Support the troops?

April 28, 2005 2:07 PM

Capt. America and Spiderman support the troops, how about you (pdf)?America Supports You! Get a free comic book, dogtag, or maybe even a free body bag.
posted by fixedgear (39 comments total)

Get a free comic book, dogtag, or maybe even a free body bag.

Um.
posted by Optimus Chyme at 2:14 PM on April 28, 2005

Wait a second...using a cartoon camel to promote smoking entices kids into addiction, but using beloved comic book characters in these ads is only supposed to apply to people of military-joining age?

Which is more likely to kill someone in the short term? In the long term?
posted by Kickstart70 at 2:18 PM on April 28, 2005

I think this army would get more support out of comic books.

Unless they're giving out Captain America shields to the troops.
posted by anthill at 2:20 PM on April 28, 2005

In Soviet Russia, America supports you!

(Er... what?)
posted by Faint of Butt at 2:23 PM on April 28, 2005

I wonder if it'll include anything about the period where Steve Rogers stopped being Captain America because he was so disillusioned with the military-industrial complex.
posted by COBRA! at 2:24 PM on April 28, 2005

Comic book characters + the military agends = two things I really hate
posted by crapulent at 2:25 PM on April 28, 2005

err.. agenda
posted by crapulent at 2:26 PM on April 28, 2005

Weird, the site seems like a linkfarm to services selling goods and services that are only marginally related to troop support.

A lot of the companies that are sending packages to troops don't appear to be non-profit and I can't tell if any are trustworthy, given the cheesy bad design and their intake of money and output of just a few photos of troops. Worst yet, I don't see the most legit of them all, Any Soldier even listed on the website.

I'm surprised a gov't body would apply the trust of a real .mil address on what appear to be unchecked business listings.
posted by mathowie at 2:32 PM on April 28, 2005

How could they leave out Sgt. Rock?
posted by bardic at 2:44 PM on April 28, 2005

Sgt. Slaughter?
posted by PurplePorpoise at 2:56 PM on April 28, 2005

Does this mean that the Red Skull is leading the Iraqi insurgents? They should be a lot more awesome, then.

And if Spiderman drags his radioactive ass to an event, are the organizers obligated to post a warning to pregnant women?
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:03 PM on April 28, 2005

Nice Porpoise and Curley. But we'd all be remiss to also leave out Nick Fury, agenst of S.H.I.E.L.D.
posted by bardic at 3:25 PM on April 28, 2005

The "bumper of my suv" song is the new worst song that I have ever listened to.
posted by damehex at 3:25 PM on April 28, 2005

Urp. "Agent."
posted by bardic at 3:27 PM on April 28, 2005

i saw the local Young Marines troop out drilling in the park last evening.
posted by quonsar at 3:33 PM on April 28, 2005

I hesitate, but a singer named Tracy Grammer just 2 days ago released a CD. . .and there is a song therein with the following lyrics which I feel are appropos:

these days the spin machine
is always on the silver screen
secret plots and submarines
foreign fiends and magazines

wave the flag, watch the news
tell us we can count on you
mom and dad are marchin too
children, step in time

hey ho, so it goes, the point of sale, the puppet show
the merchant kings of war and woe have turned their hands to labor
sound out the trumpet noise, the cannons bark and jump for joy
someones dread and darlin boy has fallen on his saber
posted by Danf at 3:37 PM on April 28, 2005

I'm sure any soldier, or troop (the singular of "troops"?), is thrilled to see video messages of support from such A-list celebrities as Michael Bolton, Ruben Studdard, and Phyllis Diller. Perhaps Phyllis' words: "You are protecting the homeland, and I admire you for it," keep them going through the long days of civilian killing in Iraq.
posted by debris at 3:39 PM on April 28, 2005

Come to think of it, what person (celebrity or otherwise), would ever uses the word "homeland" in a sentence? Sounds as communistic as "comrade". When did our country become a homeland?
posted by debris at 3:43 PM on April 28, 2005

The "bumper of my suv" song is the new worst song that I have ever listened to.

Yeah, I'm guessing the irony inherent in "The Bumper Of My SUV" sorta escapes Chely Wright. No wonder that minivan driver flipped her off.
posted by fixedgear at 3:48 PM on April 28, 2005

From the linked .mil website, a quote originally from here:

Over the last three years we have seen an extraordinary outpouring of support for American men and women in uniform – from organizations, from businesses, and from people young and old – all across the country. Your support is important, and it's appreciated. And I thank all Americans who have already found ways to pitch in and support our military forces.
--Donald Rumsfeld

Also from the same Donald Rumsfeld (emphasis added), from here:

[Lack of armor for US fighting vehicles in Iraq is] essentially a matter of physics. It isn’t a matter of money. It isn’t a matter on the part of the Army of desire. It’s a matter of production and capability of doing it.
As you know, you go to war with the Army you have. They’re not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time. Since the Iraq conflict began, the Army has been pressing ahead to produce the armor necessary at a rate that they believe – it’s a greatly expanded rate from what existed previously, but a rate that they believe is the rate that is all that can be accomplished at this moment.

