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Thursday, December 21, 2006 12:00 AM

Post-traumatic futility disorder

Disillusionment with war is an overlooked psychological liability on the battlefield, experts say -- and could lead to higher rates of PTSD among U.S. soldiers in Iraq.

By Mark Benjamin

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Wednesday, December 20, 2006 09:16 PM

While there is no shortage of "Support Our Troops" bumper stickers nowadays, troops returning from Iraq report feeling disoriented and isolated by an American public that seems detached from, even uninterested in, the wrenching experience of the grunt in Iraq

The army that went to Vietnam consisted of both volunteers and conscripted soldiers. The military in Iraq is composed of entirely of VOLUNTEERS. I understand that there was a lot of propaganda after 9/11 that led many Americans to believe that Iraq was involved in attacking America. But for those who were paying attention, the propaganda seemed implausible. Many, many young men and women signed up to fight in Iraq, because they believed that they were protecting their country. They were not. These young men and women were ill informed, jingoistic and (probably) racist. They believed that fighting "them" over there, meant protecting the country. I understand that many of those who serve in the armed forces are also not quite "volunteers" they join to get access to higher education. However, I have lost respect for these people also: what makes it morally okay to invade a nation and kill foreigners just so you can get a piece of paper?

I don't support the troops (speak for yourself timbuktom). Fuck them!

—djr41den Read djr41den's other letters

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