The Broken Soldier

I cut ties with a group this morning.  Ostensibly the group promotes itself primarily as soldiers’ rights advocates.  Their stated purpose to improve the overall condition of service members’ lives.  In this regard, there are obvious similarities in their goals and my own.

This group is unqualifiably opposed to the war in Iraq.  To cut my critics off at the pass, my own opposition to war is layered and nuanced.  I won’t be donning a jester’s outfit and a phallic missile codpiece while blowing a trumpet, waiving a “Bushitler” sign, and riding a three-wheeled bike at the local protest march anytime soon.  My opposition is more an Eisenhowerian/lament that after 10 million years of hominid evolution we (the present favored apes) still haven’t found a better way to resolve our disagreements combo.  Hackneyed?  Sure.  But I feel Dwight’s company overcomes any lack of originality.  As well, I find it unfair, for want of a better word, that those who create policy leading to war seldom pay the price of that decision - other than at the ballot box for their political inexpedience.  Additionally, if that horrible decision is made, those in power must commit themselves to full funding, and to play to win - rather than manage a loss.  Neither of these conditions seem to have been met in this war.  The justification for this war, by my lights, not privy to and therefore ignorant of the facts that led to this decision, is equally good, or bad I guess, depending on your perspective, as any other war.

After a member of this group contacted me through the site, I signed up.  Why not?  It was free.  The guy kept calling me ‘brother.’  My wife got a free T-shirt out of the deal.  This morning things changed.  Instead of simply archiving the newsletter/announcement that typically calls for protesters and shit like that, I read it in its entirety.  To my chagrin I found the group’s true purpose: The advancement of a Socialist political/economic agenda.  Their recruiting techniques, I’m sure, garnering a proud upshot grin from Trotsky and other revolutionaries currently residing in the 7th circle of Hell.

Whether Socialism is or is not a good form of government is a separate issue.  That these people, in guise of fraternal care, would prey on service members during times of stress and weakness to advance Socialism is the issue.  I find this approach despicable and totally at odds with my own purpose: Improving a system clearly in need of improvement.  In the future I’ll be much more careful with whom I associate.