What does "support the troops" mean...

Collin

... to you?

leethal

Its genius propaganda: It takes a great deal of skill or luck to create an arbitrary statement that the vast majority of people would agree with yet create an imaginary division.

The statement cannot even be defined: Do I just support the troops to remain unharmed? Do i support the troops to kill? Its a distraction from real issues. There is no intellectual basis.

Sian-of-the-dead

Collin wrote:

... to you?

Supporting and respecting the men and women all over the world who fight for people they've never met, leave their families with possibility of never returning, to coutries they don't wanna go to, to fight for causes they may not believe in.

AKA goddamn heros.

Bibbs

send them your spare bras

Sian-of-the-dead

Bibbs wrote:

send them your spare bras

why, so they could use them as parachutes?! :rolleyes:

electronblue

to me it means $$$ and stand behind them in their beliefs...~

Will1659

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

fight for causes they may not believe in.

does not =

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

goddamn heroes.

I think the word hero, in fact, is so incredibly overused in today's world that it has lost most of its meaning. But to answer the original question, "support the troops" is a meaningless propaganda phrase that the right has come up with to make themselves feel good while trying to pigeonhole political opponents.

Sian-of-the-dead

Will1659 wrote:

does not =


I think the word hero, in fact, is so incredibly overused in today's world that it has lost most of its meaning. But to answer the original question, "support the troops" is a meaningless propaganda phrase that the right has come up with to make themselves feel good while trying to pigeonhole political opponents.

hero –noun, plural -roes;
1. a man of distinguished courage or ability, admired for his brave deeds and noble qualities.
2. a person who, in the opinion of others, has heroic qualities or has performed a heroic act and is regarded as a model or ideal.

I thought this thread was about what support the troops meant to us personally? I do believe that they are brave men and women. I can tell you that fighting for causes they may not believe in to make me and my family feel safe in our beds at night and to help people thousands of miles from home that will never thank them certainly makes them heroes in my eyes. politics aside, I may not agree with the causes but they do something that I couldn't.

FinsburyParkCarrots

It means different things in different countries. In the States, the troops are supported as representatives of the people; in Britain the troops are largely perceived (whether one agrees or not) as a moronic, otherwise unemployable sub-class, serving the interests of state. No media support or propaganda for "Our Boys" changes that. However Murdoch might be trying to reprogramme British history, there are centuries of evidence of there being a general civilian consensus that your average, non-conscripted squaddie constituted the nation's trash, barely one up from a criminal. Old habits die hard and the media will have a hard job changing people's views.

It's completely different in the States because of the post-colonial, emancipatory symbolism and significance of the American soldier, as someone who is one of us, a braver version of us who will take on our burdens and fight for our freedoms. Even if an American soldier fights a state war against the wishes of the public, support for them remains, and deservedly so because of the risk they take. British squaddies, though, have nowhere near that level of support, and morale was at an all time low even going into the Iraq war. I know pubs and public places in this area where it's been sport to beat up a soldier for years.

Sian-of-the-dead

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

British squaddies, though, have nowhere near that level of support, and morale was at an all time low even going into the Iraq war. I know pubs and public places in this area where it's been sport to beat up a soldier for years.

I agree and being British, it angers me. I think it was in Peterborough last week where troops were told not to wear their uniforms outside of the barracks because of the abuse from locals. What the hell is wrong with people?*

*rhetorical question.

FinsburyParkCarrots

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

I agree and being British, it angers me. I think it was in Peterborough last week where troops were told not to wear their uniforms outside of the barracks because of the abuse from locals. What the hell is wrong with people?*

*rhetorical question.

Well, I think it's sensible of them not to wear uniforms, and probably safer for everyone.

In wartime, the British public support their troops, but moreover love a mutineer or a deserter: someone who beats the system. Look at the ongoing mystique surrounding Percy Toplis:

http://www.eden.gov.uk/main.asp?page=3488

Compare this with the fictional portrayal of Toplis, the one seared into the public imagination:

http://news.scotsman.com/worldwarone/Myth-of-the-Monocled-Mutineer.2632710.jp

my2hands

Collin wrote:

... to you?

bring them home and begin to close all international military installations...

