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I [heart] Freedom

Political bumper stickers have dominated the vehicle landscape for many years. They range from mere support for a particular candidate or party to outright insults on the opposing viewpoint. A popular one since the Vietnam war and now enjoying a resurgence because of the Iraqi conflict reads in the following way:

"If you [heart symbol] your freedom, thank a veteran."

This poses a unique problem for the critical thinker who does not wish to offer blanket and blind support to one side of a debate or another. When a nation is at war, support for troops in harm's way becomes a paramount issue in that nation's dialogue. This is especially true given the various ways Vietnam veterans were welcomed home, in contrast to returning World War II soldiers. Like any other country, the United States does not wish to make the same mistake twice, though it often does, just like every other nation.

In the present case, no one wants to offer any form of disrespect for Iraqi veterans regardless of what is believed about the reasons for the conflict. Patriotism is linked in the national consciousness as directly proportional to the amount of troop support shown. It could be argued this very issue is what cost Senator Kerry the 2004 election. Many viewed him as undermining veteran interests when he returned from Vietnam and protested America's involvement in that region. He was viewed as traitorous and a major ad campaign by other veterans showed no hesitation in making that charge openly.
Yet, intellectual honesty and true patriotism requires not only a critical examination of the reasons for war, but also how the soldiers involved fight that conflict. In the case of the aforementioned bumper sticker, it can be reasonably surmised that no living veterans except those from World War II fought to protect the freedoms of American citizens. Neither Korea nor Vietnam, nor any of the minor conflicts since have posed any real threat to the American way of life. Rather, they have been police actions, intended to protect American interests in a particular region.

These interests most often concerned large businesses that used financial might to lobby government. Less frequently, America engaged in war for obvious humanitarian relief from an oppressive regime or ethnic conflict. Such is the reason given for current American involvement in Iraq, despite the initial claim that Saddam Hussein posed a direct threat to the US with weapons of mass destruction. It is now well known

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