Where Is My Troop Train?

In the last 20-minutes of a flight that brought me home from half way around the world the other day, I read about a movie called Stop-Loss and knew I had to see it as soon as I could. Not because it seemed to be an anti-war film. As related to the current war, I needed no help in that department. Not because I understood it to be grim and I dig grim. I think it was because -- as much as I thought I knew about how so many American families and their G.I. sons and brothers and fathers and distaffs were suffering in this war, I wasn't truly "feeling" it. Oh, I moaned to those who'd listen. And I "felt" it just the way I've felt about distant suffering all my life. You know what I mean -- a famine or natural catastrophe in some distant place on another continent, we're sorry, truly sorry, maybe we hurt for a moment, maybe even write a check in an effort to feel we've done something about it, but then we're just as likely to grab a nosh from the refrigerator on the way to bed and enjoy an untroubled sleep for the full night.

I've been there, done that, to coin a coinage. As I read about Stop-Loss I think the reason I had to see it as quickly as I could and did was the need to "feel" what so many American families at a considerable distance from so many of us are feeling as the war impacts them directly.

So what about Stop-Loss and its effect on me? I'm not fool enough to think any film, however great, gives the person who's seen it the right to think his experience equates to that of a participant in or victim of the action it portrays. But like any great film, and Stop-Loss is a great film, it can help the viewer to experience that "feeling," if only fleetingly. Stop-Loss did that for me. I feel as never before for the men and women fighting it and for their families.

During the Vietnam protest days there was an indelible photograph of a group of students lying on the track in front of a troop train. Where, I wonder, is my troop train?

Comments

[Dajo]

Norman asks,

"Where, I wonder, is my troop train?"

Prehaps it is here on this very blog or perhaps some other venu.The troop train is waiting for it's Conductor. Perhaps you can be it's Conductor.
All aboard...

[viewlake]

After Congress listens to Gen. Petraeus' version of how well the war is going, and before Congress votes to spend one more dollar on this war, I think all members of Congress should be required to watch this movie!

I've seen it. It's not a perfect movie, but until a better one comes along this will do. Please go to see it, and please urge your representatives in Congress to see it as well.

[Hajji]

Norman,

I couldn't wait to see "Stop Loss" either. Then I attended a screening along with some of my old "Drinking Liberally" buddies.

While the movie at least addresses the issue of this Nation's "Back-door-draft" (disclosure: our youngest son spent the last 4 months of his Army service FOB- and COP-hopping in the Anbar Provice, under Stop-Loss) it does little beyond bringin the subject up.

Not that TV's a bad thing (ok it kinds sucks wind these days), and those parts of TV YOU'VE touched certainly caused its blue glare to shine a bit more smartly, but "Stop-Loss" smells more like something an MTV-director was stepping in and is revealing and revelant of pretty much nothing.

waiting for something REAL,

-T

[ResidentChimp]

You must have been the only person in the theater.

[knighthowl]

You must be the only person in the theater of your mind. Are you?

Please tell the truth. Your blogs seem to be your life. And they are so wrong.

[watererbob]

Even the best movie about the occupation would probably flop at the box office! americans don't want to be reminded how stupid and / or apathetic they are!

[ResidentChimp]

I bet you went. But if there are so many surrender monkeys as you seem to think why didn't this make a better showing. Shouldn't all the surrender monkeys turn out in droves to support a movie that the believe is the truth?

[Uselessboy]

Shouldn't the patriots be swamping the recruiting offices?

[ktthecarguy]

Hey "Stay the course 2.0" dumbass - when are you signing up to fight over there? You support the occupation so much, you must feel it is your patriotic duty to go. Or do you have "other priorities" like Darth Cheney had?

[Sundialsvc4]

It is interesting to me just how defeatist the last three postings seemed to be (including the first reply to this one). "Nobody would be in the theatre." "Americans don't want to be reminded." "Surrender monkeys."

