Can I Support The Troops and Criticize the Policies?
(Yes You Can)

Can you be against the Bush administration's current foreign policy in the Middle East and still support the troops? 

First let us look to the troops themselves. Our soldiers are among the most intelligent in the world. These men and women are innovative self-starters, who think quickly on a dynamic and deadly battlefield. I was taught that our soldiers' ability to think for themselves gives us an enormous advantage over our enemies. I was told that if I gave my soldiers a clear objective and plan, down to the Private they would accomplish the mission. In my career as a soldier I met countless men and women who proved that lesson to be true.

I say this to say that we cannot expect our soldiers to think on the battlefield and to stop thinking off the battlefield. When I served in Desert Shield/Storm (Persian Gulf War), we (soldiers) discussed why we were there. We talked about  oil interest, Saddam's  past relationship with the U.S., and Iraq’s obvious aggression when it attacked Kuwait. I am sure similar discussions are taking place in the ranks today.

If service women and men analyze and question current policy (usually in private), citizens who have no sworn obligation to follow the commander and chief will and should do so.

Second, the nation has learned a great deal from our Vietnam experience. I think citizens and soldiers know the difference between U.S. policy decided by politicians and the military leaders executing that policy. Americans are ashamed of the nation’s treatment of many Vietnam veterans. We as a country do not want to ever treat our soldiers so badly again. Many dissenters are making an effort to tread lightly and look for ways to dissent and not demonize individual soldiers. This paradigm has not been fully developed, but the will and fundamental understanding is present.

Third, if we are to continue to be the home of the brave and an example of freedom, we must use force judiciously, and not simply for material and national interest. We want our soldiers to be seen as liberators and friends, not the tools of imperialist and conquerors. We want to love our soldiers and not fear that one day they may be used against us.

Finally,  if we as citizens value the lives of our soldiers, our brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and friends, we have no choice than to examine all decisions by our government to use military force . Our political founding fathers and mothers created our system with what many people call a healthy distrust of government. They believed it is the duty of the people to be active and keep the government in check. We citizens are the fourth and most powerful branch of government. Thomas Jefferson clearly states this time and time again. Examples are  "The ultimate arbiter is the people of the Union," "[It is] the people, to whom all authority belongs, " and from the Declaration of Independence, "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." We, as citizens have a responsibility to question and examine. It shows we are engaged in self-government. It shows we care about our soldiers and will not put them in harms way frivolously.

To ensure our personal freedom and a to remain a beacon for the world, it is imperative we are diligent in guarding against tyranny, especially now when the U.S. is the undisputed heavy weight champion of the world. We as Americans must guard against our tyranny over others. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. As individual citizens, it is our moral obligation to ensure that we the people do not allow our new absolute status in the world corrupt us and the ideals by which we live beyond recognition absolutely.

 Source

"The ultimate arbiter is the people of the Union." Thomas Jefferson to William Johnson, 1823.

 "[It is] the people, to whom all authority belongs." --Thomas Jefferson to Spencer Roane, 1821.

 "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed." --Thomas Jefferson: Declaration of Independence, 1776.