The Bush administration's rallying call that America is a nation at war is increasingly ringing hollow to men and women in uniform, who argue in frustration that America is not a nation at war but a nation with only its military at war. From bases in Iraq and across the United States, officers and enlisted personnel quietly raise a question for political leaders: If America is truly on a war footing, why is so little sacrifice asked of the nation at large?
There is no serious talk of a draft to share the burden of fighting across the broad citizenry and neither Republicans nor Democrats are pressing for a tax increase to force Americans to cover the $5 billion a month in costs from Iraq, Afghanistan and counter-terrorism missions. There are not concerted efforts like the savings-bond drives or gasoline rationing that helped to unite the country behind its fighting forces in wars past. "Nobody in America is asked to sacrifice except us," said one officer just back from a yearlong tour in Iraq.
I'm sorry to say, it's worse than that. There are many multi-national companies besides Haliburton who are making incredible profits on the blood in the Iraq. The Bush Administration has used the excuse of Iraq as a way to rollback the last of the FDR Fair Deal, by cutting taxes on corporations and the rich, cutting back on entitlements during the depths of a recession, and encouraging jobs overseas to help rollback wages in the US. Now there is talk of taxing payments for medical insurance as a way to help with the "deficit". Just a few years ago, the Administration led the charge to increase Social Security taxes and now there are moves to rollback benefits. And all of the billions of dollars in windfall to corporations and the rich is being pay for by our children in future taxes.
No, the soldier is not the only one sacrificing for this war. The poor, the unemployed, the future American worker and anyone of Arabic ethniciy in the US are paying the price as well. And the rich laugh all the way to the bank.
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Last update: July 23, 2005 at 10:55 PM
Analysis: Frustrated with 'patriotism lite'
Thom Shanker
New York Times
Published July 24, 2005
WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Bush administration's rallying call that America is a nation at war is increasingly ringing hollow to men and women in uniform, who argue in frustration that America is not a nation at war but a nation with only its military at war.
From bases in Iraq and across the United States, officers and enlisted personnel quietly raise a question for political leaders: If America is truly on a war footing, why is so little sacrifice asked of the nation at large?
There is no serious talk of a draft to share the burden of fighting across the broad citizenry and neither Republicans nor Democrats are pressing for a tax increase to force Americans to cover the $5 billion a month in costs from Iraq, Afghanistan and counter-terrorism missions.
There are not concerted efforts like the savings-bond drives or gasoline rationing that helped to unite the country behind its fighting forces in wars past.
"Nobody in America is asked to sacrifice except us," said one officer just back from a yearlong tour in Iraq.
Members of the military who discussed their sense of frustration did so only when promised anonymity, as comments viewed as critical of the civilian leadership could end their careers. The sentiments were expressed in more than two dozen interviews and casual conversations with enlisted personnel, noncommissioned officers, midlevel officers, and general or flag officers in Iraq and in the United States.
Charles Moskos, a professor emeritus at Northwestern University specializing in military sociology, said: "My terminology for it is 'patriotism lite,' and that's what we're experiencing now in both political parties. The political leaders are afraid to ask the public for any real sacrifice, which doesn't speak too highly of the citizenry."
While officers and enlisted personnel say they enjoy symbolic signs of support and the high ratings the military now enjoys in public opinion polls, "that's just not enough," said a one-star officer who served in Iraq. "There has to be more," he added, saying that the absence of a call for broader national sacrifice in a time of war has become a near constant topic of discussion among officers and enlisted personnel.
"For most Americans," said an officer with a year's experience in Iraq, "their role in the war on terror is limited to the slight inconvenience of arriving at the airport a few hours early."
Maj. Gen. Robert Scales Jr., who served as commandant of the Army War College and is now retired, said: "Despite the enormous impact of September 11, it hasn't really translated into a national movement towards fighting the war on terrorism. It's almost as if the politicians want to be able to declare war and, at the same time, maintain a sense of normalcy."
Scales said he had heard a heavy stream of concerns from current officers that "the military is increasingly isolated from the rest of the country."
"People associate being an officer with the priesthood," he added. "You know, there is an enormous amount of respect, but nobody wants to sign up for celibacy."
Private organizations like the Navy League of the United States that support the individual armed services have identified the tension and are using this theme to urge greater contributions from members now in the civilian world.
"We have recognized that and we have tried to sound the alarm," said Rear Adm. Stephen Pietropaoli, retired, the executive director of the Navy League.
"As an organization that is committed to supporting them by ensuring they have the weapons and tools and systems to fight and win, and also at the grass-roots level by providing assistance to families," Pietropaoli said, "we are aware that the burden has fallen almost solely on the shoulders of the uniformed military and security services and their families. We have used that in our calls to action by our members. We have said, 'We are at war. What have you done lately?' "
"Nobody in America is asked to sacrifice except us."
-- An officer just back from a yearlong tour in Iraq
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