Critics of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and of U.S. military escapades in general are often inconsistent. Although they may denounce warmongering politicians, senseless foreign wars, the warfare state, the military-industrial complex, U.S. foreign policy, foreign military bases, and the destruction of civil liberties during wartime, they usually forget one very important thing.

You can’t have a war without soldiers.

Even though it is U.S. soldiers who make all of these things possible, they are apparently immune from criticism.