Is it possible to support the troops and not support the war they are fighting?

Question

Is this war turning slowly into another Vietnam. Lets just get out and loose. The hell with the troops. We don't really care about them. Soldiers and Sailors keep off the grass were real signs I saw in the 60s and 70s. Is this going to happen again. Shouldn't we no matter what the cause of the war go in and win it. Let the American people know we are still the superpower we have been. Let the world know not to mess with Big Bad Leroy Brown and face the fact that if we are coming to get you we will find you?

I do not believe in my country right or wrong. I do believe in once you start something you should finish it. Why support the troops when you give them a 2% pay raise? Why tell the press that if I am elected I will pull the troops out ASAP and the hell with the mission. Yes getting Saddam captured was the first and foremost mission, but we need to set up a government that can survive without a dictator. This is a new concept to the Iraqi people. They have to learn what freedom is all about.

Plus if we march out of Iraq, Iran, Syria, and who knows who else will march in and there will no longer be an Iraq. It has already started with the Turks attacking the Kurds in northen Iraq. Laugh all you want at America being the last superpower in the world. We have to live up to that name and that requires the completion of any mission, military, state department, or what ever the United States is engaged in.

Answer 1

No it is not possible to say you support them and not support their mission. You will damage their morale and damage their ability to perform if you constantly attack their mission. Only traitors would damage their own nations military fighting men and women, people who have never served overseas and do not know what it is like to really serve are quick to attack the mission and pretend to support the troops.

Answer 2

You can support troops and not the war because, theoretically, soldiers exist to protect their nation. They, themselves, don't have to support the war, but they do have to fight in it anyway. So, sure, you can back their general mission (protecting the country) and not the current situation.

To answer your other question, "Shouldn't we no matter what the cause of the war go in and win it. Let the American people know we are still the superpower we have been. Let the world know not to mess with Big Bad Leroy Brown and face the fact that if we are coming to get you we will find you?", this is probably backwards logic. 70% of Americans are angry at their government and the war. How long can America truly prosper if the gap between its citizens and its government widens? Plus, our economy is being strained, we're trillions of dollars in debt, and even our allies are beginning to turn against us. Throughout history, countries have always disliked more powerful ones, you can't escape that. But, we don't have to exacerbate the problem by flaunting our power (that's actually decreasing) so the whole world wants us dead. If we do, Big Bad Leroy Brown won't be so badass after all.

Answer 3

Of course. Separating the people from the problem may not be easy, but it is doable.

The reason the question even exists is because the premise is always incorrectly presented.

The "war" so often mentioned was won within weeks after the invasion of Iraq. The members of the military performed superbly, rapidly and efficiently defeating the named enemy and accomplishing the stated mission. The "war" is long over in Iraq.

Today there is no "war" for our service members to win in Iraq. What remains is the deadly legacy of an ill conceived and frequently changing policy for the region and specifically for Iraq.

All that remains is for policy makers to have the wisdom and courage to remove them from an environment where their continued presence does little more than aggravate an already hopeless cycle of sectarian violence

Answer 4

How many of the people saying yes, actually served in the military and I do not mean pen pushing remfs who never left nebraska, I see one who claims to have been in the Desert Gulf war saying yes you can, I say no you can not and agree with most of the military people on here, like RTO trainer, you can not support the troops yet tell them they are wasting their time on the mission because you do not support it, you have been opposed to it because you do not understand why we are there. That sends a negative message to the troops, NO Matter how much you think you are supporting them you send a negative message and you are harming them. The dems are harming them and the nation to spite the president, because they are so petty minded they would rather the US loses in Iraq to score political points to hate bush, MINDLESS

Answer 5

"support the troops" is a meaningless buzzword.

If Americans REALLY had to sacrifice something for the troops, and get off their fat butts, they'd shut up their patriotic claptrap really fast.

it's so easy to chant "support the troops" or "I support our troops" and then think that because they said a few words, that they actually DID something.

But they haven't "done" anything except mouth off.

This is why many troops hate loud-mouth patriots. All they do is make things worse for the troops because they do not share the pain of war. It's not the protestors. It's the "patriots" who say "go get 'em boys" and then fall back on the sofa.


If Americans were rationing gas, sewing flak jackets in their garages, being "Rosie the Riveter", giving financial support to families, etc., I'd respect this "support our troops" business.

But they don't, they just mouth off.

Answer 6

I do exactly that.

I would encourage my boss to hire any returning soldiers at a decent wage and I am very concerned about soldiers who suffer from PTSD and might not get all their benefits that they were promised.

I don't think it's right for people to perpetuate this notion that 18 year-olds who enlisted are all automatically Republicans who support the war.

How could they know? They haven't even had the chance to vote in an election before they are shipped off...

I support the troops but not this war...
And I don't just do it by slapping a yellow sticker on my car... I actually talk to people.

