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How many of you find it excessive? I think it's absurd how the word "hero" has lost all real meaning lately. It's all over the media. "Support your troops!" "Hire vets!" As if the rest of us non-military people don't deserve to be hired. They're not "defending our freedoms". The reality is, the Military does nothing to protect the freedom of anyone. All it does is extends the power of the state. I respect soldiers for their bravery, but I am under no illusion that they're doing anything noble. They're doing a job, and an immoral one too, when you really think about it. Respect the individual, don't respect the whole. I got a couple of funny looks when I didn't stand and cheer for military representatives at a baseball game. I would have applauded had I known what the individuals had actually done. I'm all fine for thanking an individual personally, but I won't clap just because I'm told.
I think doctors, nurses, firefighters, and police should get the same type of respect the military does. They save lives and help people, but they don't get preference over anyone else for it.
It's very fascistic that people with similar views of the USA military machine get labeled "unpatriotic" and "American hating". I think a true patriot does question what we are told. A true patriot doesn't want any wars because no wars means our military men and women are not being killed for greedy reasons and it also means that hundreds of civilians in other countries are not being killed.
Am I misinformed? Am I ignorant? Or has military worship in this country gone completely off the rails?
How many of you find it excessive? I think it's absurd how the word "hero" has lost all real meaning lately. It's all over the media. "Support your troops!" "Hire vets!" As if the rest of us non-military people don't deserve to be hired. They're not "defending our freedoms". The reality is, the Military does nothing to protect the freedom of anyone. All it does is extends the power of the state. I respect soldiers for their bravery, but I am under no illusion that they're doing anything noble. They're doing a job, and an immoral one too, when you really think about it. Respect the individual, don't respect the whole. I got a couple of funny looks when I didn't stand and cheer for military representatives at a baseball game. I would have applauded had I known what the individuals had actually done. I'm all fine for thanking an individual personally, but I won't clap just because I'm told.
I think doctors, nurses, firefighters, and police should get the same type of respect the military does. They save lives and help people, but they don't get preference over anyone else for it.
It's very fascistic that people with similar views of the USA military machine get labeled "unpatriotic" and "American hating". I think a true patriot does question what we are told. A true patriot doesn't want any wars because no wars means our military men and women are not being killed for greedy reasons and it also means that hundreds of civilians in other countries are not being killed.
Am I misinformed? Am I ignorant? Or has military worship in this country gone completely off the rails?
I've also wondered why we continue to say the troops are "protecting our freedoms". Their existence and their capabilities as a military may prevent potential threats to our freedom, not in any current engagements. I think they are in Iraq and Afghanistan to protect the flow of oil.
I feel the same exact way, but I never talk about it due to fear of being jumped and beaten by an all American patriot. They know the risk when they join. If you have a wife and kids at home joining the military probably might not be a good idea.
I don't say the Pledge of Allegiance or national anthem either due to my personal beliefs on what this country has become. I don't "hate" my country, I'm just not proud to call it home anymore. If I had the resources I would move overseas. Maybe someday. America don't need unpatriotics like me tainting their country song.
If you don't want to recognize the military, that's your thing. Wife and I were both in the military, me twice. And we DON'T want to be worshipped. It is what it is. If you are tired of our military going places, killing people, breaking things, then complain to and blame our legislators and administration. They are the ones that send them. It is like blaming police because there are laws they enforce against drunk driving. Well, if the laws weren't on the books, the police wouldn't enforce them. If the president/congress didn't send out military different places, it wouldn't kill people and break things. By the way, I don't think labelling military members "heroes" for doing heroic things in combat is wrong. It is wrong to label people heroes for doing everyday things.
How many of you find it excessive? I think it's absurd how the word "hero" has lost all real meaning lately. It's all over the media. "Support your troops!" "Hire vets!" As if the rest of us non-military people don't deserve to be hired. They're not "defending our freedoms". The reality is, the Military does nothing to protect the freedom of anyone. All it does is extends the power of the state. I respect soldiers for their bravery, but I am under no illusion that they're doing anything noble. They're doing a job, and an immoral one too, when you really think about it. Respect the individual, don't respect the whole. I got a couple of funny looks when I didn't stand and cheer for military representatives at a baseball game. I would have applauded had I known what the individuals had actually done. I'm all fine for thanking an individual personally, but I won't clap just because I'm told.
I think doctors, nurses, firefighters, and police should get the same type of respect the military does. They save lives and help people, but they don't get preference over anyone else for it.
