[quote]TriGWU wrote:
My point being that the people thst stay in America and bitch about everything (no matter who is in charge) tend to forget that in 99% of other countries the bitching would earn them an unexpected boat trip to a deserted island. Very few countries allow that aspect of freedom.
It is easy for the college students of America to sit in their dorm room and bitch about freedom this and freedom that… what freedom is about… etc. I’d venture to say that the biggest proponents of this so-called freedom are the ones least likely to defend it to the death. I am speaking from small experience on my campus… where this is indeed the case.[/quote]
I agree completely that there is a strong ambiance of non-partiotism, however, how is this different than any other war fought since World War II? Unless there is a common threat to us all that is defined within one particular country, area or geography, the “enemy” becomes blurred and we lose that threat which would otherwise bind nearly all of us.
This war is sketchy. Regardless of how anyone wants to twist it, we were told one thing that turned out to be completely false. Since Bin Laden and Saddam weren’t exactly bed-mates, the one tragedy that did bind us all (the WTC tragedy) has yet to be avenged and our focus has now turned to justifying our position in Iraq by claiming to provide freedom to all of those in need. Honestly, how can you blame some people for questioning why we are over there right now? If this was a case of Iraq being a major super-power getting ready to send fleets and planes in America’s direction, you can guarantee that more people would be united in this. They weren’t. Relatively speaking, they are perhaps the weakest enemy we have ever fought as a nation, with their one true strength being the terrorists’ willingness to die at the drop of a hat for what they believe. That alone makes it harder to defeat as opposed to other countries where fear of death may dissuade resistance.
The majority of Americans think getting into the military is a bad idea. You have parents attempting to persuade their kids to never join which is why recruiters for the Army are having such a hard time lately and why so many new recruiters have been appointed. It wouldn’t be that way if all of America understood that we all have a common enemy. What makes this different is the fact that our enemy isn’t one country. It goes so deep that it affects religion and the core of what many of these people believe. They live to destroy our way of life…which means there are doctors, nurses, lawyers, car mechanics who could easily be the next enemy we fight.
So who are we fighting? If anyone could define that to a group of people that are strictly “over there”, you would immediately get more support. However, that isn’t the case. Bin Laden’s strategy in the past has been to establish operatives years in advance of an attack. That means our “war” over there may not prevent another attack. If anything, it has the very strong possibility of creating more terrorists.
Soldiers fight for America. That is why they need the support of AMERICANS. Regardless of your stance on this “war”, no one should act as if they don’t deserve respect. America’s way of life is what each one fights for and lives for. Whether your political stance is pro or con, that should never overshadow the gratitude and the need for every man and woman in that position. So yes, before anyone writes it, that does make a soldier different than any other career, job or profession…because your way of life is on the line no matter where you stand on the issues.
However, that same freedom they fight for also involves allowing people to say what they feel…even if some don’t agree with it. It all adds up to respect on all sides.