Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Wave That Flag, Progressives!

VastLeft linked to this blog post from FireDogLake today.  I don't fault its main argument, that Mormon missionary service isn't equivalent to military service.  Of course, Mormon missionary service doesn't necessarily come out looking the worse for the comparison: it doesn't kill or maim nearly as many people.

The blogger went on to shoot himself in the foot:
Bleeding to death in a rocky Afghan Pass that a big flock of Mitt’s equally chickenhawkish supporters sent you to is service to your country.
It's more likely, in fact, that American troops currently in Afghanistan were sent there by President Obama.  Who's never worn a uniform himself, and is living proof that being a lifelong civilian does nothing to ameliorate bloodlust and war fever; it may even increase the craving to call oneself "the Commander-in-Chief."  Does this blogger include President Obama among Mitt's chickenhawkish supporters?

Nor is it clear how dying in an unjust war constitutes "service to your country."  It might be service to the oil companies and other big corporations that an American President serves, but to the Country?  Would the blogger want to claim that fighters in our enemies' armies are also serving their country?   That would at least be even-handed.  But as I've said before, the US has not fought a defensive war in my lifetime, and didn't change that pattern in this century.  Whatever else they may be doing, our troops in Afghanistan, Iraq, and wherever else they are right now, are not defending us.

Denouncing Romney for his hypocrisy is fine with me, but doing so doesn't require or justify further loss of life by Americans or by our victims.