I just found this interesting comment on one of the blogs

by: Nada

"I just love the whole “Troops support the war and believe in it because they are there and they die”. I can tell you from personal experience as a Desert Storm combat vet that military personnel have zero say in what goes on and are expected to perform regardless of politics. Personally I hated both wars and felt the best support you could give me, as a soldier, was to get my butt out of there and back home.

Disrespecting the troops involves making them fight and die for fabricated reasons while attacking anyone trying to bring them home."


New talking point:

Why do you want to keep our troops in harms way?

"Disrespecting the troops involves making them fight and die for fabricated reasons while attacking anyone trying to bring them home."

tours beyond their contract agreements. Nevermind that their private lives have been put on hold, possibly destroyed by the time they come back home.

Congressman Murtha spoke out after privately listening to straightforward talk from his Pentagon contacts. That tells me they are at the end of their rope.

Service personnel place their liberties and their very lives in trust to the American People that those liberties will be preserved and their sacrifices will not be squandered for narrow, illicit, or corrupt reasons. When we do that, through whatever 'government' we allow to operate in our name, we betray their trust.

that I agree military personnel have no say in what goes on...but I agree with that methodology... While I abhor this war, I really dont care what the military personnel have to say about it one way or the other....Case in point...

I served in the US Navy and had an article 15 for getting a tattoo in Hong Kong against Captains orders...For those of you who do not know, Article 15 is also (in the Navy) called "Captain's Mast" or "non-judicial punishment" You are charged and heard by the commanding officer and then punished - usually with confinement and/or fines...

Do you want to know what I was charged with? Disobeying orders? Nope! I WAS CHARGED WITH DESTROYING GOVERNMENT PROPERTY FOR GETTING A TATTOO...I argued of course against that charge, not realizing that it has been used for YEARS - the penalties are stiffer than they are for disobeying orders....Get it?

Needless to say if you ENLIST in the military (commissioned officers get much more preferential treatment) you become the PROPERTY of the government for the duration of your service. That is a simple FACT try to argue against it...

Additionally, you cannot even sue the US Government or the Military if you are serving. Good luck, Federal Law protects the Military from ALL civil liability.

It is critical that people understand this - when you join up (which is fine - I salute you if you do) you are no longer a person who has constitutional rights - Your rights (severly limited) are specified by the Uniform Code Of Military Justice.

That being said - I agree that this method is absolutely required to ensure cohesive combat performance, no question about that. My point is that you must absolutely be aware of your status as a non-person should you elect to serve. Subsequently, I have no interest in what "non persons" have to say about the war. Talk to me about it when you are discharged and become a person again....Am I mean? Nope. Im a sweet guy really...The tattoo? a little bitty Pegasus, my niece calls it a "horsey birdie"

withdrawing our troops would put them in harms' way.

Huh? What the hell does she think their in now?

What a piece of work she is.