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I dont want to take anything away from any serviceman (because they did it and I didnt) but if I am going to hero worship someone it is going to be a WWII or Vietnam vet who didnt have a choice but to serve.
while i understand what you are saying, don't discount the courage and patriotism that led many young men and women to voluntarily go into an active pair of war zones to serve their country, just because the media is trying to stuff the oorah attitude down your throat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by catdad7x
But if people feel the need to say thanks for your service, that's fine... as long as they don't go overboard about it. Then it gets embarrassing.
bingo. most of the time, the thank yous feel kind of artificial and shallow. i try to give the benefit of the doubt, but it happens so often that it seems like another trend, just something to follow the skinny-jeans-and-lensless-glasses trend. and it does make me uncomfortable when it is delivered like that.
It doesn't take patriotism to appreciate a soldier.
All the men in my family are military retirees--have been since the Spanish-American war. All the women married soldiers. But someone listening to our family conversations would not get the idea that we were necessarily that gung-ho about everything (or even most things) the US gets involved with or does.
Yet, we do appreciate each other, and we appreciate the service we rendered and our membership in the armed services. It is a superior culture than US civilian culture.
Location: where you sip the tea of the breasts of the spinsters of Utica
8,297 posts, read 14,164,711 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BigDGeek
Wasn't sure where to put this.
I appreciate and respect those who have served and those who are serving. However, we already have two national holidays devoted to honoring our veterans and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the United States.
My question is THIS...why are peoples' Instagrams, Twitter feeds, and Facebook timelines full of "thank a soldier" memes and "god bless our troops" hashtags?
Have people forgotten what these holidays are supposed to be about? And if you really give a chit about the troops, Facebook "likes" and tweets don't do ANYTHING for them. Try striking up a correspondence with a soldier without a family (they DO exist), assemble a care package, volunteer with an organization that assists veterans/military families, etc. I just wish people would stop hijacking every freaking holiday and making it about the troops. I find it mealy-mouthed, glib, and irritating. Put up or shut up.
I don't see it as commendable at all, it's not like they're conscripts - it's just a job, they're not "serving" any more than a waitress or truck driver at home, and it's a morally dirty job at that. This isn't "the greatest generation" at all, fighting a righteous war like WW2.
And yet most people are unable to think about why we are spending such an enormous amount of money to threaten and control small countries. They honestly think the soldiers are "defending our freedoms" and applaud any increase in jingoism.
I tend to believe that an increase in flag-waving, and widespread over the top adulation of troops, often signals that a new war is on the horizon. We'll need an unquestioned "casus belli" soon, just as the Romans needed to fund a war, and the hyper-patriotism makes it more palatable.
Already some of our Fearless Leaders in Congress are calling for the draft to be re-instituted.
America treated its Vietnam vets very poorly. Whether it was because so many people were against that war, the draft was such a contentious political controversy, or the fact that it was the first war the U.S. could be said to have "lost," the vets of that era paid the price. The evidence is still visible. But after awhile I think people came to understand how that caused terrible hurt and damage and now are over-compensating by becoming obsessive about "the troops."
In fact, we have an all-volunteer army now. They are there of their own accord; it's a job and they are paid, so some of the sentimentality is a bit much. That said, our armed forces deserve our respect, admiration, and everything they were promised in terms of veteran's benefits. Some of the politicians with the worst voting records on veterans' affairs are the biggest flag-wavers when it comes to paying lip service to those who serve.
We wouldn't have to make such a flowery fuss over the troops if we sent them into battle only for the most necessary reasons, equipped them properly, and treated them with care when they return. Also it would help if we had other job opportunities for our young people so that so many of them wouldn't see military service as their only viable option for employment.
This one is in fact Independence Day so I can see it a bit.
However, as a vet I completely agree with you and not just on social media and news - every single event from sports to political rallies to festivals and fairs are parading out soldiers and vets like we are props. It sickens me and the soldiers who willingly participate in their own exploitation should know better.
Guilt, I think we're guilty, and we should be, we're a spoiled country that can't take care of ourselves because we're greedy. I feel guilty right now.
Guilt about what?
I'm not greedy about anything, I have nothing to feel guilty about and I don't participate in the hoopla of many money grab holidays either.
When one celebrates the actual Holiday as it should be without all the material carp that goes along with it, they really do mean more.
Besides I quit allowing my Mother to guilt me into anything when I was about 10 years old so there is no way in hades anyone else is going to guilt me into anything or make me feel guilty for something I did not do.
This quote from a poster above "It is a superior culture than US civilian culture" is the wrong attitude to take if one is Military in my opinion.
You are no more superior than I am as far as being human, your chosen profession is different and calls for bravery and skills I will never have however, that does not make you "superior" to me.
I thank Military members and former Military members, gracefully, respectfully and do not make a big fuss over it but I thank them for their chosen service and I thank their families for their sacrifice. I also don't intrude on anyone's meal, I don't thank every one I see in a Military Uniform, I don't do it overtly all of the time and I don't boast about it either. (Obviously I do mention it in a situation like this thread).
Adding a "thank the troops" is an easy way to be sanctimonious without stirring up any negative responses.
Plus, most in the country are so dumb they don't know what happened on the 4th of July. For all they know, it's when Abraham Lincoln fought the Nazis to end the Cold War.
I appreciate and respect those who have served and those who are serving. However, we already have two national holidays devoted to honoring our veterans and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the United States.
My question is THIS...why are peoples' Instagrams, Twitter feeds, and Facebook timelines full of "thank a soldier" memes and "god bless our troops" hashtags?
Have people forgotten what these holidays are supposed to be about? And if you really give a chit about the troops, Facebook "likes" and tweets don't do ANYTHING for them. Try striking up a correspondence with a soldier without a family (they DO exist), assemble a care package, volunteer with an organization that assists veterans/military families, etc. I just wish people would stop hijacking every freaking holiday and making it about the troops. I find it mealy-mouthed, glib, and irritating. Put up or shut up.
How would you know if I sent a care package or not?
I appreciate and respect those who have served and those who are serving. However, we already have two national holidays devoted to honoring our veterans and those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in service of the United States.
My question is THIS...why are peoples' Instagrams, Twitter feeds, and Facebook timelines full of "thank a soldier" memes and "god bless our troops" hashtags?
Have people forgotten what these holidays are supposed to be about? And if you really give a chit about the troops, Facebook "likes" and tweets don't do ANYTHING for them. Try striking up a correspondence with a soldier without a family (they DO exist), assemble a care package, volunteer with an organization that assists veterans/military families, etc. I just wish people would stop hijacking every freaking holiday and making it about the troops. I find it mealy-mouthed, glib, and irritating. Put up or shut up.
IMO, part of this stems from the guilt of how returning Vietnam vets were treated. Rather than admitting as a nation that we were wrong the country has tried to cover the wrong doing by heaping tons of praises and accolades for combat troops serving since that time.
The other part is something I have concluded from being a low level employee is the more they talk about you the less they actually care. The recent VA hospital scandal backs that up, IMO.
the u.s. has been the greatest nation this world has ever seen-,
the u.s. has spilled blood defending other countries, with little gain,
a soldiers bad day is him/her dying or shot at, most of us,,a bad day is getting a little crap from our boss
or customer.
our cemeteries are filled with young soldiers, who never got a chance to be a dad,,, or have a family,,,, but they died so the rest of us could..
id like to see us make it mandatory that every 18 yr old, has to serve two yrs in the military
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