Need help here. Looking for a way to shut up righties when they say

[jillan]

that people who protest the war are harming the soldiers.

First question I have, is how? What is the rationale here? How does this hurt the soldiers? I guess I need to understand why they say it in order to come up with an answer. To me, I feel that we are benefiting the soldiers by bringing the horrors of war to the public eye. So I'm confused.

The first time I ever really heard this used was when they attacked John Kerry last year for his anti-VietNam war protests.

Why do they say it, and how do you respond???

[LoKnLoD]

1. Just use the Republican playbook

Turn their arguement around and throw it back at them. They are hurting the troops, sending them to die for a pointless war, honoring the dead by making more dead? Insane Logic!!! Anti-War protesters are protesting to save soldiers lives, we truly are the only ones looking out for the soldiers.

Don't be forced to defend your position, that is a losing battle. Your position is right, it doesn't need defense. Turn it around and make them defend their position. Worked well for all the Repukes.

[RobertSeattle]

2. People who say that have never been there

I spent 6 years in the Army including Desert Storm. Many of the people who say this kind of stuff our Chickenhawks anyway. Unless you are REMF, you usually quite busy when deployed and don't have time to worry that much about what is going on stateside. You fight for your buddies - your squad, your platoon, your company. What's going on 6000 miles away isn't that big of a deal. Besides, the great bulk of these guys are 18 to 24 year olds - not the biggest bunch of news watchers anyway.

And there is a bit of a non sequitar in their logic - it is OK to FIGHT AND DIE for FREEDOM - as long as those back home DON'T EXPRESS THEIR FREEDOM. :eyes:

[RobertSeattle]

20. Vets see protests as attack on policy

http://www.pensacolanewsjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050821/NEWS01/508210332/1006

Vets see protests as attack on policy
Rallies not taken as personal slight

Troy Moon
@PensacolaNewsJournal.com
ADVERTISEMENT



If there's growing sentiment against the war in Iraq, many area veterans of the fight aren't taking it personally.

Vets see the opposition as a protest against policy, not them or their service.

During the Vietnam War, many returning U.S. troops felt taunted, humiliated and treated with little or no respect. In contrast, today's veterans say they don't encounter animosity from people who don't agree with the U.S. military presence in Iraq.

"I have run into people who don't support the president's views on Iraq or our objectives, but I haven't run into a single person who said (he or she) doesn't support the troops," said Jason Crawford, a Purple Heart recipient who was shot in the face by opposition forces in December 2003 while in Iraq. "I think our society learned from Vietnam that it's not the men and women who sacrifice their lives and signed on the dotted lines who make up the plans and objectives. I think pretty much everyone supports the troops."

(More at link)

[Midlodemocrat]

3. Tell them that the * administration sent the troops over

there woefully under supplied...that Support the Troops magnets aren't going to prevent someone from getting killed because they don't have the tools necessary to fight this war adequately.

[screembloodymurder]

14. If they really support the troops,

their magnets would be on the back of a bicycle not an SUV. The less oil we buy from the Arabs the less money they have for bombs.

[whatever4]

4. Not the best, but you could say...only if they're wrong

Only hurts the soldiers if the war protesters are wrong

Period.

Does everything in the world to help the soldiers if the protesters are right

As they most assuredly are.

This war was all a lie, and the soldiers don't have the equipment, the planning, or even enough of them, to win and keep anything for which they've fought so hard. So, even if one has a military mindset, the protesters are doing exactly what needs to happen for the soldiers.

[SemperEadem]

5. No soldier died from a protest.

However many have died from a lie.

[Child_Of_Isis]

10. Ding ding ding!

We have a winner! Short and to the point. If you throw too many words out to a freep they get all confused.

[jedicord]

6. The soldiers need to believe that what they are fighting for is...

just and right. With this theory, the harm is twofold: we're creating soldiers who don't want to fight and/or making them sad or angry that we don't believe in their mission.

Frankly, these guys are brainwashed into thinking that their mission is a great one and they are fighting for freedom. My husband fought in Desert Storm and truly believed that they were there to free Kuwait, and for no other reason. He was pretty pissed when I told him it was for oil. Now he knows better, and that's probably why he is so angry about this war - he knows the soldiers were sold a bill of goods and are being killed for BS.

[phantom power]

7. Well...

For openers, I would suggest that maybe war-protests do sometimes hurt the morale, of some soldiers. You can imagine that if you are a soldier, risking your life every day for something, and to realize that many Americans don't believe it's a worthy cause. Sure, that's gonna be bad for your morale.

In my opinion, the "secret" to answering this kind of argument is: Morale is beside the point. Those soldiers are fighting a bogus war, based on lies. Their efforts are hurting America's interests, not helping. They are making us less safe, not more safe. This war is bad for America, and furthermore the entire thing was started based on lies told by the Bush Administration.

It's not the soldiers' fault, and nobody is blaming the soldiers. But it's our right and our duty to protest that kind of war. If that hurts the morale of the soldiers, then blame Bush for starting it in the first place. If you happen to think the war is a good idea, well you have the right to that opinion too.

[helderheid]

8. I say " I want them home out of harms way - why don't YOU enlist if you

support this war so much"

[smoogatz]

9. Tell them they're trotting out the same, tired bullshit

the rw tried to sell us during Vietnam. They'll say, yeah--that's right! The protestors made us lose in Vietnam, too!! And you'll say--we killed over 3 million Vietnamese, Laotians and Cambodians, and lost 58,000 American troops in Vietnam. How many more people should we have killed? Maybe the protestors actually saved a few lives--ever think of that? Then you could say, look, chowderhead, you're indulging in magical thinking. This whole notion that if we all would just march in lockstep support of Bush's oil war that the Iraqis would suddenly stop killing our troops is pure fantasy. The problem isn't the protestors, it's the people who got us into this mess in the first place.

[OnionPatch]

11. Are we doing them a service by

pretending this is a just and noble war? I thought they were brave soldiers....they can't handle the truth? We all have to make-believe so their feelings won't be hurt? This is presposterous. We send them to war, they deserve the truth.

Also, imagine a world were no one is allowed to speak out when their leaders go to war, no matter how strongly they feel it's wrong. That's a recipe for disaster. Imagine politicians knowing all they need to do is start a war to get the people to shut up and go along with them. Anyone who really thinks this through should come to the right conclusion. Too bad most righties don't bother to think things through.

[Up2Late]

12. If you want to understand their non-logic, just listen to RW Talk Radio

for as long as you can take it. I wouldn't recommend more than 3 hours a day, or the Brain Washing might start to take hold.

It all comes from GOP "talking points," you hear the same "argument" repeated on RW Talk Radio, and Fox "news."

They're all just mind-controlled Pod People. Ahrrgg! Must support troops! Must Eat Brains! Yes, eat brains.

[Brotherjohn]

13. They're dying for my right to protest. If I can't protest, they're dying..

... for NOTHING!

[quisp]

21. Good one! n/t

[dogday]

15. Give them an application to join the army

I have the actual application in pdf form if anyone needs it....

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

16. 1800 are dead and 14,000 injured as a result of supporting the war

ask them for a scintilla of proof as to how many are dead and injured by opposing it.

[Midlodemocrat]

17. Good one, NSMA.

[ClassWarrior]

18. Unlike the bullets, which are TICKLING the soldiers.

:rofl:

NGU.

[Brotherjohn]

19. There you go, blaming America first! Blame the terrorists!!

:sarcasm:

[LeftHander]

22. Name one peace activist that has killed a US soldier...

eom....