Can you be against the War and still be Patriotic?

Question

I am against this aggression in Iraq ( It never has been declared a WAR) ...Does bush decide who is and who isn't patriotic?

Can you explain why not?

the_greatone
My contention is that they are indeed not there fight for my rights or yours..but rather for Corporations that have a vested interest in the Mideast...Iraq never posed a threat to us

tinytinker79
I clearly said the Iraq aggression..

linus_van_pe...
excuse me..jaded?

Answer 1

I am a veteran and you do not have to support the war in Iraq to be patriotic. You are required to protect the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic. If a war is declared because of a direct threat to the USA--then you must support it. Iraq never directly threaten the USA and the war, in fact, was planned by the neocons in the 90s and the 9/11 attack gave them their excuse. You can go to their website which is called the Plan for the New American Century and read all about it.The neocons and other top government officials are not patriots, but in fact, are enemies of the constitution by their lying to the American people to fight their preplanned war in Iraq and passing laws(e.g. Patriot Act) and instituting secret spy programs that take the constitutional rights away from the American people. The best example of extreme patriotism is Germany during WW II and it is called Fascism or Nazism. Look at the old black and white newsreels of the German people lining the streets waving their swastika flags, their eyes glazed in their patriotic fervor. Hitler's Nazi party came to power when it burned the German Parliament building down and blamed it on the Communists. Hitler then told the German people that in order for him to protect them from the terrorist communists he needed a new law enacted. The German Parliament passed the Enabling Act and the Nazis took over the government and the rest is history.

Answer 2

Yes of course, and anyone who thinks different is a fool! And I'm not usually that arrogant to say such a thing! I don't feel Bush has the real historic ideals of the dreams that fought to build something great from this land. If you don't think our country has made mistakes in the past well then there is something not right in your head. I think it is quite obvious that we are also continuing to make some mistakes. It is actually un-American to support everything your Government does because the great parts about America were built on the ideals that everyone is equal and that everyone is allowed to have their own views, beliefs, dreams etc, as long as they are healthy for all. I don't see much of our Government with that kind of attitude so I'm not gonna back every single thing they do even if it is as big as a war. The current Government media campain about the war on terror I find very coy, cold and calculated on the inside. I see a strong use of this government using fear and guilt and all the classic things that empires and dictators have used to sway and control their people. They are simpily not trustable!!! Why should I support their out of control war against anything that seems remotely threatening and isn't too big? **** them!

Answer 3

Yes. I appreciate your concern and imagination what is going to happen if the Bush administration continues with such rhetoric. Sometimes those who pronounce themselves as patriots or who try to define patriotism are themselves not one of them. In my opinion a patriot never does anything which is going to harm the interests of the citizens. By going to war with Iraq just for nothing (as claimed), the Bush administration has put the US in trouble. Figting terror is good but inciting terrorists is a sin against the citizens of the US and the humanity as a whole.

A true patriot always speaks his mind and that too in the interests of the country. I second your viewpoint.

Answer 4

TO JADED: you really are. You must have really been brainwashed. The answer is YES, you can disagree with the war and be patriotic. Just because you don't agree with war doesn't mean you don't support our Valued Soldiers either. Think about this: 50 Soldiers who were at either war in Iraq (the first or second) are running for office. Of the 50, 49 of them are running as DEMOCRATS. Apparently, they are not high on the war either, or else they would be Republican....scratch that....they would be NEO-CON, which is worse.

Answer 5

Yes, absolutely.

Can a person insist on the sanctity of private property and still be a patriot? Yes.

Can a person refuse to allow the State to interfere with the moral tradition of his town, and still be a patriot? Yes.

Can a person demand that only people who own property in the state of their residence, be allowed to vote on matters concerning property taxes - and yet be a patriot? Yes.

Freedom and tolerance are hard things. They require a level of buy-in into the culture of America - not just the laws on her books.

