The Troop Support Fallacy

I have numerous friends and not all of them conservative like me. This is natural and I obviously don't mind differing opinions. One thing I hear often is a general lack of support for the war. Of course most conservatives always ask "don't you support the troops?". This response from conservatives has become so common that it is now made fun of in the media. I usually ask the question "Why not?" instead as I get more descriptive answers. Undoubtedly I will hear the anger that we shouldn't be in Iraq, that the war is over oil, Halibertan, Bush is evil. You would figure I would learn right? Well, eventually I did.

This all stems from a fallacious division between supporting the war and supporting the troops. Most people I talk to have been convinced that somehow, perhaps through magic, that this is a possible point of view. Well while I was at my new job picking up garbage I thought a bit and figured out not just that this is wrong, but why this is wrong.

The very first thing that must be realized is that to say this war is over oil and wrong for some reason is to say that our foe is innocent. By this I mean that we have no right being there and no right to use force to impose anything upon them. Basically the war is unjustified. If our troops are there killing these obviously innocent people then they are murderers. Ya that's right, murderers. To claim that the war is unjustified and that those we are fighting are innocent somehow then that means anyone who kills them are murderers. So short of supporting murderers you cannot support the troops without supporting the war.

"But they are forced!!" No they aren't. Despite the rumors of a draft coming there is no mandate to serve. Furthermore the men and women who are there often go back for several tours. "But they are payed money and are government officials." Guess what, hitmen are payed and you will find them all in prison. In the 1700's many countries used to employ privateers to rob our enemies. They all end up in prison or worse. There is no argument to deflect this one problem.

This argument applies no matter the reason for this war or its current state. No matter how this is spun the war MUST be supported to support the troops. Now with most people I have no doubt they were unaware of this fallacy; they are forgiven. The people in congress and the media are a different matter. In case you have forgotten these are the same people who just a few years before I was born were found spitting on troops and cursing them. You honestly believe they have seen the error of their ways? Sure they have. The error they have seen is that you have to hide how you truly feel. If a congressman is found to even mention a negative view of troops then he would be castrated on the spot.

Just remember, it is the same as calling our troops murderers when you claim the war is for oil. If you want to say the war could have been done better then fine, but to yell about blood oil and evils for money then you have called out every active duty officer in Iraq. There is no division between the two.