2007-09-20 07:56:57 · 37 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Military
I hold no grudge against them personally, but they do the bidding of George W. Bush.
2007-09-20 08:02:36 · update #1
You should read Plato's early works on the trial and death of Socrates. (Apologia, Crito, Phaedo,...) Socrates is condemned to death by an unfair trial and is awaiting execution but he refuses to easily escape because he has voluntarily lived under Athenian law and now he will die under Athenian law. Not sure I agree with him though.
2007-09-20 08:32:28 · answer #1 · answered by Bodhisattva E 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Well.....
You pay taxes so you support them whether you want to or not.
I personally think you should support the troops if you are an American citizen, however you do not have to.
Supporting government policy is a different issue that the troops are not associated with.
It is possible to support the troops and not support the government policy in terms of how that manpower is used.
The troops support and defend the constitution of the United States, not George Bush. George Bush is the elected President and commander in chief so since the troops support and defend the constitution they must obey his orders.
It is up to the US congress, and US Supreme Court to question the orders of the President of the United States, not the US Armed Forces.
If the US Armed Forces had the ability to question the orders of the executive branch then there would be a risk of military dictatorship. That is why the constitution was engineered that way.
Members of the US Armed Forces must obey all LEGAL orders from those appointed over them both military and civilian.
Illegal orders are defined by the Uniform Code of Military Justice.
When given an illegal order you are legally bound to not follow it according to the UCMJ.
Based on your statement that the troops do the bidding of President Bush my assessment would be that you know very little about how the US government works in relation to the US Armed Forces.
2007-09-20 08:04:17 · answer #2 · answered by h h 5 · 5⤊ 1⤋
According to the U.S. Constitution freedom includes the right NOT to support a retarded, evil government but ask the Republicans and you'll get the "Ain't no democracy without war!" line. Go a bit further south for the ever-popular "If you're not for us you're against us" intellect. Go anywhere looking Muslim and watch how far people stay from you and how many dirty looks you get. If you're a dude, likelihood is they won't say anything too loud because they'll think you have a bomb in your shoe. This nationalistic garbage makes me ill. Didn't we all learn anything from Nazi Germany?
Why DO Americans tend to like sending their troops into deserts and utterly unfamiliar territory? Is it a requirement or something? Vietnam, Iraq, where to next? York Maze? The Labyrinth in Belgium?
EDIT: Em, are you kidding? This is not a religious war? You must still be in Kansas. I'm glad Dorothy got out.
2007-09-20 18:22:09 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
No you don't have to do that unless you choose too. They are risking their lives and giving up their freedom so that you can make that choice. Are you supporting the Iraqi Police and/or military that is working with them since they are Muslim? Would you rather support AQ and the other extremist groups who are Muslim but also killing more innocent civilians (who happen to be Muslim) in a day then the U.S. forces kill in a month? The extremist are killing the civilian population for not supporting them or just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time and, all the talk about a very few bad apples aside, the U.S. military has restricted themselves to killing those trying to kill them. But you have the freedom to support or not support whomever you want and the U.S. military personnel are the ones who have ensured you have that right.
2007-09-20 08:56:17 · answer #4 · answered by GunnyC 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Muslim, Catholic, Jewish, whatever religion you are.... if you are an American citizen, the troops job is to protect you. Because they are out fighting protecting our freedoms, you can live here in the USA and worship as you see fit. If you were living in Iraq you could be being persecuted by other Muslims because you don't belong to a certain sect, neighborhood, or ethnic group. As an American citizen you are provided with the protection of a military that does not see color or religion... all they know is that it is their job to protect the AMERICAN PEOPLE. And of course they have to do what Bush says... he's the Commander in Chief.... he's the boss. That's what happens in the military... they get orders, the follow them. They did what Clinton said, too, and we lost the greatest chance we had to nab Bin Laden, and look what happened. (I know a guy that was in that mission)
So, yes... support the troops. You don't have to like war, but respect those that lay down their lives without question for people they will never meet.
2007-09-20 08:12:09 · answer #5 · answered by mlcg2001 3 · 4⤊ 1⤋
That's right they do the bidding of George Bush. And before him, they did the bidding of Clinton, and the first George Bush, and Reagan, and so on... The president is their highest ranking commanding officer. They better do whatever he says, that's their job in the military. They don't have a choice. And THEY are the reason why you can even post that on here, so I suggest you start supporting them.
2007-09-20 08:24:35 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 1⤋
They do the bidding of the President and Commander in Chief as is their duty. It may be hard for you to fathom but many believe strongly in the fight. Are you a good Muslim? Sunni, Shite, Fundamentalist? If you are not good enough, your Muslim brothers are just as likely to come after you as anyone else. They slaughtered each other like goats in Afghanistan before we went in. They are doing the same now in Iraq. I doubt they will have little mercy for you or your family because you have not heeded the call and joined the Jihad. You are much safer living in a military town in the US than you would be in a strict Muslim neighborhood in Kabul. Something you should think about.
2007-09-20 08:34:03 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
There are 3,400 Muslims on active duty right now. About 1,500 are in the Army. An Air Force Captain who is a Muslim ran into the burning Pentagon building on September 11, 2001 and led hundreds to safety, getting badly burned himself in the process. A 19-year old NYPD cadet ran into World Trade Center #2 and led hundreds to safety before the building collapsed and killed him. He was an Arab-American and a Muslim. The Marine Corporal who raised the American flag above Bagram Air Base in 2003 was an Afghan-American and a Muslim.
If you think that we are after the Muslims, you are wrong. We are after the Salafist Jihadists who demean Islam with their terrorism, even going so far as to foster Muslim killing Muslim. You don't have to support the troops. They are doing quite well without your support. That includes the Muslims in their ranks.
2007-09-20 08:29:13 · answer #8 · answered by desertviking_00 7 · 7⤊ 1⤋
The troops didn't chose to go to war, the president did. Don't punish the troops for something that they have no control over. As an American citizen, you SHOULD support the people who make sacrafices for the place you call home.
2007-09-20 08:54:48 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's not NECESSARY that anyone support it. I think it's better when people support the government, even if it seems what they're doing is wrong to them, or to others, but no it's not NECESSARY.
Also, there's many levels of support one gives. I don't think anyone's asking you to enlist in the military (though most decent people would support you if you decided you wanted to). The whole "send care packages" phase seems to have passed, but a few years back that's something a lot of people did. There's also just verbal support, putting things like the support our troops ribbon on your car, something like that. Now, I know it doesn't really help our military, but it's still a nice gesture.
2007-09-20 08:10:15 · answer #10 · answered by William E. Roberts 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
No, you do not have to support the men who died to bring some freedoms to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. The troops that are dying to protect the nation you live in. Who helped Iraq have a free election.
You could also move to the middle east and live in a repressive nation there.
2007-09-20 08:59:22 · answer #11 · answered by John C 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