That's how we best go about showing our patriotism. By keeping our promises. Insisting on civil behavior in public. Working hard. Respecting moral authority. Keeping the private sphere out of public interference. Promoting individual responsibility, and helping make communities that encourage such responsibility.

There's no way around it. Patriotism does not exist in a vacuum. The principles that made the USA great are either part of our characters - or they are not, and that is the difference between either having one's disagreement on Iraq heard and weighed - or having it instantly dismissed.

It certainly bears heavily on the prospects of any movement that seeks to change American policy...

Answer 6

Yes. You can. As a liberal who has been to the middle east 3 times, who has served in the military, believe that Iraq could have been invaded further down the road. We tried to tell the administration this. We tried to tell the administration that Iraq would find itself facing civil war. We tried to tell the administration that without a firm post war plan, our objectives wouldn't be reached. But were we listened to? No. The very same people that told BushCo that we'd be in and out in less than 3 years, are now aligned with the very terrorist groups and political apparatus we tried to defeat.

Answer 7

the current practice of elected government officials declaring people patriotic is part of an experiment. this experiment is to see how well US citizens like the idea of a fascist dictator. throughout history and modern times, leaders have tried to get people to believe that supporting the current leader(regardless of that leaders faults) is the patriotic thing to do. It is to see how well people can be made loyal to a person rather than to the US constitution. If one person(stalin, mussolini, hitler, mao, kim jung il, the pharoh, caesar, the king, emperor, etc) is the focus of the peoples loyalty and gets to decide whos a good citizen and who isn't a good citizen, that is a despotic society. it is a dictatorship. in WWII, the leaders hitler and stalin made it standard that all the good citizens who love their country also love the man in charge and let him make all the rules.

yes, you can be against the war and a patriot. however, do not engage in riots and street marches. Those are (1) started and financed by people who want to grab political power. (2) the method used by illiterate people and non voters to express their opinion (3) watched and photographed by our enemies as a morale tool.

write your congressman

Answer 8

I am patriotic, but I am totally against this war! I believe in our constitution and think that if our government leaders would actually follow it this country would be a much better place. I have never been in the military, but I support our troops. I believe in having a strong military. But, I don't believe in using that military to bully other countries or to help line the pockets of our leaders.

We have the freedom of speech because of all of the people who have died for this country. But, just because I oppose this war doesn't mean I should have to forego that right. The fact that I exercise my freedom of speech is an expression of my patriotism.

Answer 9

no longer an trouble-free question. Germany's defeat on the east front had no longer that plenty to do with troop power. Germany became into outnumbered there a million:10 from the start. maximum of Germany's defeat had to do with the replace of stunning protection tension commanders with idiots and the creation of the T34 to the battlefield. whilst being no adventure to the hot era of German tanks it became into much less high priced and would desire to be produced in numbers Germany would desire to in basic terms dream of. yet without different fronts and specially without the air raids on the commercial complicated Germany could have been able to produce extra of those monsters. The management undertaking in spite of the undeniable fact that could proceed to be as they have been replaced at a time while Germany became into nonetheless reducing by Russia like a warm knife by butter.

Answer 10

These are Orwellian times. You evidently cannot be Patriotic if you oppose the Iraq war . . . if you are an American.

If you are British, on the other hand, the only person in the country who admits to supporting the war is Tony Blair himself. So you can be patriotic and oppose the war as an American scheme to steal Iraqi oil that went wildly awry.

I have only heard one single law professor try, rather lamely, to assert a legal for Operation Iraqi Freedom. It is illegal under international law. But at least since the invasion of Nicaragua, also declared illegal by the World Court, the USA has ignored international law when it suits it.

But, in futher Orwellian speak, "war" is used loosely -- as in the "war on terrorism". By any true definition, war has to be against a state, or against a group with political aims. This war is one against human rights and civil liberties. And one that is making the military industrial complex extremely powerful and extremely rich.

And one that will reduce the power and wealth of America -- and of its future generations who will have to pay off the national debt held by China (and a few other countries) -- immeasurably.