Quote Originally Posted by trewornan View Post
I've never understood the American attitude to this sort of thing, it's very different in the UK.

There are plenty of UK citizens opposed to the war in Iraq but I can't imagine any of them demonstrating against or even criticizing the members of our armed forces who are fighting. It's not a soldier's choice after all, they are merely doing what their country has asked of them. An anti-war campaign which picked on our soldiers would do themselves a great deal of damage in this country.

On the other hand, it would be very unusual for anybody to accuse someone opposed to the war of being un-patriotic, treasonous or so forth - something which seems to happen all the time in the US. It's perfectly possible to believe that a war is not in the best interests of your country and whilst you might be wrong that doesn't make you a traitor.

Respect your armed forces - they don't chose which wars to fight it's the politicians who do that so save your ire for them.

Respect those who oppose any particular war - at least they are prepared to stand up for what they believe in and they are trying to do the right thing (whether misguided or not).
Not all Americans suffer from the "Love it or leave it" mentality....Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin both agreed that it was the duty of the citizenry to criticize the government - constantly. Sadly, many Americans equate blind obedience with patriotism and loyalty. Calling dissenters traitors or unpatriotic is so much easier than engaging in intelligent debate.

The other extreme is common in Berkeley - blaming the tire because it has a nail in it...they rarely actually address the root cause of a problem...they are more interested in show and in "feeling good/superior" as a result of their "activism." I always enjoy letting the air of their balloon by asking them what they have done beyond make noise....why aren't they protesting against the violence of Islamic extremists or the lack of proper medical care for injured veterans whom the deem to be "victims"? Why are they not in front of the White House demanding answers and accountability for the Iraq war? Nearly 4,000 dead and counting...where are the WMDs? Hussein was an evil SOB, but had nothing to do with 9-11 and was one of Bin Laden's biggest enemies. Iraq wasn't a terrorist training ground...but it is now. Relying on Pakistan to help catch Taliban? That's a hoot - the Pakistani Intelligence service were and are the major supporters and handlers of the Taliban leadership. I do not have much confidence in there being a successful resolution in Afghanistan either...the last successful military campaign was under Alexander the Great....

None of these things is the fault of the military - you go where you are ordered. Targeting Marine or Army recruiters is a stunt....they are an easy target and save these "activists" from actually having to do something tangible that might interfere with their lives...they are 9-5 activists and many are "limousine activists" - out protesting against the military while funded with Mommy and Daddy's money. As for recruiters "tricking: students into enlisting, unless you are dumb as a bag of hammers, it should be obvious that if you enlist, you could go to war... (although.....given the level of common sense prevalent nowadays...just look at a "man on the street" interview or read a product warning label.....). Those who want to serve will volunteer, those who do not, won't. How many Berkeley students are in uniform or have been? Not many, I'm sure.

Berkeley will always be on the extreme fringe of any issue and does not reflect the mainstream view of America by any stretch of the imagination...that is why I have always lovingly referred to it as "Berserkly."