Does Supporting the Troops Imply a Vast Conspiracy? 2

Living in America, I have found the constant barrage of pleas for my acknowledgement of our men and women in uniform to be perplexing.

Me: Wait, why are the marines performing a color guard ceremony right now? What does this have to do with baseball?

Everyone Else in the Room: Dude, shut up.

I honestly don’t understand why I am supposed to feel indebted to people who signed up to be in the armed services. The answer I hear most often is some variation of the notion that they are fighting for our freedom.

I’m going to forget about history and frame this in a current context.

The majority of troops are stationed in occupying bases around the world, but those aren’t the ones I’m supposed to feel grateful for, I don’t think. The ones I am supposed to feel grateful for are the ones who are participating in the invasions of Iraq and Afghanistan, I think. At least that seems to be what I am told while watching basketball on holidays.

This is where my confusion comes in.

First of all, anyone who cares to know can easily see that the invasion of Iraq was a planned and executed maneuver serving the purpose of enriching civilian contractors, and was based, one hundred percent, on the deception of an executive branch which held financial interest in doing so. End of story. So, it isn’t an honorable mission.

The most current Gallop Poll shows that 53% of Americans believe that invading Iraq was a mistake. So, I guess we are supposed to feel indebted to guys who are participating in a war which the majority of people think is futile?

PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT IT. Because I don’t see why I owe them anything. WHAT AM I MISSING HERE?

Is it because their job is hard? So is working on the highways. I would argue that the people who work on highways are fighting for our freedom more than the armed forces – because the highways are a tangible result and they allow you to have the freedom to drive places. What about the people who work for the power company?

Am I supposed to feel a disproportionate compassion for the troops because they are fighting two wars which are weakening national security, and they don’t have the validation of fighting for something noble? Is it because they might feel guilty about killing roughly a million civilians since they invaded?

If you are someone participating in the constant affirmation of the troops by way of ceremonial public salutes, my only conclusion is that you know something I don’t. You must know of some sort of secret, indecipherable mission or agenda which is staving off evil and positioning the United States to be a self-sufficient and dominant nation for years to come.

So please tell me what it is, because I’m not seeing it. I’m seeing the national debt rise. I’m seeing the rise of extremism. And, ironically or perhaps purposefully, with the NSA, with the passage of several laws limiting freedom, I’m not seeing any increase in freedom.

So please tell me what they’re fighting for.

Thanks.