I Do Not Support the Troops | Common Dreams (Michael Moore)

Striking piece by Michael Moore on the hypocrisy of saying “I support our troops”. I don’t yet know what the stats are for Canadian troops, though it’s common knowledge that we participate in the same cash/land/resource grabbing operations to our own ethical detriment.

I don’t “support the troops” or any of those other hollow and hypocritical platitudes uttered by Republicans and frightened Democrats. Here’s what I do support: I support them coming home. I support them being treated well. I support peace, and I beg any young person reading this who’s thinking of joining the armed forces to please reconsider. Our war department has done little to show you they won’t recklessly put your young life in harm’s way for a cause that has nothing to do with what you signed up for. They will not help you once they’ve used you and spit you back into society. If you’re a woman, they will not protect you from rapists in their ranks. And because you have a conscience and you know right from wrong, you do not want yourself being used to kill civilians in other countries who never did anything to hurt us. We are currently involved in at least a half-dozen military actions around the world. Don’t become the next statistic so that General Electric can post another record profit – while paying no taxes – taxes that otherwise would be paying for the artificial leg that they’ve kept you waiting for months to receive.