I’ve been thinking about this amped up conservative rhetoric that liberals and leftists hate America. We all know that’s BS. Right? Except it’s not, and we should respond to it for what it is.
“I love an America I grew up in. I love an America I believe in, that I lived most of my life in. Now, the idea of America that you’re fighting and “winning” for is killing that America I live in, that I love. So you’re right. I hate what you imagine America to be… because it is trying to murder the America that I love. And I don’t use the word “murder” lightly, and I apply it to you. And if that means to you that I hate America… then you’re right! The America you believe in isn’t lovable.”
That’s all.
The American military isn’t a monolith. I don’t know a single soldier who served in Afghanistan or Iraq that feels we served any noble purpose by being there—but of course I don’t think I’d count anyone who felt differently among my friends. Yes, we take a vow to serve the American people and put faith in our leadership knowing it is flawed. You can judge me for that, and in the end I don’t believe in any ultimate arbiter of right and wrong so from my perspective your judgement is no better or worse than my own.
I’m sure this is a great comfort to the people of Afghanistan and Iraq
OK, so why were any of you there in the first place?
Because Bush. Frankly thought he and his administration should’ve been tried for war crimes and shit but we don’t allow our leaders to be held accountable. We often don’t allow even our soldiers to be held accountable. But then, what country allows their leadership to be held accountable? If you’re lucky once someone is out of office they will be tried for corruption, we won’t don’t even do that.
The whole point of the US military is to bully, invade and bomb other countries, by joining you by definition become complicit. Clinton was already bombing Iraq, you can’t play the “I didn’t realize there’d be a war” card.
Also self defense, defense of allies, often humanitarian missions. You’re flat out wrong here.
Who’s realistically going to attack the US? Afghanistan and Iraq weren’t self-defense, there’s no argument for justifying them.
What is it about the US that makes it so unassailable?
The american military is functionally a white supremacist monolith that carries out the will of american capitalists by committing genocide regardless of how it’s soldiers individually feel before, during, and after helping commit the genocides.
Yes there is no ultimate arbiter of right and wrong. But just know that you are currently proud of helping commit genocide. That is a fact.