This question is phrased in a way which sounds reasonable, but it has the assumption buried in the premise: that the issue is how we support our troops.

The premise is a false one: a better question is 'how can we keep people out of harms way?' How can we prevent war? How can we protect civilians? How can we have justice, and fairness, and a society which is not built on human misery?

Soldiers are NOT the ones who suffer the most in war. War is almost always (since the late 19th century) directed at human population clusters - cities and towns. And these are not typically full of soldiers, but rather mixed populations of both soldiers and civilians.

So your question is begging some far more important ones; and for that reason I am going to point out that the theme you repeat, the theme of "support our troops" - came from a Psychological Operations Group campaign in Gulf War One. It is literally an echo of a PsyOps propoganda effort. And the question is structured in exactly the way that it cannot be answered without dilluting resistance to the war.

It's like saying we can't arrest the serial murderer because his mom would just die of embarassment, or the murderer was severely traumatized by his victim's cries for mercy. B.S. We have to stop the murderer; without that effort, we don't actually have a society - we only have an economy.

One problem is that differences can be scary. If we seek to understand each other, we will realize how much we have in common. For example, we all need a certain degree of stability. We all want security, love, to be listened to, to lead meaningful lives.

To support the troops, is to listen to them, to seek to understand their position and situation and to give them the space they need to make the best decisions they can.

It can be tough with all the emotion though.

The troops are really in a tough spot. I honestly believe that by working to end this war, and exposing the lies and myths surrounding it vis a vis WMD and terrorism, I am supporting the troops - no hyperbolae intending. Although, I can see how it would be demoralizing to someone who believes that he or she is doing the right thing by supporting the war effort.

In that case, supporting the troops requires broadening access to a full, accurate and truthful accounting of the war and its impacts - on Iraq (and Iraqis), on the US economy, Gobal economy, foreign policy and international relations, etc...

As always, education is the answer. Not easy. But no one ever said it would be. And talking. I think that we are supporting the troops by talking and having this conversation.

Aldo Leopold: "We abuse land because we regard it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect."

There seem to be a lot of reasons I don't feel comfortable throwing out a blanket statement like, "I support the troops," despite my desire for the troops as individuals to neither kill nor be killed (I must be some kind've peace lovin' pinko).  My first problem with such generalized support comes from what I learned in history, people are less than good in times of war (perhaps out of necessity, I don't know).  Insofar as I know, there has yet to be a human war lacking rape, pillage & senseless murdering.  I can't support that.  My second problem is that I've personally known of too many cases wherein a violent individual escapes trial due to being called up for service (in other words, we're sending our problems to other people's land), so if I throw myself into a "I support the troops", I'm also implicitly supporting the behavior of said individuals within the "troops" clumping.  I think, for me, the best choice is to support people on an individual level.   

When I say I don't support the troops it's a broad general statement. I simply do not support what they are being ordered to do. They are used as tools, or puppets or what have you. Military members always have been, that's what they're for. Truthfully, I am tired of this war, all wars really, they are such a drain on us spiritually, economically, politically, physically, etc. I want the troops to come home, as I said before, yesterday. Individually, I have the utmost respect for every brave person who puts on a uniform. Collectively, I wouldn't miss them if they were gone.

The errant disregard for the lives of Iraqi civilians, which has been demonstrated by this military repeatedly and in an ongoing manner, with regard to the conflict in Iraq, demonstrates an underlying racism.

Bush is doing Iraq and our country wrong.

Troop support is working to hold Bush and all of the masters of war accountable for their crimes against humanity. Give the Troops the space they need to say no to this nefarious adventure capitalism project... OIF! - give me a break.

These are the opening paragraphs from Congressman John Conyers' (MI) minority report on the Bush administration malfeasance preceding the invasion and occupation of Iraq:

This Minority Report has been produced at the request of Representative John Conyers, Jr., Ranking Member of the House Judiciary Committee. He made this request in the wake of the President's failure to respond to a letter submitted by 122 Members of Congress and more than 500,000 Americans in July of this year asking him whether the assertions set forth in the Downing Street Minutes were accurate. Mr. Conyers asked staff, by year end 2005, to review the available information concerning possible misconduct by the Bush Administration in the run up to the Iraq War and post-invasion statements and actions, and to develop legal conclusions and make legislative and other recommendations to him.

