Mike-

They weren't "powerless". They could have refused to serve. I did.

-Don.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Mike Wiliams" <[email protected]>
To: "Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS)" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, May 29, 2013 7:45:30 AM
Subject: Re:[tips] "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers

These expressions to support the troops and honor their service are part 
of a general reaction to the way the troops were treated when they came 
back from the Vietnam War.  I think it also reflects a general 
appreciation for the service of WWII veterans who have received a lot of 
attention in movies and documentaries.  The Vietnam era veterans were 
blamed for losing the war by conservatives and blamed for atrocities by 
liberals.  They were powerless scapegoats:

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/obama-recalls-vietnam-vets-treatment-as-national-shame-vows-it-will-not-happen-again/

We can still argue about Iraq.  It should have nothing to do with 
supporting the troops.

Mike Williams

On 5/29/13 2:00 AM, Teaching in the Psychological Sciences (TIPS) digest 
wrote:
> TIPS Digest for Tuesday, May 28, 2013.
>
> 1. Re: "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers
>
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject: Re: "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers
> From: Joan Warmbold<[email protected]>
> Date: Tue, 28 May 2013 17:46:01 -0500
> X-Message-Number: 1
>
> These ongoing ceremonies to support and honor our troops has effectively
> wiped-out any further contemplation or discussion of our original
> ill-conceived rationale for invading Iraq.  As you state Beth, to
> question our motives for going to war has been effectively distorted
> into a critique of the motives and honor of our soldiers.
>
> Personally, I feel this is an instructive example of the use of
> indoctrination 'in the free world' that could be an interesting focus of
> discussion in our classes.
>
> Joan
> [email protected]
>
>
>
> On 5/25/2013 9:18 AM, Beth Benoit wrote:
>> Giving thanks to our military on Memorial Day reminds me of my
>> aversion to the yellow "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers in the
>> U.S.    Who DOESN'T support the soldiers themselves?  If you are not
>> in favor of invading a country with warlike intentions, does that also
>> mean you don't support our troops?  We may not all support the
>> momentum that has sent our troops wherever they are ordered to go, but
>> is there anyone who doesn't want them all to come home safely?
>>
>> Years ago, when the war centered on "looking for weapons of mass
>> destruction," I had a bumper sticker that said:  "Support Our Troops.
>>   Bring Them Home."  Someone thoughtfully scrawled "TRAITOR" across it
>> with a Magic Marker.
>>
>> Sadly, those yellow ribbon bumper stickers seem to have become icons
>> that just indicate that the driver is a politically conservative person.
>>
>> Beth Benoit
>> Granite State College
>> Plymouth State University
>> New Hampshire
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
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