Murtha in Haditha

So why is it that when a veteran like McCain says "wasted", everyone cuts him slack like "he's a great supporter of the troops." But when a veteran and hawk like Murtha says we have to redeploy, he is smeared with all sorts of crap?

It is because in U.S society, if you speak up for war and killing, you are hailed as a hero by the establishment, no matter whether you are a chickenhawk like Cheney, a recovering cokehead like you know who, or a former POW like McCain.

If you speak out for peace, you are called a traitor, accused of trying to bring the country down, of not supporting the troops, and many other sorts of lies. This is true even if you are a veteran who has shown great courage.

Also, if you are pro-war, but not sufficiently hawkish for real men like Sean Hannity (cough), you get the same sort of attacks. Just ask John Kerry. (On second thought, don't.)

Just stop it. Stop the war, stop attacking and smearing anyone who has a different view of what's good for the country, stop the snide asides like "validating Al-Qaeda's strategy", stop the financial corruption and privitization of killing, stop making our kids killers in a strange land.