Let's talk about Trump insulting the troops again.... - Belle of the Ranch [View all]

Well, howdy there internet people. It's Belle again. So, today we're going to talk about Trump insulting the troops again.

I'm going to start off with a little background information to head off some of the stuff in the comment section because I've done more than a thousand videos and this information is in less than 1% of them. And despite the fact that the majority of the team at some point in time had to be very careful about walking on Sergeant Major's grass, this isn't a veteran's channel. I don't make being a vet my identity. So, for the sake of clarity, I signed up at 17, went in as an E1, and left as an O3.

Trump recently said he wasn't sure NATO would be there if we needed them. Then he said, "They'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan." Cool. A simple acknowledgement of fact. That's rare. If he had stopped there, this would have been fine. But then he said, "And they did. They stayed a little back, a little off the front lines." No, absolutely not. They did not. Period. Full stop. They did not avoid frontline service. This is not up for debate or alternative facts. They lost more troops than we lost in combat in Bosnia, Somalia, Desert Storm, Panama, and Grenada. Times four.

Between 2001 and 2021, they had more than a thousand lost in Afghanistan. They were in Kandahar. They were in Helmond. they were not staying back. But beyond the insult to our allies, the framing of the statement is an insult to the overwhelming majority of US troops as well.

Look, there are jokes about being in the rear with the gear or being a pogue {derogatory slag for personnel other than grunts} or if you're a bit older, a rear echelon. Well, you know the saying. But setting that aside for a second, that's most people in the military. And I know I don't have to say this to those who fought or those who were on a convoy, heard a noise, felt the Humvee start to rise up, and then woke up in a medical bed. Because when you woke up, the first thing you did was think about how you got there. Well, not first. First, you made sure a certain piece of your anatomy was still there. Then you checked to see how messed up your tattoos were. Then you thought about how you got there and you know, a long train of pogues were responsible.

On the internet tough guy forums, nobody admits to being a person other than Grunt, which is weird because they make up 80 to 85% of the military. Those people, well, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines. And if you're one of them and you're thinking about your time at Bagram or wherever and all of those mortars, don't worry about it. You are off the front lines. That doesn't count.

NATO allies have every right to be upset by this, but the framing of being in country in Afghanistan and being off the lines is funny. And the idea of mocking someone for being in the rear is rich coming from Trump. I believe in an all volunteer force, so I don't really have a problem with somebody avoiding service. But maybe don't mock those who deployed. There's one thing I know about every single NATO troop in Afghanistan. They didn't get a deferment.

Anyway, it's just a thought. Y'all have a good day.