There is a dominant mindset here on DailyKos that pervades many discussions on the War in Iraq/War on Terror (tm BushCo). This mindset consists of three premises:
- Republicans support the Iraq War without reservation.
- Republicans aren't enlisting to fight.
- Republicans are cowards.
This is wrong, and I'll tell you why. (And, thanks to the wonders of the internet and Kos, you can tell me why not.)
Many Republicans support the war. This is true. However, many of them support the war with reservations. Most normal, everyday Republicans I've talked to support the war for this reason: we're already over there and the people of Iraq need us. Generally, it's not an ideological thing. It's pragmatic. They trusted the president. The way to get through to them is not to tell them to enlist, but to tell them they were lied to. Use the info from the DSM. Use the Administration's own statements pre-9/11. Use all the proof we have that Bush is a liar. This is much more effective than being confrontational and calling them cowards.
Not all Republicans are enlisting to fight? This is true. But it's not as damning as some here would believe.
Why? Think about this.
If the police in your city were hurting for bodies to "wage war" on a particularly nasty gang, would you quit your job and join the police force? Would you take a substantial pay cut and put your life and the livelihood of your family at risk? I venture that the answer for most people would be no. That doesn't mean that you don't support the police or what the police are trying to do. IT DOESN'T MAKE YOU A COWARD. It simply means that your priorities are ordered in such a way that helping your city comes a couple of spots after helping your family.
It's as much about economics and familial security as it is about bravery. I do not want my dad to go back to the military (he retired about 8 years ago). Not simply because he could die, but because my future depends (to an extent) on his being alive to provide for my mother and myself.
That said, I understand how easy it is to call them cowards. Until I sat down and thought about it, I joined right in. But there are more factors at play here than politics. The beauty of an all-volunteer military force is that you don't have to serve if you don't want to. I detest these Republican war cheerleaders. They're happy to have someone else sacrifice for them. However, this makes them selfish, not cowards. Whether you support the war or not, people are still dying over there. If we were fighting Al-Qaida instead of Iraq, would you enlist then? Some would. Just like some Republicans have enlisted now. But to expect Obama, Feingold, Carville, or Howard Dean to enlist and leave behind their lives is unrealistic. These war cheerleader Republicans may be selfish, irrational, short-sighted, inconscionable bastards. This, however, does not make them cowards.
(And as for the question of whether or not elected officials kids are serving? News flash: if they're old enough to serve, they're old enough to say "No thanks, Dad, I'd rather not." You can't blame the parent because their kid doesn't want to enlist. My dad wanted me to join Air Force ROTC. I didn't. Why? Not because my dad is a coward. Because I didn't want to. End of story.)