Here’s my letter (needless to say, not published) to Dear Abby from a few weeks ago.
Dear Abby:
I couldn’t disagree more with “Proud Mom in Overland Park,” and with your reply to her.
The idea that we owe “gratitude” to members of the armed forces is baffling. The U.S. military travels all over the world, acting in our name, shooting and bombing innocent people who have never posed any threat to us.
How is this of any benefit to the American people? If anything, it makes us less safe, by fueling violent resentment around the world.
No, I don’t think members of the armed forces should be “cursed and reviled” either. They’re mostly victims, who’ve been tragically deceived by government propaganda.
I used to be a strong supporter of U.S. troops and U.S. military action myself. Then I gradually started to learn more and more about what the military actually does and how little it adheres to its supposed mission of defending American liberty.
I urge you to educate yourself and your readers on the actual causes and effects of U.S. foreign policy; two good places to start are Jonathan Kwitny’s Endless Enemies and Chalmers Johnson’s Blowback.
UNGRATEFUL IN ALABAMA
Roderick T. Long