Do Warbloggers Support the Troops, or the War?

Technorati Tags: Iraq war, supporting the troops, opposition to war among veterans

Professor Bainbridge points out how bogus some war supporters' "support for our troops" really is:

Blogger Bruce Kesler claims to believe that "It is patently dishonest for a political party to misrepresent the views of veterans or to malign veterans." Except, apparently, when the veteran in question strays from the mandatory pro-Iraq war stance warbloggers demand. Hence, for example, Kesler reacts to former Army Major General John Batiste’s appearance in anti-war ads by, ... well ..., maligning the General: "Batiste, despite protestations, is either a liar or a fool."

I've noticed this pattern among a lot of warbloggers. They claim to support the troops, right up until the troops in question draw on years of military experience to conclude that the war is a mistake that continues to be mismanaged. Any veteran who dares question Bush 43 becomes an enemy to be maligned and marginalized.

I have noticed this, too, over and over. And it goes beyond warbloggers' attitudes toward the veterans or the active-duty troops who oppose the war. You can see it also in the way warbloggers respond to news that does not reflect well on the stated mission, or on the progress of the war, or on the way men and women who have fought in the war are treated by the military and by the U.S. government when they get home. When the WaPo broke the news about the disgusting, scandalous conditions at Walter Reed Hospital, did you notice the outcry by war supporters? No, neither did I. When follow-up reports came out indicating that the Veterans Administrations' financial resources were stressed to the breaking point by the sheer number of Iraq war veterans needing services, did you catch the outrage on the right side of the blogosphere? No, neither did I. What about the high suicide rate among soldiers in Iraq, and the severe mental health problems, among veterans of the war? Who writes about chronic depression, suicidal ideation, and unmanageable anger in former servicemen and women, or the larger repercussions for society of increased divorce rates, difficulty finding and holding jobs, nightmares and inability to sleep, post-trauma flashbacks, and the physical disabilities that are severe enough to necessitate a lifetime of specialized medical care?

Too few people write about those issues, or talk about them. But of the ones who do, war supporters are in the forefront, because they are the ones who support the troops, right?

Wrong.