Support the Troops

“We Support the troops” has been the mindless mantra since George Bush sent the first soldiers into Afghanistan more than four and half years ago. What a crock! This slogan is pasted on every other bumper strip in the country, displayed in windows all over town. And what does it mean? Not a damn thing! The United States is not at war! The United States Army is at war and for more than four years it has been led by the most incompetent, politically influenced leaders in our entire military history.

This is the most expensive war in history and what does the federal government do to support the troops? They cut taxes. The Bush administration puts out no-bid contracts to their close buddies and when the contractors fail to do the job, what does the government do? They pay them anyway, give them bonuses and offer them more contracts.

After four years of war none of the brilliant defense officials have figured an alternative to driving humvee reconnaissance vehicles down the “death” highways to be blown up by IEDs. The IEDs, the most primitive weapon since the invention of gunpowder have completely stymied our ordnance experts and they prove the classic definition of insanity, “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.

Our army men today are a breed apart from the traditional soldier. They don’t stand guard. They don’t do KP. They don’t clean their own quarters or wash their own clothes. The government hires civilans at $1,500 a week and up to perform these chores. And to induce these soldiers to reenlist they offer obscene bonuses ranging from $10,000 to $150,000. We don’t have soldiers, we have mercenaries. Despite all the money enticements, recruiting is running more than 16% behind the established goal. The army has lowered its standard for admission. An individual no longer has to be a high school graduate and he can even have a criminal record and be enlisted. One in ten American soldiers on active duty has a criminal record (hard time).

If we really wanted to support our troops. We would forget the flags and bumper stickiers and mount a concerted effort to force Congress to do its duty. Instead of giving in to the tyrant in the White House, the people should be storming the offices of the Senate and the House, demanding that they do their duty under the Constitution. We should be pounding on their doors, demonstrating in the streets, and inundating them with E-mails.

The Penatagon sends ill-trained and ill-equipped soldiers to Iraq and we accept that like dumb oxen. They put ridiculous “stop-loss” orders on soldiers who have completed their tours because the Defense Department can’t find and train enough replacements. We poke scorn at Cindy Sheehan, and call her crazy, when she asked the simple question, “For what noble cause was my son killed?” Instead we should be asking the same question. Loud and clear, over and over.
During the recent Democratic Presidential debate, someone asked the question, "Are these young soldiers dying in vain?" One or two of the pompous candidates opined, “No soldier who dies for his country, dies in vain." What a bunch of poppycock! Shades of the “Charge of the Light Brigade!” When soldiers die because their leaders can’t find their butts without a lesson plan those lives are indeed wasted, those men do die in vain.

Unless you are an immediate family member of a National Guard or Reserve soldier serving in Iraq or Afghanistan, you have not the faintest clue of the disruption, heartache and financial difficulties these families face daily. Loss of jobs, homes, family disruptions, even divorce. And trauma to the children that will last their entire lives.

This is how we "support the troops".