Republicans and militarism

What we've learned from Lt. Col Vindman's semi-forced retirement from the Army and Congressman Dan Crenshaw's attack on Senator Tammy Duckworth is that the GOP really respects your service to the country -- unless you obey the law or a Democrat. 

It was already true that you should never believe politicians who use "supporting the troops" to justify endless, stupid warfare. Supporting the troops can and should mean "bring them home so they don't have to die, or live with having killed." The GOP in this century has been skilled at weaponizing (so to speak) the bodies of soldiers in service of their foreign policy objectives. But Republicans have increasingly revealed cynicism underlying their "pro-troops" rhetoric. Donald Trump was criticized for his attacks on John McCain and Gold Star families -- but he didn't do anything that the the GOP, with its swiftboating attacks on John Kerry and Max Cleland, hadn't perfected years before.

My own leanings are pacifist. But Vindman is being sacrificed because he told truth, Duckworth attacked because she ... isn't a Republican. Their service to their country was a source of respect from Republicans. Until it became inconvenient.