Why is dissent seen as being treacherous?

Question

Where are we now, as a country, when open dissent it stepped on, and any criticism of our president and the war is seen as a personal attack on our troops?
I would like to direct interested people in Bill Moyer's fascinating and disturbing PBS documentary called 'Buying the War' (http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/btw/watch.html).
It is especially important for anybody in the journalism field to take this in.

Answer 1

I'm going to answer you with a direct quote from Emily Dickinson, and then paraphrase what it means to me for you. This is the best possible answer I can give you.

"Much Madness" by Emily Dickinson

Much madness is divinest sense
To a discerning eye;
Much sense the starkest madness.
'T is the majority
In this, as all, prevails.
Assent, and you are sane;
Demur--you're straightaway dangerous,
And handled with a chain.


Here in America, like it or not, the majority always wins. If the majority believes in one goal or ideal and you dissent from their opinion, just like Emily Dickinson says, "...you're straightaway dangerous". Now all of the sudden you become Anti-American. Now you are an enemy of the troops. Our, yes, we may despise to call him this, but remember, the MAJORITY of voters chose him, President, Mr. Bush, is quite big on the "if you're not with us than you're with the enemy" philosophy. Does this sound like McCarthyism to anyone? The minute somebody didn't like what America was doing or thought, perhaps all this Communist fear is blown out of proportion, BAM! Smacked with the Anti-American label. And if you didn't support America, that must mean that you're too weak. If you won't aid America, you're an enemy of America. That means you're on the "Enemy of America" side, led by Communists. Now, instead of not agreeing with the American Government, people like Senator McCarthy labeled you as a Communist and black-listed your entire life.
"...And handled with a chain". I remember Mr. Cheney recently announcing that the Democratic plan to withdraw from Iraq was a "...defeatist policy...". "...And handled with a chain", anyone?

Basically, to directly answer your question, one can relate it to the aforementioned idea and an idea of since you're not supporting the President, who is also the Commander In Chief of our military forces, that must mean that you're not supporting the troops; you're not supporting the leader, so why would you support the, for lack of a better word, underlings?

Dissent, my friend. Dissent. The majority of Americans back you. They want out of the war. That's a huge reason why our Senate and House of Representatives are Democratic. I heard a commercial about the Iraq Funding Bill not a half hour before this post. The lines that stuck out to me were: "He was wrong then and he's wrong now. Its the will of one nation versus the stubborness of one man." Thousands are behind you. Millions are behind you. Do not cease an inch of ground.

If anyone would like to see the commercial, click on this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7bIo4-iaAA

Answer 2

I believe that dissent, in and of itself, is not seen as treacherous. However, PUBLIC dissent has been used as a weapon against the USA and can and has increased the danger to our troops. Many feel it is best to dissent behind the scenes in war time. To focus on Iraq, if AQ were to believe that starting a civil war wasn't causing the Americans to waiver, they would be more likely to rethink their actions and give up in Iraq rather then being emboldened to kill more people and to "stay the course" until the Americans run home and they can then force an Islamic government on the Iraqi people. By lengthening the conflict, more people, including US and allied soldiers, die. Morale is also negatively affected by public dissent and lower morale equals higher casualties.

So its not dissent that is treacherous in war time, it's the method of dissent and the heartlessness/thoughtlessness of the people who publicly dissent that is seen as treacherous.

Answer 3

A person often has to have balls in order to dissent. At times, it also lead to more progressive views. No one thought twice about the cleanliness meat-processing facilities until "The Jungle" was published.
(If people are still buying the war, maybe they should stay away from Wall St.)

Answer 4

"The dissenter is every human being at those moments of his life when he resigns momentarily from the herd and thinks for himself."
Archibald Macleish

Answer 5

Obviously, if we don't agree with the current regime, (oops I mean administration) we are traitors. At least that is what they want us to think.

DISSENT IS THE HIGHEST FORM OF PATRIOTISM
Thomas Jefferson