If a decorated war veteran can't protest a war, who *can*?

[elperromagico]

Much has been made of John Kerry throwing his ribbons over the fence at the White House in the early 70s, as if it was some monumental act of betrayal to his country.

So I ask, if a decorated war veteran is unpatriotic for protesting a war he himself has seen and has grown to strongly disagree with, who can protest an unjust war and not be labeled unpatriotic? Does this country only support its troops when those troops support the Administration's military policies?

[King of New Orleans]

1. If you read "Tour of Duty"

by Douglas Brinkley, it covers the White House's (Nixon's) reaction to Kerry's big Congressional testimony. It clearly rattled them and of course got Kerry on the enemies list. Thanks to Nixon's secret tapes you get yet again another candid view of how they operated.

[elperromagico]

2. It seems to me that the Bush 43 administration

tries to present itself externally like the Reagan administration, with a "good-natured," dim-witted commander-in-chief. Internally, however, it seems to operate a lot like the Nixon adminstration.

One wonders if the Bush Administration has an enemies list.

[King of New Orleans]

3. That's a very good description.

I'm afraid I'll have to steal that one.

[mmonk]

4. and that's just the point

This is America, no matter how much some think their ideology is America instead. We are free to dissent, supposedly.