In brief, we have found that there is substantial evidence the President, the Vice President and other high ranking members of the Bush Administration misled Congress and the American people regarding the decision to go to war with Iraq; misstated and manipulated intelligence information regarding the justification for such war; countenanced torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and other legal violations in Iraq; and permitted inappropriate retaliation against critics of their Administration.

There is a prima facie case that these actions by the President, Vice-President and other members of the Bush Administration violated a number of federal laws, including (1) Committing a Fraud against the United States; (2) Making False Statements to Congress; (3) The War Powers Resolution; (4) Misuse of Government Funds; (5) federal laws and international treaties prohibiting torture and cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment; (6) federal laws concerning retaliating against witnesses and other individuals; and (7) federal laws and regulations concerning leaking and other misuse of intelligence.

While these charges clearly rise to the level of impeachable misconduct, because the Bush Administration and the Republican-controlled Congress have blocked the ability of Members to obtain information directly from the Administration concerning these matters, more investigatory authority is needed before recommendations can be made regarding specific Articles of Impeachment. As a result, we recommend that Congress establish a select committee with subpoena authority to investigate the misconduct of the Bush Administration with regard to the Iraq war detailed in this Report and report to the Committee on the Judiciary on possible impeachable offenses.

...

True, they are not the orchestrators of this war. But they are the machinery that makes it happen. As we all know, this comes with heavy consequences to themselves, their loved ones, and people in Iraq. Our government happens to be extremely skilled at convincing people in the military that they have no choices anymore, they are nothing more than government property, and that their duty to obey orders is somehow a higher calling than their own inherent human moral sensibility.

Then our government convinces us civilians that our duty to be polite to soldiers is more important than our duty to tell the truth and hold one another accountable.

Bullshit.

You do not lose your identity, your humanity, or your responsibility when you put on a uniform. We are each responsible for every decision we make and its impacts.

We make mistakes. We f*** up.That is the nature of being human. And we get into seemingly hopeless situations where we think there's no way out, and its hard to do the right thing. But no matter how deep we get in, it is our responsibility to follow truth and justice through the messes we have created or fallen into.

I work with people in prison who's situations are horrible. I have met people who were wrongly convicted. I have met people who were sentenced for stealing food for their kids. I have met people who have been using, dealing, and manufacturing drugs since before adolescence and will leave prison to no job opportunities, no money, no support network, and having lost custody of their children. Why the hell do people keep on trying to do good?

I don't know. But I know that many people do. And the really good people that I have met in life are the people that are willing to take responsibility for their own power, no matter how minute it might be. They take their power and choose what they will use it for. That's all we can do.

Its incredible to see someone who you thought was powerless do this, because what you find out is that all of us- no matter how oppressed and marginalized- have an incredible amount of power that touches everything and everyone all around us. Very few of us know how to use it.

The government would have the people in our military believe that they have no power, no freedom, no value except as a duty-bound cog in the war-machine.

Because if the soldiers knew the truth, this war would vaporize in a heartbeat. And so would the profits that the powerful are reaping from it. It takes a tremendous amount of propaganda to keep people from seeing the obvious. The emperor has no clothes. There is no war without soldier's consent.

I will not do the "troops" the disrespect of calling them mindless government property. They have hearts and minds and pumping blood and breath and conscience under those uniforms, and they are duty-bound, as are we all, to use them to do whatever's right, even when it means being scandalized or imprisoned.

I hate that this is what will happen to them. But I still support them in doing it. I don't think it is right for me to avoid confronting wrong-doing because it is painful for the person doing it.I would call on all soldiers to resist this war.

Jade

Hmmm...haven't been brainwashed here. Pretty bold statements across this thread with no substance to back anything up. Care to enlighten me how soldiers are brainwashed? Cite specific examples if you've been to basic training, or how about orders and clarification of them. Tell me what you know about military culture and life.

A lot of true colors coming out in multiple threads around here.

In this line of thinking, it appears that those associated with OSOT are doing less to support the troops, than to support the war - which is actually endangering the well-being of the troops.