Do Americans hold the military in too high regard?

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

I touched on this before and saw a discussion on it just yesterday, but I think it's worth talking about. Of course it's hard not to respect the bravery and personal sacrifice of many soldiers, but in terms of framing said bravery and sacrifice as "DEFENDING OUR FREEDOMS", which is something we haven't done since World War II (though you could make an argument on Afghanistan).

It's used to shut down arguments on teacher pay or minimum wage raises, because, for some reason, the educators of the next generation, or scientists, or engineers, or even the many domestic jobs which are statistically more dangerous than military service, aren't deserving of praise in the way that soldiers are.

So, does American culture hold the military in too high regard?

[Randy Bobandy]

Yes. I personally think that most people who join the military are misinformed and/or homicidal, and I don't see why we need a military in the first place, but I'm a leftist radical so most people would term me an evil communist. People who join the military really deserve no higher compensation or benefits than the average American who would never enlist.

[Blue3]

People who join the military do surrender a lot of their freedom for a time, and put their lives directly in harm's way solely for the government. So it's understanding why the government values them so much. If it wasn't for the military, our nation wouldn't exist.

Also, I think the military is the only institution in the U.S. with a rating over 50%.

[The Dowager Mod]

Yes. I personally think that most people who join the military are misinformed and/or homicidal, and I don't see why we need a military in the first place, but I'm a leftist radical so most people would term me an evil communist. People who join the military really deserve no higher compensation or benefits than the average American who would never enlist.

As a literal card carrying member of the Socialist Workers party and a veteran i gotta say you are either an idiot or a troll.

[Randy Bobandy]

Yes. I personally think that most people who join the military are misinformed and/or homicidal, and I don't see why we need a military in the first place, but I'm a leftist radical so most people would term me an evil communist. People who join the military really deserve no higher compensation or benefits than the average American who would never enlist.

As a literal card carrying member of the Socialist Workers party and a veteran i gotta say you are either an idiot or a troll.

Idiot, I suppose, as I'm being 100% serious.

[Franzl]

Yes, without a doubt.

No disrespect to current or former members of the military, but the military as an institution is regarded far too highly.

[Sol]

Yes and no.

We have the military-industrial complex and stuff, but we really do abandon our veterans.

[Indy Texas]

I respect active service members and veterans because they have or had extremely physically trying jobs that often placed them in dangerous areas where they could be seriously injured or killed. In that sense, I admire them for the same reason I admire police officers and firefighters.

But the infantryman in Fallujah or Kandahar isn't defending my freedoms or keeping me safe and it would be foolish for either me or him to think that was the case.

[Clarko95 📚💰📈]

I wouldn't say "held in too high regard", but rather fetishized and turned into a political football, yes.

[SWE]

Yes and no.

We have the military-industrial complex and stuff, but we really do abandon our veterans.

Bingo

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

Yes. I personally think that most people who join the military are misinformed and/or homicidal, and I don't see why we need a military in the first place, but I'm a leftist radical so most people would term me an evil communist. People who join the military really deserve no higher compensation or benefits than the average American who would never enlist.

As a literal card carrying member of the Socialist Workers party and a veteran i gotta say you are either an idiot or a troll.

Was unaware you were a veteran, which makes you a literal Freedom Fighter as well as a forum FF .

[morgieb]

Yes and no.

We have the military-industrial complex and stuff, but we really do abandon our veterans.

Bingo

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

Those who come  home to find no jobs, outrageous delays in veteran's benefits, mediocre health care at VA hospitals, and basically a lack of resources for dealing with returning combat vets wouldn't think we hold them to too high regard.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

Those who come  home to find no jobs, outrageous delays in veteran's benefits, mediocre health care at VA hospitals, and basically a lack of resources for dealing with returning combat vets wouldn't think we hold them to too high regard.

