It had to happen I suppose. The default anti-war position had for so long been that “I support our troops, but not the war: Let’s bring them home,” because that was the lesson that anti-war types had internalized from the Vietnam era, what with its “excesses” and “mistakes” that were made.
But what’s the point of boundaries unless one can vault across them in the LA Times, is what I’d ask. And Joel Stein plainly agrees:
I DON’T SUPPORT our troops. This is a particularly difficult opinion to have, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to put bumper stickers on his car. Supporting the troops is a position that even Calvin is unwilling to urinate on.
Oh, the courage – the bravery! Saying what has to be said: It’s do damn difficult, and Stein is clearly just that little bit more moral than those who oppose the war but support the troops.
I know this is all easy to say for a guy who grew up with money, did well in school and hasn’t so much as served on jury duty for his country.
Because the military is only the last refuge for those who grew up penniless, chewing on the boot laces of our grandfather’s chukka boots for sustenance, and flunked out of middle school, not having the sensitivity required to go to J-school.
What weak beer, what consummately revealing piffle. I could spend hours popping the man’s comfortable and self-reverential balloons before beating him into the dust for practice’s sake, just for being deeply, criminally stupid. Except that, holding three jobs at the moment, I haven’t got the time.
But fortunately for all of us, Jeff Goldstein does:
Stein’s essay, therefore, can be viewed as just another in a long line of attempts to assume a position of virtue through the sophistry of gilded cowardice masquerading as idealism.
For my part, I support the troops because they are our countrymen and women, they have signed up willingly to serve the nation, and we are in no way, shape, manner, or form figthing a war that is objectively evil or even objectionable from ethical standards that include a resistance to tyranny and a promotion of peace and democracy.
Which is why it is easy for me to look at Stein’s pseudo-philosophical bit of puffed-up provocateurism and call it what it is: the nadir of the me generation, and the ultimate passing of the buck.
Which the rest of it is quite worth reading, the man being a surgeon and words being his scalpel. Or chest-breaker, depending on your point of view.
There are Orwell references. In case your interest wasn’t entirely piqued.
Sir,
It’s hard for me to post a comment after reading your subsequent post first (and rereading the one which inspired it). I’ll not say why, as grown men would be embarassed.
I don’t normally get to hear Hugh Hewitt, but I’m on travel for business in the Bay Area, so I was able to catch his interview of Stein. Go to http://www.HughHewitt.com for Hewitt’s commentary and a link to the Radioblogger transcript of the interview.
Short version, the guy is ignorant in the nicest sense of the word. Also, it is sad that he can make such a salary despite said ignorance.
A caller to Hewitt said Stein is essentially a celebrity-hound comedian, with one of his claims to fame of doing retro-review shows on VH1. If he’s who I think he is, he should stick to commentary on Rubick’s cubes and Furbies. Pretty funny stuff, and inconsequential (and I don’t care if I spelled any of that wrong).
Another caller suggested that he wrote this column as a publicity stunt. Maybe, but the interview has me leaning toward just ignorance. He is getting his publicity, but unlike the old saying about any publicity being good publicity, this may be a glaring exception.
In Stein’s column there was some reference about how a soldier/sailor/airman/Marine recruit would join assuming that he would probably not have to repel invaders from Mexico or Canada. My call to Hewitt, had I picked up the phone and made it, would be to point out that the two biggest acts of war (in terms of casualties) on US-proper territory came laterally, via air.
Gosh! Thanks to you and your sailors for doing what you do and what you’ve done. May I emphasize this doubly to counteract any affect Stein’s column may have!
I heard Hugh hewitt tonight for the first time on the drive home from Minneapolis take this guy apart piece by piece over the better part of an hour.
The sad thing is, I don’t know that Mr. Stein knows how demolished he was on the radio.
B
I appreciate Stein’s comments because I believe he is being more honest than most Dems and others on the Left. They believe the troops are as guilty as the president and that’s why they feel justified in undermining the war effort and encouraging the enemy.
You’ve probably heard, they loathe the military.
“Warriors and Wusses” Fisking Roundup…
In case you’ve been incommunicado for the last 24 hours, here’s a roundup of reaction to yesterday’s charming Los Angeles Times op ed column by Joel Stein.
A couple of excerpts:
…
The Ugliest of Things…
Joel Stein dropped quite the incendiary device in Tuesday?ɂ
The Ugliest of Things…
Joel Stein dropped quite the incendiary device in TuesdayÂ’s LA Times. He claims that he meant it to detonate on the flanks of his anti-war fellow travelers, but, since he commenced his tantrum with “I donÂ’t support the troops,” the collateral damage po…
I second Chris’ appreciation of Stein’s comments because its always helpful when the enemy “uncloak” themselves.
Now the sheepdogs will defend *all* the sheep–the deserving innocent and the seditious cowards alike. Because that’s the job. But’s it’s good to know which sheep at the edge of the flock are openly flirting with the wolves. Not because these sullen sheep and their snarky sentiments are all that important individually. They do have a sheepdog-guarded Constitutionally-protected Right to Free Bleat after all, and are best ignored.
But these dangerous fools mark the likely azimuth of the next attack. And that danger bearing the sheepdog does not ignore.
Capt. J..I loved that “free bleat”. I think that has to go down in the books as the new phrase for numb-skulls sounding off without a clue.
They can have their constitutionally guaranteed free bleats but they might find themselves shorn by morning.
Nein Nein Stein!…
I was going to write about Joel?ɂ
Nein Nein Stein!…
I was going to write about JoelÂ’s wonderful essay extolling the virtues of military service but since I needed some time to collect my thoughts on it several, okay everyone, beat me to the punch. So for your reading pleasure, I give you the best on J…..
[...] Update: As usual, Lex has a better take than me. [...]