And a page of downloadable "America Supports You" logos, with instructions for putting them on baseball caps, coffee mugs, sports bottles, and key chains.

Ok, so the soldiers get no additional armor, but we at home get promotional comic books and key chains?

Oh, right, the soldiers get these too.

So the Department of defense has made its priority not winning the war, not safeguarding our troops with appropriate armor, but winning the hearts and minds of the voters at home? And we wonder why we're losing?
posted by orthogonality at 3:51 PM on April 28, 2005

posted by fixedgear at 4:18 PM on April 28, 2005

SGT Nelson supports the troops!
posted by buzzman at 4:56 PM on April 28, 2005

debris, 'homeland' sounds more like 'fatherland' to me, descibing the people's love for their democratically governed fully industrialized and capital-rich Western country.
posted by anthill at 5:25 PM on April 28, 2005

No more heroes.......but lots of assholes!
posted by PHINC at 5:37 PM on April 28, 2005

Perhaps Phyllis' words: "You are protecting the homeland, and I admire you for it," keep them going through the long days of civilian killing in Iraq.


Well, God knows I joined the army simply so I could kill civilians, thus I don't need Phyllis' or anyone else's words of encouragement because I love my job. In fact, everyone in the military is here to kill babies and shoot unarmed civilians and humiliate prisoners-- it puts smiles on all our faces just thinking about it. Yessiree, that's the sum total of all our aspirations.
posted by Hal Mumkin at 5:49 PM on April 28, 2005

fixedgear: You work for DOD. Isn't this a self-post?
posted by MLIS at 6:31 PM on April 28, 2005

Yes, I own the .mil domain.
posted by fixedgear at 6:49 PM on April 28, 2005

I like a Mozart tune... how about you?
posted by dreamsign at 6:52 PM on April 28, 2005

It's so sad to see Captain America sell out like this.
posted by ToasT at 7:09 PM on April 28, 2005

Yes, I own the .mil domain.

From the bottom of the AmericaSupportsYou! site that you linked to: AmericaSupportsYou is an official U.S. Department of Defense website.

See, it is not about you having to own the .mil domain. You work for DOD and you posted a link from DOD. IIRC this has come up before with MeFi members who work for Apple, Google, etc. If such members can not post links from Apple or Google, why should you be able to post DOD links?
posted by MLIS at 7:18 PM on April 28, 2005

Good words Hal Mumkin.
posted by buzzman at 10:03 PM on April 28, 2005

Good words Hal Mumkin.
posted by buzzman at 10:03 PM on April 28, 2005

Captain America #1.

Don't forget the Comedian from the Watchmen, who parodied Cap (chiefly) by going to Vietnam and walloping gooks.
posted by dhartung at 10:34 PM on April 28, 2005

*briefly ponders starting a business selling lifesize superhero-decaled body bags*
posted by stavrosthewonderchicken at 10:38 PM on April 28, 2005

If such members can not post links from Apple or Google, why should you be able to post DOD links?

MLIS, think this through with me for a second. What do I have to gain by posting this? Does the nature of the post imply that I support the effort that it describes? C'mon, comic book super heroes at 'take our offspring to work day' support the troops? Along with downloadable artwork, bad music and crazy videos.

If someone posts a link to their blog (see LaShawn "I Want Traffic!" Barber) or their commercial site, sure, self-link. Matt commented in this thread so I'm gonna go out way on a limb and say he doesn't see this as a self-link. If he says otherwise I'll just stick a crowbar in my wallet, pry it open, remove a fiver, and set up another account to post my endless .mil links. The only way this could possibly impact me is in a negative sense, see 'blogging about work' or 'poking fun at one's employer.'
posted by fixedgear at 2:45 AM on April 29, 2005

I hope those body bags will be heavy Mylar.
posted by destro at 6:22 AM on April 29, 2005

When did our country become a homeland?

I thought the whole point of America was that we were not the homeland. America was supposed to be the place where you could seek refuge from the homeland.

E pluribus unum?
Or
Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer?
posted by bashos_frog at 7:49 AM on April 29, 2005

Again, people, it's Spider-Man, dammit.
posted by obloquy at 11:23 AM on April 29, 2005

Stavros, if you do it I will invest.
posted by bashos_frog at 12:43 PM on April 29, 2005