With JamilGate blown off its hinges the wingnuts have 2 new targets. A few days ago they started their campaign against CBS’s Lara Logan. With absolutely no evidence they claimed she used Al Qaeda propaganda video in a piece at CBS.com.Nitpicker took Malkin and the gang apart so enough said on this one.
But now the wingnuts (warning Malkin link) have attacked WaPo’s William Arkin for a column in which he raised this question…
So, we pay the soldiers a decent wage, take care of their families,
provide them with housing and medical care and vast social support
systems and ship obscene amenities into the war zone for them, we
support them in every possible way, and their attitude is that we
should in addition roll over and play dead, defer to the military and
the generals and let them fight their war, and give up our rights and
responsibilities to speak up because they are above society?
I think this is a valid question though I would not have stated it as Arkin does. But he raises a substantive issue which ought to be questioned and I’d simply put it as…When did troops on the ground gain the authority to determine US policy?
That has never been their role and it is not to this day. They have every right to their opinions but those opinions do not determine US policy. Our system does not work that way and never has. That isn’t bashing or not supporting the troops as the wingnuts exclaim. That use to be obvious. It is just reality. Deal with it.