Michelle Malkin: In honor of the casualties of war…
Ah, the holiday weekend would hardly be complete without at least one Right-wing commentator using the deaths of American soldiers to justify continuing the Holy War In Iraq. Thankfully, former (and perennial) DUMB@$$ Michelle Malkin doesn’t disappoint. After all, it would be a bit much to expect anyone who has made a career out of being an apologist for Our Glorious Leader to pass on any opportunity to equate support for the Prevaricator in Chief with patriotism or support for our troops. Yes, I know, it’s a silly, stupid, and wholly specious argument, but it goes something like this: oppose Our Glorious Leader’s war in Iraq and you are ipso facto anti-American…nor do you support our brave men and women in uniform.
In other words, anyone who thinks critically and wonders just what exactly “The Mission” in Iraq is can be freely branded as lacking in patriotism. And in Malkin’s world, where the “loose lips sink ships” mentality rules, they generally are.
During this holiday weekend, can we bow our heads in union and give thanks for our men and women who choose to fight, refuse to lose and believe in their mission?
Yes, we can, and we should be, because these brave Americans, while they willingly served and obeyed orders, cannot be said to have died to protect our freedom and security. Exactly WHAT they’ve died for is anyone’s guess, because no one in the Bush White House has been able to adequately articulate why we’re in Iraq to begin with. Either a) we’re fighting a terrorist threat of our own creation, or b) we’re fighting a war in Iraq because Saddam Hussein is a bad man who once threatened Our Glorious Leader’s daddy. Neither is an argument adequate to support the sacrifice of more than 2000 American soldiers.
Can we do it without distorting their legacies and using their deaths to embarrass and undermine our commander in chief?
No, because the Right has already succeeding in politicizing the deaths of these brave Americans. We on the Left are not the ones who equate opposition to the war with not supporting our troops. We on the Left are not the ones who tie demanding accountability to a lack of patriotism. We on the Left are not the ones who call those who want to end the senseless slaughter anti-American cowards and appeasers. All we want is for this country to stand for freedom, peace, and hope…instead of arrogance, aggression, and oppression.
Is that so much to ask for?
