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As for how “the troops” themselves feel, we refer readers to Richard Engel’s recent story on NBC News quoting Specialist Tyler Johnson in Iraq: “People are dying here. You know what I’m saying . . . You may [say] ‘oh we support the troops.’ So you’re not supporting what they do. What they’s [sic] here to sweat for, what we bleed for and we die for.” Added another soldier: “If they don’t think we’re doing a good job, everything we’ve done here is all in vain.” In other words, the troops themselves realize that the first part of the resolution is empty posturing, while the second is deeply immoral.
I support American (and British and all the rest of them) troops risking their lives in Iraq, but this is wrong.
Troops committed to wage a conflict that is, by its very nature and limitations, futile, can be supported while their mission is not. The best way to support our troops, however, is to commit them to battles that can bring us victory. Sending them out to fight and die in a conflict in Iraq, while ignoring Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and all the other regimes engaged in battle with our troops, (and killing them) but who are ignored by our leaders for reasons involving domestic politics, not national security, is not the way to do that.
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