What the American flag means to me today

My mom is upset that I am not proud to hang an American flag. I feel as if hanging an American flag today (post 9/11/01) means that I support a war and a "president" (commander in chief) that I am ashamed of. To me, at this time, our flag is an arrogant symbol of pride, greed, and imperialism. Maybe I will hang the American flag again when and if the US returns to peaceful and sustainable politics, and is respected in the world. My mom contends that if I don't support the war, I don't support the troops. I do support the troops as being a soldier is their elected profession. I feel sorry for soldiers because I view them as the adminstration's puppets: sent to the lines under false pretenses and continuously force fed the need to fear people, governments, and ideologies that are unlike their own. They torture people - Abu Gharab, anyone? There is a consciousness among soldiers (and many American civilians) now that seems not to want the truth. The current administration and our puppet soldiers go with what's comfortable because they must feel they can't take comfort in what's going on. They act with an absolutism in lieu of wisdom. On another note, if soldiers weren't paid tens-of-thousands of dollars to enlist/re-enlist, and promised veteran's preference and USO perks, would poor West Virginian boys even sign up for bootcamp? If GW believes in this war, why aren't his daughters over there?