For years, the Republican Party has talked about how much they love the military and how they support the troops, and they're so good at these lies that many people believe them. But those of us in the working class, many of whom (like myself and Jessica Lynch) joined because the Republicans wrecked the economy, know that the truth is that, to Republicans, soldiers are just fodders for their wars. Republicans use soldiers for photo ops and propaganda, but when it comes down to doing things for the soldiers, they can't be bothered.
For years, the Republican Party has talked about how much they love the military and how they support the troops, and they're so good at these lies that many people believe them. But those of us in the working class, many of whom (like myself and Jessica Lynch) joined because the Republicans wrecked the economy, know that the truth is that, to Republicans, soldiers are just fodders for their wars. Republicans use soldiers for photo ops and propaganda, but when it comes down to doing things for the soldiers, they can't be bothered.
The US spends more on defense, almost, than the rest of the world combined, over a billion dollars a day. Where does all that money go? It sure as hell doesn't go to the soldiers, who languish in underfunded hospitals, or have their combat pay lowered or their veteran's benefits reduced. And why should they care? It's not like their kids are going to be affected by it. In fact, only one member of Congress (House and Senate combined) has a child in the service, you can bet your ass that that soldier isn't going to be anywhere near danger.
With more and more reports of attacks on US soldiers in Iraq, and as the Taliban slowly regains control of Afghanistan, it's going to be harder and harder for Rove to get away with the spin. The soldiers are beginning to question, not just whether the civilian leadership knows what they're doing, but whether they even care about them. Bush will show off his flight suit costume but can't be bothered to see the coffins of the soldiers who have died since he proudly proclaimed "Mission Accomplished". He doesn't even want us to see them, either...it's bad for his image, you understand.
When Democrats, and liberal Democrats at that, ran the show, they rewarded the valor of our troops by giving them the GI Bill, which gave them a college education and helped them to make the best of their lives after they sacrificed years in the service of their country. They knew the value of the soldiers. Under Reagan, Bush I and Bush II, money for the military swelled, and anyone who complained about things like waste was accused of being "soft." And you know that whenever Bill Clinton was put into a position where he had to use the military, in the back of his mind was how the Republican hate machine was going to spin it. But the lives of the soldiers weren't necessarily better for all the money that was getting spent. Most of it went to new toys for the higher ranks, not to improved conditions for the working soldier. I can speak from personal experience how wasteful the entire system is, because of some of the bullshit I had to deal with during my time in the Air Force.
It's time we stopped letting the Republicans get away with this garbage. They love the money they make from the military (Dick Cheney never made a cent except for his military/government connections), but they hate the soldiers who fight the wars and make the sacrifices that make them rich.