Tag: Afghanistan

Former CIA case officer, Rep. Abigail Spanberger (D-VA07), speaking on CNN a few minutes ago (see video, below): "Well, as a former CIA case officer...

by Lowell Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, June 29. Global report: deaths from coronavirus pass half...

From the Qasim Rashid for Congress (VA01) campaign: Rashid for Congress Campaign Responds to Reports That Russia Secretly Offered Afghan Militants Bounties to Kill U.S....

by Lowell Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Sunday, August 18. Biggest Hong Kong Protest in Weeks Sends...

by Lowell Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, August 2.  The Greenland ice sheet poured 197 billion...

by Lowell Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, January 18.  Theresa May’s Government Lives on—and So Does...

by Lowell Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Friday, December 21.  Mattis resigns after clash with Trump over...

by Lowell Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Tuesday, August 22. Trump outlines a revised vision, but few...

by Lowell Here are a few national and Virginia news headlines, political and otherwise, for Monday, August 21. Navy destroyer arrives in Singapore after collision...

When the neocons planned out the Bush Iraqi adventure the wave of popular sentiment toward the military arising from the first Gulf War had crested and begun to ebb. The undertow was Viet Nam. Somehow they had to make their war invulnerable to criticism. They found a shield: the troops.

Psychological operations directed against the people of the United States are not lawful. But the propaganda was so subtly crafted that the constant mantra, "Support the Troops," was never recognized for the actual message being delivered. The Iraq War was unassailable because to criticize the war was to criticize the troops. Then an unlikely propaganda ally gave the neocons 9/11. Politicians feared airing questions that begged to be asked. The military and veteran bandwagon took on a life of its own. There was no support for mass demonstrations against the war. Senior officers could take bribes and give girlfriends classified documents without indignation from our elected representatives. Support the Troops. What a contrast to the Viet Nam era. But in the end, how much support is there: compare the spending on veterans' programs to that on the continuing operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.