Answer 7

I always wanted to ask this question, but I knew it would cause such controversy. First of all, you can support or not support anything you want. and as a marine mom, I stear clear of politics, I support my son, but NOT THE WAR. But I would never tell him that, he has my full support. But what I believe in, or feel, is my own. I come from a large military family, and lets be real, not many people do support the war. I don't see anything noble about it. But what our men and women do over there is worth much praise. I'm so proud of our troops, but they deserve a better cause.

Answer 8

No it is not possible to have your cake and eat it too.

The Vietnam ref is out of order. Your understanding that preemtively abandoning Iraq will lead to others sweeping is is correct. Get some more History classes under your belt and see if the Middle East picture clears up for you.

Ret. USAF SNCO

Answer 9

I am afraid William you opened a Pandora's box on this one..and I am not afraid to answer this one....I am sure you did not anticipate a brief history lesson here..but I only am including it for the members that are not old enough to remember Vietnam....
Ok here is my opinion..and it is just that an opinion...First of all this war is completely different than Vietnam..In that war, South and North Vietnam had been fighting for over a thousand years for control of their country..and someone in our government their infinite wisdom decided that we should go in there and try and do in a few years what had not been accomplished in over a thousand years! It was in reality a land/government control/political and drug war in my opinion...many thousands of our country men and women died their without really knowing what they were fighting for!!! They only knew what our government had told them, I remember the signs of the 60's and 70's and what they said..and I remember the hundreds of protest that were staged in our capital and around our country..and also that there was no real official thanks or welcome home to our soldiers for their war efforts, instead they were ignored and ..they were called foul names like baby killers and many other horrible names..and they did not receive the help from the VA that they should have..to this day they are not helped the way they should be and for that I know our government was wrong!!!!!...Now on to the present war..this war was brought to our shores with the Twin Towers and Pentagon and the plane that crashed in that field in Pen..On that last plane was the bravest of the brave..they did not hesitate to give their lives for what they believed in..so why should we be any different!!!!! There were other signs before 9/11 that our government ignored..but when it came right down to it..what did we really want...WAR!!!! America as a whole wanted to and I will be down right graphic..America wanted to go over to that country and kick some Iranian Butt!!!! America has always been since the beginning a Strong Nation who will not tolerate being pushed around!!! While I agree that there are some Wars we should have not been involved in..this is not one of them!!!! We should support not only the troops but the war effort also..let them know we mean business and that they cannot come here in America and kill our people with out retaliation!!!! I fully believe in America The Brave....America The Strong..America The Beautiful and Home of the Free!!!! And if it takes a War to prove it... so be it!!!! Too many people do not believe in our country and that is sad..as to the war now..yes I wish it was over..and that we should not feel sorry for the partispants..they asked for this war and we gave it..as to the innocents of the war I do feel sorry for them..they did not ask their government to do this to America..but as an American..I think that their government should have thought about what would happen to it's people first..but no they struck first and asked questions later..and expected us to feel sorry for their people that were displaced..and we did..dropping food and supplies for the people...If I were those people I would have been weire of the food as it could be possibly poisoned..but America would not do this to innocents and that was what they expected..as for rebuilding..nope I do not agree we should help them..they would not help us in that effort.. So I do believe in this war..I come from a strong military background so it is natural for me to think this way..and yes some of my people are there now..I miss them but I will support them to the end as I do all others that are there..!!!! Donna

Answer 10

Yes it is possible. You cannot force democracy down people's throats it just doesn't work that way, and that is exactly what we are doing in Iraq. Yes, Saddam was a bad man but really a minuscule pest in comparison to much larger regimes that are now very scary (such as Iran) that we let get larger in the past few years while we were forcing democracy down Iraq's throat when really all they want to do is kill each other and our troops. Remind me , who exactly helped the U.S get a democracy set up and in place during the revolutionary war? This is a gut check question any supporter of this war should ask themselves. No one helped the U.S set up their democracy but U.S citizens and no one held up the "security" ends either besides U.S citizens. So why are we playing "security guard" for Iraq? Because Iraqi's do not want a democracy they want a dictator. Yes, probably because they probably do not know any better but is American blood and money worth their ignorance? You have to answer that yourself. Some say yes, others and myself say no. That's the current argument really. Is Iraqi incompetence, violence, and ignorance worth our soldier's blood and our tax dollars? But regardless our soldiers are not monsters, they deserve our respect. They were ordered to do a job and they have no other option but to follow their orders. My hats are off to them, especially when it's an order that looks bleak at best.

Answer 11

Yes, it is possible to support the troops but not the war. I have two sons in the military, one in Iraq, so of course I support them as well as all our troops. I do not support the strategy of the war, however, since I believe the Iraqis want us to protect them but appear unwilling to stand up and fight for themselves. And the politicians are all worried more about getting reelected than doing what is best for our country. What we need is another George Patton to be put in charge of our battles and given a free hand to win them.