[billbears]

...Some of us served. Many, including me, did not. Vietnam was our excuse. I say excuse because since that war ended, the upper classes - especially the most educated - never regained any sense of moral obligation to serve, let alone the desire to see their children volunteer..

Moral obligation to what? The State? I think the thousands upon thousands of dollars stolen out of my paycheck for over two decades to pay for government waste and 'moral' wars should suffice. Where exactly is the WOT going to go next? It's hit a deadend (much like the search for the 'phantom' WMDs). Considering that the majority of terrorist supporters are in nations that have not been bombed yet or are called 'ally' (i.e. Saudi Arabia), it's time to get on the ball and get to the next one. They'll be at it for years at this rate. Or is this just the perpetual war that Frum, Perle, Wolfowitz, and their ilk wanted? At the expense of the brave men and women that signed up to defend this nation of states.

I will be the first to sign up, even at my age, and defend this nation of states from foreign invaders. However I would not sign up to go to war to 'spread democracy'. I have a moral obligation to help and support others in foreign lands by personal funds, visits, work, etc.. However I do not have a moral obligation to support actions to establish our form of 'government', that is foreign to others, in another nation because the government tells me it is the 'moral' thing to do. Come back in a generation or two when the 'democracy' this adminstration forcibly installed in Iraq has failed and tell me how great the need was. Maybe by then they'll have found an ounce or two of WMDs in Iraq as well....

[Burkeman1]

You amoral Coward? How dare you not want to sacrifice your life or the life of a son to spreading Democracy in other lands? You must be a traitor, commie, or Islamic spy if you don't follow the gubmint blueprint demanded of you!

[MEG33]

Thank you for respecting our military although you disapprove of the war.It shows one can be anti war without insulting vets,the armed forces or their families.

[norton]

"I will be the first to sign up, even at my age, and defend this nation of states from foreign invaders. However I would not sign up to go to war to 'spread democracy'"

Sorry, not to question your motives or patriotism, intent, or deeply held beliefs;
But that statement sounds an AWFUL lot like what we heard in '68 and thereabouts...
"Oh, I'd fight Hitler alright, but not a bunch of Asian agrarian reformers....etc.

It don't wash.