Truth ... and effective political action ... does not make headlines except those of its own making. When you are working to oppose a well-entrenched opponent that has its finger poised on the propaganda machine, you know that button is going to be mashed "like Pavlov's dog on Sunday morning."

But don't confuse what the propagandists say, for the truth. "Nobody." "Don't want to know." "Surrender." That's not truth. How do you know? Because it's much too easy to come by.

[GoodwithWood]

It’s telling how we recruit young and ignorant children to do our deadly work. These kids did not sign up for this. They signed up to DEFEND this country, not to partake in OFFENSIVE invasions in the name of empire building. They are victims of our society, corporations and government and the ones who look this corrupt government in the eyes and say “Hell no, we won’t go” are the true heros. Patriotism is about loving and doing your part to make your country great and not about making it a despised empire that the rest of the world rightly hates.

GWW

[TheIndependenceParty]

I need not shed an arm,
nor lose my mind,
to lose my taste for war,
and what it brings to Us.

I simply need to look around myself, and past myself, and my safe place,
To children down the street in care of grand mothers and fathers,
In loving stead of sergeants, corporals, and of captains who,
On our behalves are doing the work we hired them to do,
In place of joys, and times God had in mind for them to share,
With those precious ones
We the People can not replace,
Nor whose senses may repair.

Pray for us now.

[Titonwan]

I hear it's not getting much cash. But that probably has more to do with Corporate Media blacklisting it as anything else. God I hate big business. It's taking over the Government.

[cristo52]

I was in the service from 1970 to 1974 so I didn't get a look at all the protest photos, but didn't troop trains go die out in the 1940s. When I traveled in uniform I took a flight from the nearest airport.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"didn't troop trains go die out in the 1940s."

Not all domestic bases during the Viet Nam era were accessible by airplanes and buses. It may be that some still aren't.

Aside from the movie, the protestors from that time under the leadership of Jerry Rubin and others always seemed to have some way to do something dramatic to bring out the reporters. It wouldn't have been out of character for one or more of them to find a train going to a base.

In the back of my memory, I vaugely recall a protestor (a young woman) being run over by a train when she either didn't or couldn't get out of the way fast enough. It could have been in the Oakland, CA area.

[santamonica39]

a solution to this great disconnect is mandatory national service. I have come to believe this is what is needed in our country. I'm not saying that we require people to join the military, but requiring people to serve their country for 1-2 years (post highschool or post college). This service could be the peace corps or Habitat for Humanity, or the military, or a homeless shelter, or something that benefits society as a whole. It is ridiculous how many spoiled people there are in this country who are perfectly happy to let others fight their battles and suffer so that they can drive their Hummers and shop shop shop. It's not only the neo-cons who shelter their kids from service, but it is also we progressives. We have to take responsibility too! Many people have their kids on a trajectory from private school to ivy league to law firm. Where is their public service and sacrifice to? It's no wonder that we elevate individual achievement and personal liberty above responsibility and public good. We are growing up without a sense of ogligation to the whole, without understanding the importance of giving back to our country.

And we should not do foolish things such as give tax cuts during a time of war - if we think war is important, then we should vote for it - with our wallets - not require that it be paid for by our children.

[AnotherMcIntosh]

"... requiring people to serve their country for 1-2 years (post highschool or post college). This service could be the peace corps or Habitat for Humanity, or the military, or a homeless shelter, or something that benefits society ,,,"

Do you realize that Bush undoubtedly considers himself a multi-year Iraq war veteran? He served as "commander-in-chief" and had a lot of people saluting him and saying "Yes, Sir!"

Do you realize that all the neocons in governmental positions would undoubtedly qualify for your dream of serving the government for 1-2 years.

If you want to serve some time for Bush and company, go do it.

[jrockbg]

Why do you chose to "feel" what these soldiers and their families go through when it comes only to struggle? How about the overwhelming majority of soldiers and their families that are proud the service that is given and with that of this country. Why don't you attend a homecoming ceremony for a local National Guard or Reserve unit and feel the great "pride" and solidarity?

