There's no business like war business
Even while writing a post on the foible of military worship, Digby is moved to pronounce that "the military deserves respect and gratitude."
Meanwhile, the Peace President tells us that "we have a moral sacred duty to our men and women in uniform."
Is this a golden era of "liberalism" or what?
Meanwhile, the Peace President tells us that "we have a moral sacred duty to our men and women in uniform."
Is this a golden era of "liberalism" or what?
posted by Vast Left-Wing Conspiracy at 8:12 AM
3 Comments:
Bring 'em all home. From Japan, through Korea and on around the world. Shut the bases down.
Now that Our Heroes can work out of any suburb, right here in the USA, there is no strategic need for them.
Shut 'em down. Bring 'em Home.
Digby's remark you quoted was made generally about soldiers, not in the context of occupying foreign nations, for example, or Gen. McChrystal, or the shooter at the Sikh temple. And her post was all about *not* giving special-class rights to soldiers. So how is she undermining liberalism? When it comes to how we view grunts in the abstract, what do you think should be the alternative to Digby's view? Disrespect and ingratitude? I'm no jingo, but if I run into a troop visiting a nearby coffee shop, it's not like I have reason to give him a hard time.
Giving them a hard time is a straw man. Who's arguing for that?
Respect is, I think, generally a good starting point for how we--by default--interact with all our fellow humans, soldiers or otherwise.
But the fact that someone has volunteered for the killing/dying business does not, for me, suggest any special claim to being respected, which Digby seems to be implying, certainly when coupled with the call for gratitude.
I tend to feel empathy for someone who signs up for that business, given the jingoistic culture that encourages it / the grave risks they face / the economic hardships that may make it the only viable option they see before them. But, no, I am not at all grateful that they participate in the enterprise of American militarism, certainly not in the post-WWII world.
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