Supporting Troops They Know

Rick Heller, a moderate blogger comments on a new AP-Ipsos poll showing that people with friends or relatives serving in Iraq are likelier than others to have a positive view of a generally unpopular war: "Opponents of the war could argue that the troops are constantly propagandized to believe in the mission, and this filters back to their friends and relatives. However, the concrete risk of losing a loved one is surely something that gives those who know troops pause. One could argue that those for whom the war is abstract may have a more objective view than those 'biased' by personal involvement. It is among those who are absolutely enraged by the war that I wonder about their personal knowledge. Aside from a few grieving families, like the Sheehans, it does seem like the strongest opposition to the war comes from those with the least personal involvement. The notion that war supporters are 'chickenhawks' not risking their own skin or their loved ones would seem to be belied by this data."

I have said that it is no surprise that the strongest anti-war protesters are white liberals - a group that ain't carried their weight in the military in a long time.