Introduction

The introduction outlines the problematique of the book: Why do people support the troops fighting in wars they oppose? How has this come to be produced as common sense? It contextualizes this puzzle by laying out the apparent disconnect between cultural myths of “good wars” and the military service required of “good” masculine citizens on the one hand, and the contemporary liberal democratic experience of distant wars fought by small, professional armed forces on the other hand. The chapter establishes the support the troops phenomenon in the US and UK (2001–2010) as an instance of gendered civilian anxiety stemming from non-service in wartime. It also briefly outlines the logic of inquiry, case selection, and methodology, as well as the structure, of the book.