Acknowledge our mistakes, certainly. But also give credit for the good we do. That is why most soldiers are proud to to serve. In Iraq, Afghanistan, wherever they are called.

[BarryChamplain]

About your "overwhelming majority":

It's a rigged game you jingoists play.

It was the same way during Viet Nam. You were happy to lionize servicepeople when they could make nice props for your politics of aggression. But God forbid they should come home and turn on you, then they weren't part of the "majority" anymore; in fact, if anyone was guilty of the apocryphal "spitting on the troops", it was you warmongering flag-wavers... because once a soldier escaped the madness and had his eyes opened to the evil that is war, he was no good for your propaganda purposes.

You hosed those guys first, during the demonstrations; their uniforms didn't mean shit to you. They had turned on you, so they were no longer proud veterans. Now they were scum, as far as you were concerned.

This left you all those others who hadn't grown up yet, who were still drinking the Kool-Aid and shedding the blood for absolutely no reason whatsoever. Ergo, they were still "the majority", because the Ron Kovacses, in your view, no longer existed.

Nice little numbers game. Stuff it.

[jrockbg]

I came off of active duty over two tears ago from my year in Iraq. How long must I wait before my eyes are opened?

Your premise that we servicemen and women are disillusioned, brainwashed, or unable have perspective on our service is GROSSLY insulting and condescending. Your Hollywood notion that our armed services are a bunch of war hungry cowboys is insulting. True, war and combat is our profession. But saying that we're warmongerers is like saying that people who work for FEMA are praying for disaster.

I am merely sharing my experience as far as the opinions of soldiers are concerned. Take it or leave it.

[Uselessboy]

I've spent 40 years burying your peers, as a funeral military-music player.

I serve human beings in their hours of need.

More than their country does.

[jhamm1]

While some may continually advise that even those of us among the anti-war crowd to extend a special amount of empathy for the plight of American troops, I cannot simply find the motivation to get on the bandwagon. With perhaps as many as a million Iraqis having been killed and other plights occuring in Darfur and elsewhere, and furthermore with our military engaged in a conflict which is progressively eroding the stability of the region and thus safety of the globe, I see no purpose in placing the standards of empathy for American troops any higher than that of the Iraqis and others who have endured suffering on a greater scale.

I'll agree to sympathize with military trooops and their families, but nothing more. And I will not lose any more rest over the plight of a particular group on the basis of a common nationality.

[speakingtruth2power]

The neocons learned a great deal from studying and fantasizing about the next attempt at

perpetual war. Embedded instead of free press, in fact the MIC bought heavily into the MSM.

No bad pictures, no shots of coffins or grieving families, no photo assays on the many and

severely wounded AND best of all, keep sending the same suckers over & over to limit the

number of families subjected to the war. Hell, just tell folk to go shopping, cut taxes for the

rich and borrow the fucking money from our natural competitors. The economy will tank but

catastrophes are just more opportunities for Privatization, Profiteering and Promulgation!!!

ST2P.

[BongWater]

I have not seen the movie, but with the high quality of propaganda being churned out these days, this review is also worth considering.

http://www.alternet.org/movies/81161/

[hopeless277]

I fear the answer to your question is that America loves war.....when someone else fights it. No draft....no resistance.

[RadioResearch]

Norman, you failed to notice that those protesters on the troop train were upper middle class draft dodgers (ok - with college deferments engineered by their affluent parents to keep them out of it) who became neo-conservatives once the draft was ended. They voted for George, et. al., which is why nothing is getting done but more of the same old shit.

P.S. - try reading the comments by vets on Stop Loss. The reviews are not positive as they re-create some of those old Viet Nam stereotypes. The film falls way short of what it could have been with a little more attention to verisimilitude.

[JulieSA]

yeah. The Iraq vets I know hate the movie. It portrays them as witless victims. No one is going to the movie anyway. People are sick of movies that show the troops as dupes or rapists. The troops have performed many acts of bravery and humanitarian assistance, but you won't see that in any Hollywood movie, because Hollywood, in general, has contempt for the military.