No, You Don’t Have to Join the Military if You Support the Airstrike that Killed Soleimani

Of all the asinine arguments in all of the news cycles in all of the media universe, they are using this one. I’m talking about an annoying tendency of some who oppose the airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani. For some reason, they have chosen to use the tired, “If you support the airstrike you should be willing to join the military” trope.

That’s right folks. Many on the left — and some on the right — are eschewing nuanced and well-reasoned argumentation regarding the president’s airstrike for the intellectually bankrupt implication that those supporting it should don a uniform, grab a rifle, fly to Iraq, and get their John Wick on.

So let’s say I was a 67-year-old woman with arthritis, but I happen to think Trump’s airstrike was a novel idea. Am I supposed to somehow do my part in the fight against Iran and terrorism? Should I go to the front lines with a weapon and start shooting?

What about you, dear reader? If you happen to think President Trump made the right decision in killing Soleimani, are you ready to suit up and report for duty?

Does this argument make any sense at all?

Of course it doesn’t. It’s just something people say when they don’t know how to address your opinion. It’s a lazy form of virtue signaling, a way to let the world know that they would not advocate for military action unless they damn well mean it. And the only way to prove their sincerity would be to enlist, isn’t it?