It's very fascistic that people with similar views of the USA military machine get labeled "unpatriotic" and "American hating". I think a true patriot does question what we are told. A true patriot doesn't want any wars because no wars means our military men and women are not being killed for greedy reasons and it also means that hundreds of civilians in other countries are not being killed.
Am I misinformed? Am I ignorant? Or has military worship in this country gone completely off the rails?
You are neither misinformed nor ignorant. Absolutely right. It's as if the anti war movement of the '60s had never happened.
Every year brings yet another crop of naive young people to sign up to get killed or maimed for political issues that constantly change (most of our previous enemies are now our allies, etc.)
Do we need some hired guns? Unfortunately yes. But let's respect them as soldiers and not deify them.
We all know the ones who should be "deified" are sports/TV/pop culture "heroes."
Clearly, we've entered the age when a dwindling number of homes have a pic on the mantel of a serviceman or servicewoman, and it shows. Apparently, they don't even remember those in their families who served (if, in fact, they did) because if they did, they'd know that they, themselves, would be the last to call themselves "heroes."
I'll bet many people who remember their parents' WWII service, for example, seldom heard about what they endured. They didn't consider themselves heroes, they did what was expected of them, they weren't the next "victim class" and, if they spoke of their service at all, it was to fellow service members who understood.
"Support your troops!" "Hire vets!" As if the rest of us non-military people don't deserve to be hired. They're not "defending our freedoms". The reality is, the Military does nothing to protect the freedom of anyone.
well, people yell and scream "support your troops" perhaps because there are many people who don't.
People yell and scream "Hire a vet" perhaps because there are many people who don't hire a vet. (by the way, I don't think doctors will ever have that problems finding employment.)
Ever thought of that?
If you don't want to consider them "heroes" by all means, don't. (I don't consider anybody HEROES just because they wear an uniform. Just because somebody wear an uniform, doesn't make that person a moral leader. Any idiots know that. ) But if somebody throw themselves on a grenade to save somebody else, I think it is pretty damn heroic) But that is just me.
If you don't want to support troops, by all means, don't. Not sure why such a highly individual choice is such a controversy.
Last edited by lilyflower3191981; 04-21-2014 at 11:50 AM..
I guess I'm not. My father, who recently passed away, was a WWII Veteran, and a Veteran of the Korean War. He didn't talk too much about it . . . but what he did say made me think about the terrible hardships those men survived.
He had a military burial and the young men who performed the flag ceremony were so respectful; I thought it was beautiful.
So . . NO. I'm not tired of it though I never had any desire myself.
How many of you find it excessive? I think it's absurd how the word "hero" has lost all real meaning lately. It's all over the media. "Support your troops!" "Hire vets!" As if the rest of us non-military people don't deserve to be hired. They're not "defending our freedoms". The reality is, the Military does nothing to protect the freedom of anyone. All it does is extends the power of the state. I respect soldiers for their bravery, but I am under no illusion that they're doing anything noble. They're doing a job, and an immoral one too, when you really think about it. Respect the individual, don't respect the whole. I got a couple of funny looks when I didn't stand and cheer for military representatives at a baseball game. I would have applauded had I known what the individuals had actually done. I'm all fine for thanking an individual personally, but I won't clap just because I'm told.
I think doctors, nurses, firefighters, and police should get the same type of respect the military does. They save lives and help people, but they don't get preference over anyone else for it.
It's very fascistic that people with similar views of the USA military machine get labeled "unpatriotic" and "American hating". I think a true patriot does question what we are told. A true patriot doesn't want any wars because no wars means our military men and women are not being killed for greedy reasons and it also means that hundreds of civilians in other countries are not being killed.
Am I misinformed? Am I ignorant? Or has military worship in this country gone completely off the rails?
No you are not alone. People have become fanatical about the military. It seems to have two sources - the a reaction to the shabby way that troops were treated following Vietnam and post 911 jingoistic sentiment for anyone in uniform.
I don't automatically love anyone in one of the armed forces - and I certainly don't automatically hate him or her, or view them as killing machines, as the post Vietnam vets were treated.
They do have a job that in many cases involves killing, though.
I think there should be some balance. Blind worship is never good.
Question authority. All of it.
Last edited by warren zee; 04-21-2014 at 01:43 PM..
It is just marketing both by the military and the non-military organizations who realize service people,vets and their linkages are a voting, buying bloc.
I recall as a teen that only losers enlisted unless you were in one of the few fat bonus programs-Nuclear power operator,etc.
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