The Meaning of Support for War Opposition

Abstract

AbstractThis chapter uncovers the way the mandatory nature of supporting the troops conditions dissent. It examines the use of support the troops discourse by a variety of US and UK antiwar and peace NGOs. Support the troops discourse is represented as beyond politics. Dissent is not only politically foreclosed, but its absence is actively lauded as an obligation of normative, gendered membership in the political community. Pragmatic antiwar calls to support the troops and bring them home, though logical in attempting to get a fair hearing, reify the idea that the troops must be supported. Instances of resistance—challenges to the assumption that one must support the troops—are written off as offensive instances of bad taste. Socially intelligible opposition to the use of force is therefore sharply constrained, as martial obligation makes it possible to contest one war, on behalf of the troops, but not the practice of war itself.