Remember the “Baby on Board” signs people used to hang in their cars? (Yeah, I had one briefly.) They seemed like so obviously a good idea that we never took a moment to think whether there was really a point. “Oh, there’s a baby onboard, I guess it’d be wrong to ram into that one at high speed.”

The latest version of this vehicular high-mindedness is the “Support Our Troops” magnetic “ribbon.” What the hell is this supposed to mean?

Lobby against efforts to deprive them of food and ammunition? No such effort exists.

Support a war that never should have happened, putting our troops at risk unnecessarily? Sorry, I think that’s nonsense.

Support the architects of the war, who sent our troops on a poorly planned mission, with inadequate equipment? Hmmm, seems like the opposite of supporting our troops.

Support the President who set this whole mess in motion? Apparently, the buck doesn’t stop there (he doesn’t make mistakes) so that would be pointless.

I supported our troops, God damn it: I voted for Kerry.