You Support The Troops? I Call Bullshit!

“I Support The Troops” is by far one of the most ingenuine idioms used by Americans on all sides of the political spectrum. When the troops are invading countries for oil, mercilessly bombing innocents with predator drones and forcefully establishing a ‘democracy’, you ‘support’ the troops. But when they are taking their own lives, complaining about the culture of rape in the military and/or asking for quarters on the street corner, you turn a blind eye.

Those who claim they support the troops say so with such spurious sincerity it makes me flinch. You support imperialism, the exploitation and enslavement of brown people and you could give a damn about the people who willfully and ignorantly risk their lives to fight unjust wars.

When was the last time you actually supported the troops? And I don’t mean dedicating a post on your Facebook wall. I mean helping veterans resist a home foreclosure, or helped a suicidal marine with PTSD, or sacrificed some change to a homeless vet, or volunteer at a VA hospital, or support one of the 19,000 troops who are raped annually by their fellow soldiers? I thought so.