Oh, I agree that the treatment of individual veterans is absolutely shameful. I'm asking about the military as a concept--many of the same people who mindlessly flag-wave and shout about SUPPORTING OUR TROOPS WHO ARE FIGHTING FOR OUR FREEDOM don't care at all about the problems that veterans face.

[I spent the winter writing songs about getting better]

This reminds me of my argument in 2008 over whether John McCain was tortured for our country. No he wasn't. He fought in defense of a fascist regime, he was not defending the US, and his actions did not in any way defend American freedom.

[TTS1996]

But the infantryman in Fallujah or Kandahar isn't defending my freedoms or keeping me safe and it would be foolish for either me or him to think that was the case.

Except that, he is, despite your fatuous complacency. If you think it's just a foreign war in a faraway country with no relevance to America, you're truly mistaken. Terrorism is global now, not just faraway darkies blowing up other faraway darkies. It would be foolish to think you can divorce yourself from it, or blame it all on Halliburton trying to make a buck, or whatever leftie trope plays well.

[TTS1996]

This reminds me of my argument in 2008 over whether John McCain was tortured for our country. No he wasn't. He fought in defense of a fascist regime, he was not defending the US, and his actions did not in any way defend American freedom.

In defense [sic] of a fascist regime - - - only in the sense Nixon was a corporatist authoritarian. I don't believe you mean what you've just written.

[Snowstalker Mk. II]

This reminds me of my argument in 2008 over whether John McCain was tortured for our country. No he wasn't. He fought in defense of a fascist regime, he was not defending the US, and his actions did not in any way defend American freedom.

In defense [sic] of a fascist regime - - - only in the sense Nixon was a corporatist authoritarian. I don't believe you mean what you've just written.

He was referring to South Vietnam, not the US.

[IceSpear]

Yes and no.

We have the military-industrial complex and stuff, but we really do abandon our veterans.

Bingo

[angus]

most people would term me an evil communist.

I doubt that.  Evil Communists are about as militaristic as they come.

I'm not sure whether we hold the military in too high a regard.  On the one hand, its budget seems bloated, sucking up a huge portion of our GDP.  We spend four times as much as China and eight times as much as Russia on our military.  On the other hand, the rank-and-file veterans get billed for their own caskets, their psychological needs are ignored by their government, and often their skills are overlooked in the private sector to the extent that unemployment among veterans is almost twice the national average.  An estimated one-third of all homeless people in the US are military veterans.  Every politician and businessman likes to pay lip service to the military in speeches, that's for sure, but it's not the same thing as actually having a high regard for the people who collectively make up the force.

[Oswald Acted Alone, You Kook]

By Americans, do you mean the politicians/government or the actual people?

[Randy Bobandy]

most people would term me an evil communist.

I doubt that.  Evil Communists are about as militaristic as they come.

Most Americans don't know that.

[TNF]

Years of Hollywood/MIC propaganda has definitely helped foster an attitude of unquestionable loyalty toward the concept of "supporting the troops" under literally every instance one can plausible conceive, but I would in no way argue that we have a culture that holds individual soldiers in anywhere near the regard they deserve. The concept of supporting the troops is broadly popular, but when those guys and gals come home, they're tossed aside and treated like absolute garbage by the same government that sends them to die in Iraq or Afghanistan or whatever to prop up corporate coffers. The way we treat veterans in this country is disgusting, and we should collectively be ashamed of ourselves for allowing that to go on.

That said, public attitudes toward the military as a whole are concerning in that near universal support for the military as an institution helps quash vital debates about foreign policy and gives far more leverage to hawks intent upon expounding American military force around the globe. What we need is a more fundamental re-evaluation of how we treat our veterans and rank-and-file soldiers, and part of that means realizing that we shouldn't jump to send them into battle every time corporate profitability is endangered in some Middle East country or the economy tanks and we need a way out of a recession.

[angus]

It seems like our 43rd president wants to address veterans issues head on.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2014/02/19/george_w_bush_the_1_we_all_should_support.html

[beaver2.0]

I would say no.