Sian-of-the-dead

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

Well, I think it's sensible of them not to wear uniforms, and probably safer for everyone.

As do I with the situation that they appear to be in, but they should be able to wear their uniform and NOT feel threatened. Unfortuantely this isn't the case and it's this that angers me.

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

In wartime, the British public support their troops, but moreover love a mutineer or a deserter: someone who beats the system. Look at the ongoing mystique surrounding Percy Toplis:

http://www.eden.gov.uk/main.asp?page=3488

Compare this with the fictional portrayal of Toplis, the one seared into the public imagination:

http://news.scotsman.com/worldwarone/Myth-of-the-Monocled-Mutineer.2632710.jp

Wow! I'd never heard of Toplis before, you've really sparked my interest now...

FinsburyParkCarrots

Sian-of-the-dead wrote:

As do I with the situation that they appear to be in, but they should be able to wear their uniform and NOT feel threatened. Unfortuantely this isn't the case and it's this that angers me.

You could alternatively suggest, though, that a lot of people feel threatened by the uniforms, I think, and it brings out a need for self-preservation against the fear of creeping martial law. Uniforms in general scare people unless they're perverts: I mean, have you heard about these dalek traffic wardens with cameras attached to their hats? Fuck's sake!

RainDog

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

You could alternatively suggest, though, that a lot of people feel threatened by the uniforms, I think, and it brings out a need for self-preservation against the fear of creeping martial law. Uniforms in general scare people unless they're perverts: I mean, have you heard about these dalek traffic wardens with cameras attached to their hats? Fuck's sake!

I just want to take the time to personally thank you. Seeing a Dalek reference on a Pearl Jam message board made my freakin' day.

FinsburyParkCarrots

RainDog wrote:

I just want to take the time to personally thank you. Seeing a Dalek reference on a Pearl Jam message board made my freakin' day.

There ya go. Here's a lovely shot of Hillary with the troops:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/images/2005/03/15/davros_daleks2_resurrection_terry_malloy2_400_400x300.jpg

South of Seattle

Bakesales! and an American Flag bumper sticker

RolandTD20Kdrummer

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

There ya go. Here's a lovely shot of Hillary with the troops:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/images/2005/03/15/davros_daleks2_resurrection_terry_malloy2_400_400x300.jpg

Looks like an early morning photo...

IAmMyself

Let's not have another Viet Nam situation. We are in a VERY unpopular war, created by a tyrant. And the troops are just doing what they are told by their boss our igonorant leader of the free world. SO support the troops, or at least when I say it, means-just because you don't agree with the war, don't take it out on the troops who have NO CONTROL who they are fighting, they are only fighting for freedom, if only in their own minds, take out your anger for an unfair and stupid war on the bastard who made the call, not the guys who carry out the mission.

RainDog

FinsburyParkCarrots wrote:

There ya go. Here's a lovely shot of Hillary with the troops:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/norfolk/content/images/2005/03/15/davros_daleks2_resurrection_terry_malloy2_400_400x300.jpg

See, now that's so much better than the constant Wicked Witch of the West and her Flying Monkeys allegory we usually get regarding Hillary. Give me something with some real metal too it.

Vedderlution_Baby

irieinindy wrote:

Let's not have another Viet Nam situation. We are in a VERY unpopular war, created by a tyrant. And the troops are just doing what they are told by their boss our igonorant leader of the free world. SO support the troops, or at least when I say it, means-just because you don't agree with the war, don't take it out on the troops who have NO CONTROL who they are fighting, they are only fighting for freedom, if only in their own minds, take out your anger for an unfair and stupid war on the bastard who made the call, not the guys who carry out the mission.

Depends on what the mission is. Nobody is given a free pass in my book.