Budd]

Well written post, it appears that many on the left use the same mantra over and over. It sounds like Y has A. A higher education, and or B. Limited access to resources outside the MSM. That added to C. Little or no knowledge of American or world history.

A+B+C=Y

[The Opinionator]

Billy,

Thanks for the comments. Y is a teacher in Southern California. She is an avid consumer of Chomsky and, believe it or not, Robert Fisk.

My first dispatch was about my conversation with X, a recently retired school teacher in Pennsylvania.

It would appear that there is a problem in our schools, eh?

[Billy Budd]

I read about your encounter with X. My father was in the Navy, my brother in the Army, and my son joins the Navy in January. All volunteers I might add. Oddly enough I am the youngest of seven children. My four sisters and one brother are all raving Moonbats. My oldest brother is dead leaving me and the old man alone in a house of malcontents and embittered liberal nutjobs. I do not discuss politics with them as you cannot have a rational argument with irrational people. My four sisters are all divorced, I am still happily married after 23 years. I live the American dream in my own little corner of the world with a small bit of success. I own a small business and love my country. I am not afraid of God or diversity and tolerance, just do not demand I accept and embrace your version of it. I have found one universal truth that most liberals have in common. Unhappiness.