Much has been made lately about subtle prejudices that lurk just beneath the surface of our culture that permits "shock-jocks" like Don Imus and Rush Limbaugh and Bill O'Reilly to thrive in spite of many blatant racist and sexist comments made on-air.

But there's another quiet bigotry that shadows much of the war-dialogue I'm reading online; and that is that if you are dumb enough to actually VOLUNTEER to serve in the military during a losing war, then you are, for the most part, a loser yourself.  And that, furthermore, we shouldn't feel sorry for hardships enforced on military families since they are, basically, mercenaries.

Over on Huffingtonpost.com, Iraq war vet and anti-war activist Paul Rieckhoff posted a blog, "15 More Months in Iraq?  The War is Breaking Our Military."

Here are some of the comments posted in response to his blog:

"Here we go, another person complaining about the broken military who overlooks the fact that the current US military is an all-volunteer force. In spite of the billions of dollars taxpayers pay to support this so-called best military in the world, the US has not been able to "win" the war in Iraq and Afghanistan...

So much for a "professional" military which sounds alot like a mercenary military. Personnally, I can not offer an opinion about the military because I am not there. But I do know since they are all volunteers, they can leave at the end of their committment. Go work at some other job."

"Can anyone explain to me why anyone in their right mind would enlist or re-enlist to fight in this ill-conceived and mismanaged war? While I have some compassion for those that were fooled into believing that they were going to be fighting the terrorists that attacked us are now trapped in this war, I have none for anyone that signs up now. Surely they have to take some responsibility for their decision, no one is forcing them to sign up and there is more than enough information around to show what an incredibly stupid mistake this war has been. "

"Why are the soldiers putting up with this?  As long as you guys sit back and be good soldiers you're going to get sh** on by these guys."

"Only the most rabid right fanatics continue to believe the propaganda coming from the White House, so does that mean that the new enlistees are rabid right fanatics? And if they are do they deserve our support?"

"Who would enlist in this military knowing that once you sign on, you may never be able to sign off? Who in their right mind would ever believe that the US military, any branch of it, will stick to the contract that the recruits sign? Anyone with a lick of sense will never trust what the government says, and if they don't know what a lie is, and they want to find out, they can sign up."

I consider myself a bit of an expert on this subject, since my son, three nephews, and one brother-in-law, are all either active-duty military or just got out. 

My husband, brother, father, and one brother-in-law are all combat vets of Vietnam.  My husband was a lietenant, an Army infantry platoon leader.  His brother was a captain in the U.S. Army Special Forces (Green Berets) and did two tours.  My dad retired a Master Gunnery Sgt. in the Marines.  He requested Vietnam when he was over 40 and had five kids at home.

My son enlisted in the Marine Corps after 9-11, as soon as he graduated college, because he believed he would be fighting terrorists in Afghanistan.  Instead, he did two infantry combat tours in the Anbar province of Iraq.  He is still active.

One nephew enlisted in the Marines after high school in order to earn money for college, and because he respected the men in our family and wanted to walk in their footsteps, and because he loves his country.  He did three combat infantry tours in Iraq and is in college now.

My brother-in-law (not the Vietnam vet) retired at the rank of Brigadier General in the Army Special Forces.  His sons are both Army captains, one in SF, and one just deployed to Baghdad.  Before he retired, he had deployed to Afghanistan, and one of his sons has been there twice.

I have been fighting against this war since 2002, and my daughter marched against the war in NY during the Republican convention, with her brother's photo pinned to her shirt.  Like Barack Obama said, "I'm not against all wars.  I'm against dumb wars."

We all love our country, and one of my greatest heartbreaks is seeing what this unneccessary war has done to drive away good NCOs and junior officers like my nephews, who had all planned a military career.  One got out as soon as he could. The other two have doubts, now.  These multiple deployments are too hard on family life.

My son tends to vote Democratic, and calls me sometimes, asking what the Democrats are doing to end this war.  Both he and my nephew returned from Iraq frustrated and angry at the waste of lives they saw there.

Most of the ignorant morons who posted these messages over on Huffingtonpost.com assumed that the entire military who is fighting in Iraq only recently enlisted.  Nothing could be further from the truth.

In fact, most of the military who are serving over there right now have been there at least once, twice, or even three times.

NONE OF THEM wanted to return, once they had been.  THEY DID SO BECAUSE IT IS THEIR DUTY.

They did so because they are warriors, and this is what warriors do.

They did so because they desperately want the terrible sacrifices paid by their buddies who died and lost limbs and minds over there NOT BE IN VAIN.  They want, more than anything, for their own sacrifices to COUNT FOR SOMETHING.

Our fighting forces are not a bunch of mindless morons marching in lockstep to their Fearless Leader's commands.  In a recent Army Times survey, a majority of active-duty military polled think it was a mistake to go into Iraq and want the war to end.

And there is a dirty little secret that I seldom see in the news coverage of this war, and that is the "back-door draft" that John Kerry was talking about in '04.  Many, many in the military ARE NOT BEING PERMITTED TO LEAVE ONCE THEIR CONTRACTS ARE UP. 
They are not being allowed to retire, either. 

Or, they are allowed out, and then only a few short months later, get yanked up as "reservists" and sent back into the war.  Most reservists serving today were active-duty, had gotten out and started whole new lives.  It was not their choice to go back in, not by a long shot.  Some have been forced back into the military after AS MANY AS 20 YEARS out of the service.

One of the consequences of Secretary Gates's recent announcement is that, let's say, you are deployed, you've been there a couple months, and your military contract runs out. 

Before, you could go home early, your service completed.  No more.  Now, you have to stay until the unit goes home.

Some units are being sent months early, without sufficient training.  They are being sent when they were told they would not be.  They are being forced to remain in-country months past their chance to come home.

Every single time a soldier or Marine re-deploys, he or she knows they are playing a deadly game of Russian Roulette.  They know, especially if they are combat troops and not support troops, that their chances of survival are diminished.  I can't count the tragic stories I've heard of troops getting killed a week before time to go home after a third deployment.

As for those "new recruits," well, the Army is so desperate to find new cannon fodder that they are waiving high-school diploma requirements and relaxing felony-conviction restrictions.  They are offering more money as enlistment bonuses and re-enlistment bonuses, and if your contract is up, you can count on IMMENSE pressure from up above to stay in.  A struggling young NCO, trying to support a family, can be tempted by a nice signing bonus.

Not only that, but keep in mind that many new recruits are from poor areas.  The vast majority of them come from rural white America--the very place that worships at the feet of Limbaugh and all the neocons that wave the flag so proudly as long as it's somebody else's kid.

What is being done to our United States military is CRIMINAL.  There is no other word for it. 

Most of the people who serve in the military are decent, kind, smart, brave, hard-working young men and women.  Their love of country and sense of duty and honor has been CORRUPTED AND ABUSED BY THE BUSH ADMINISTRATION and anybody else who just loves to use them for photo ops.

But to blame them for volunteering to serve their country, as if it is a stupid, uninformed, ignorant and blatantly mercenary thing to do...well, that's a crime almost as bad, because what it does is soak into our national consciousness...that we don't really need to worry all that much about ending a war that is being fought by a bunch of dumbasses.

And that is the true shame.