Good communication is just as stimulating as black coffee, and just as hard to sleep after. ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

By now you are probably aware of the blog post written by William Arkin of the Washington Post, The Troops Also Need to Support the American People. The blogospheric reaction has been scathingly accurate. Here’s a quick roundup:

Wizbang (Kim Priestap) Arkin: The Troops need to Shut Up and Take the Insults

A man named William Arkin writing at a Washington Post blog says that the troops need to support anti-war Americans and their views. He writes this in reference to the NBC Nightly News video of US troops asking that Americans support them all the way. Arkin’s essay is nothing more than a string of insult after insult.

Flopping Aces (Curt) Screw The Troops!

Who in the flying hell do you think you are, calling our volunteer soldiers mercenaries! These troops lay their lives on the line every single day serving this great country so that you can live and breath in safety.

Little Green Footballs Anti-Military Screed at the Washington Post

Today’s ugly leftist anti-military rant is published by the Washington Post. And “anti-military” is no exaggeration in this case; as William Arkin spells out quite clearly, he believes that the raping, murdering, torturing US troops are lucky they aren’t being spat upon:

BLACKFIVE (Uncle Jimbo) A hearty F*** You to William Arkin

I was stunned by the incredible amount of disgusting, deranged, disrespectful drivel the wanker was able to cobble together in one hearty F U to the troops. Well Mr. Arkin in true blogospheric fashion F U right back atcha’.

Hot Air (Allahpundit) WaPo blogger to U.S. troops: Be thankful we don’t spit on you, mercenaries

He supports — or rather, “indulges” — the troops, despite their raping and murdering and delusions about victory and youthful naivete. But they need to support him too by not expressing their opinions about what it means to “support the troops” because that makes him feel guilty about his defeatism.

Blue Crab Boulevard (Gaius) The Difference

I will not go off on Arkin, others have already done so. But I will point you instead to the post my son sent me a few days ago and let you read the difference between Arkin’s desire to stifle the troops valid opinions and my son’s protest against a hateful website, done in a calm and logical manner. And then his dismissal of those who do not support the troops, with a promise that he and his fellow soldiers would, nonetheless, continue to defend the rights of those people to express their opinions.

Captain’s Quarters (Ed Morrissey) Our Mercenaries?

It seems that William Arkin has had enough of supporting the troops, now that a few of them told NBC that they believe that Americans should support the mission as well. In his Washington Post blog, Arkin suddenly feels that the troops should just shut up and retreat:

Leaning Straight Up (Karl) Troops say Support us, in response William Arkin says Quit Whining

Well William Arkin of the WaPo responded and in essence told them you are lucky to have the people’s respect at all, and you should be thankful for the paycheck we give you, so shut up and quit whining. No that’s not a quote, but it is damn hard not to read this any other way.

Others:

• Michelle Malkin
• Power Line
• Sister Toldjah
• The Jawa Report
• Simply Kimberly

And many, many, many more.

UPDATE: As if his post yesterday was not enough, Mr. Arkin is back again today.

Blue Crab Boulevard (Gaius) On Arrogance And Intolerance

He appears to be arguing that his opinion is correct because many people share it. Many people once thought the Earth to be flat, too.

Right Wing News (John Hawkins) The WAPO’s William Arkin Attacks The Troops Again

First of all, you’ve got to love his artful variation on the Tim Robbins defense which normally works like so, “As a liberal, I’m allowed to say anything I like, but if people criticize what I say, they’re stifling my freedom of speech.” In Arkin’s case, he ripped on the troops yesterday, but today, when they blast him back in the comments section of his blog or in emails, they’re showing, “contempt for the American people.”

Linking to this post:

Simply Kimberly | Blog linked with bRight & Early: First Cup 02.01.07 | …
“Mercenary” Author Backtracks at Conservative Times–Republican GOP news source. linked with [...] about our troops. You’ve probably seen and heard the massive backlash that followed (Jim has an excellent round-up here). True to liberal form, he pulled out the “poor me” or “I’m being [...]
Iowa Voice linked with “Mercenary” Author Backtracks…
Blue Crab Boulevard » On Arrogance And Intolerance linked with [...] The City,  Java Zen, Candy Slice of Life, Rick Moran, LGF, A Jacksonian, Villainous Company, bRight and Early, CDR Salamander, QandO, Zen Pundit, Brandodojo, Confederate Yankee, Jules Crittenden, Pink Flamingo [...]