Support the Troops?

Email Print posted by saad 05/30/2008 11:42:59 AM EST

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It is very surprising to see that John McCain does not support the GI Bill.

McCain isn't alone. Even Secretary Robert Gates feels that it's not a good idea to offer the troops a chance to get an education. The point they make is that they want to encourage people to stay in the military.
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Is this a valid argument?
Yes 21%
No 78%
I don't know 0%

Votes: 14
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Support the Troops? | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
I doubt republicans even respect the troops... (none / 0)
Something that I encountered at work, while discussing Pat Tillman with a hardcore republican, was a very unnerving feeling that a lot of GOPers, at their core, disdain our troops as unwitting and stupid pawns in their political game.

I thought for a long time that the reason that the most hardcore warmongering chickenhawks never served was simply the fact that they were bullying, cowardly, hypocrits.  But the hardcore republican said that he, "always thought Pat Tillman was kind of stupid" for joining the military after Sept. 11th.  My response was along the lines of "he felt he had a patriotic duty, that was more important than amassing wealth."  The GOPer went on to elaborate that a "certain kind of people" should be fighting our wars.  Poor?  Stupid?  Minority?  I wonder how prevalent this kind of thinking is among the republicans.  It does, however, provide a convincing explaination about how the GOP can stab our troops in the back every chance they get and not even wince.

Anyone else have in depth talks with GOPers about their "respect" for the military? 

by twalters0 on 05/30/2008 01:00:44 PM EST

Respect for human life (none / 0)

in general is subordinate to the accumulation of wealth, how many dead soldiers and civilians do we need to actually realize this? I was talking to a guy, conservative here, worth over $100 million...I asked him this:

"If you had $500 million invested in a pipeline in Iraq, and insurgents were attacking the pipeline from a school what would you do?"

He goes, no word of a lie:

"I would directly to Bush and tell him to bomb the school, with the insurgents on it and with the kids in it!"

"Why!?!"

"Because you would get rid of the present and future insurgents in one swat"

This is the reality of the different moralities and logic of different classes of people. Republicans are just pathetic because most are not rich and pretend they are...while in reality they are just as much pawns as those soldier boys are. 

 

Blog: http://perspectivos.blogspo t.com/

by Nick86 on 05/30/2008 01:10:46 PM EST

[ Parent ]
Hey it's a valid argument, just not (none / 0)

a very moral or ethical one and certainly not a very democratic argument.  I think it's important to remember that the GOP's religious/ethical/moral beliefs often come from people who believe in the Prosperity doctrine.  These are the same people who think our 'immigration crisis' is caused by all those poor/unwanted babies that were never born.  Just imagine the size of our army then!

 

by Duncansmom14 on 05/30/2008 01:44:08 PM EST

Now I'm impressed (none / 0)

Even Republican and Bush appointee Robert Gates agrees with Bush?  Well, maybe we have all been wrong about this.

Seriously, Gates may be one of the less flunky of the flunkies but come on, do you really think his agreeing with Bush is that significant?

It seems to me the reduction in retention (which is next to nothing anyway unless you count involuntary retention) will likely be offset and more by new enlistees wanting the benefits. 

My current operating theory is a GI Bill is bad for the Bushies because a) we might actually get a lot of people signing up and dramatically reduce the need for the crooked, privatized, American girl-raping, murdering mercenaries of Blackwater, Haliburton, KBR etc. and therefore the need for the massive unregulated crooked contracts and subsequent kickbacks and b) if soldiers can get an education when they quit they will have far less incentive to take a job as a mercenary/contractor for Blackwater, Haliburton, KBR etc.

It seems to me that the option to quit the military and take a six-figure job working for Blackwater where you are subject to no law whatsoever, can kill and rape at will and quit anytime you want for doing the same job the army pays and treats you like shit for doing is a pretty damn big incentive to leave the service but I don't hear McCain, Gates, Bush, etc. squawking about that. 

by ProfRich on 05/30/2008 02:18:53 PM EST

If you hand me a hammer (none / 0)
I will hit you with it.

One of the great myths perpetuated by the corporate media is the undying support the troops receive from Republicans.

In truth that support only came from the rank and file.

Pub politicians have never supported the troops in any real way.

What Pub Pols support are big defense contracts that help their rich friends nothing more. It is high time we show them the truth

by LORD FOUL on 05/30/2008 05:27:01 PM EST

I voted "yes" (none / 0)
Its a valid argument for people who don't give a shit about the welfare of our veterans.

by hazmat on 05/30/2008 05:42:58 PM EST

Here's an idea (none / 0)

It's a lousy argument. If they want to keep enough people in the military, why don't they just conscript everyone?

Oh, right, we'd have been out of Iraq in 2004 allready. 

by Cogitor on 05/30/2008 07:36:29 PM EST

Support the Troops? | 7 comments (7 topical, 0 hidden)
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