Political....

I had an interesting moment today when someone mentioned supporting the troops despite your political views. I have to say that is one of the peculiarities of dating a soldier.

I am anti-political in general. I have things I care about, but I truly believe there is so much marketing in political candidates that it's not about politics. It's about money like so many things in the US, not that I am complaining, I merely stating that I don't think my involvement would be in politics. In general, I take stock from my good friends and my family and see what they think and make my decision. I know that most people vote how their parents vote, and that can cause there to be little change between the generations, in other words, people are not encouraged to think for themselves and make their own political decisions. I just feel that politics are murky I have no good way of evaluating them. That basically is my view of politics, it churns, and my family lives conservatively, so I just go along.

Then I started dating someone in the Army going to Iraq. I had never really cared about the war. For a while I was glued to the news. I have been told that the reality in Iraq is way different than it is in the news. Am I surprised? Not in the least. What's the point in watching the news? I am sure that what they report is so far from the truth I might as well be watching a TV drama.

As much as I love Adam and I am sure that he would readily admit that he doesn't even really know what's all going on. So what do you know? What is the right thing to do?

I recently read the book Infidel and I had someone say to me that a book like that makes them feel as though the war in Iraq is almost justified. I don't know. I try really hard not to think about reasons for the war and whether or not it is justified because it drives me up the wall. I can't think about it pragmatically or with any educated view, and no amount of reason would bring Adam home.

I have asked Adam about how he feels about it and he has given me his views. I guess if he is the one fighting, it's his political views that matter I guess.

On a somewhat related note, but different vein, soldiers get paid nothing. Yet soldiers' families spend quite a bit of money mailing things to their soldiers. Food, toiletries, comfort things (read:pillows! and a blanky). I think that his Mom and I have probably spent $1,000 sending him things. On soldier's salary, thats a ridiculous amount of money on extraneous food and "necessities". In mind it reminds me of a static about how much of a teacher's salary goes back into a school system.

Families of soldiers are paying for it in many different ways.

I didn't used to be very political, but now I am more and more each day. Though really what difference does it make?