General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why do we buy into the worship of the military? [View all]Caliman73
(11,738 posts)We absolutely did NOT have to crawl through the desert in military gear to see if Sadaam Hussein had poison weapons. We were told repeatedly that he DID NOT have weapons, nor the ability to even project power outside of Iraq when we decided to invade. Everybody who knew ANYTHING about the region confirmed that there was no threat from Sadaam Hussein to the US, AND that Hussein was more concerned about and fighting against Al Qaeda than plotting anything with them. Those facts and people STILL spouting the falsehoods about needing to send our heroes into Iraq, is exactly why the OP posted.
Criticizing the "Military" and acknowledging that the troops are often sent into combat for something that is not a real threat to the US, is not the same as criticizing the people who join. Granted, the OP did throw some criticism at the troops. There are people who do join because they think, and are told that they are "defending our nation" We likely do need a military to defend the nation, but do we need to spend more than the next 12 countries combined? Have we needed to be at war or in armed conflict all but 16 years of our country's existence?
The problem is that the "domino theory" that led to war in Korea and Vietnam is bogus. We sent soldiers into both countries and created or exacerbated situations that pre-existed our entrance. I am sure that South Korea is grateful we intervened though I am not so sure about Vietnam. Afghanistan, were we have been for 17 years, isn't really any better off or different than when we went in. Iraq is closer to Iran than to us as an allied state.
No one wants to believe that they risked their lives or lost loved ones for something that wasn't worthwhile or worthy of that sacrifice. We do tend to do a great deal of stretching to make that so.
The best way that we can honor the young men and women who join the military is to respect their lives and only risk lives when it is absolutely necessary for the survival of our country. Korea, Vietnam, Grenada, Panama, Afghanistan, and Iraq were not about the survival of our country. This is especially evident when our soldiers come home broken physically and mentally and the same politicians who beat the drum for more weapons and more war, cut funding to programs to help veterans get help and stay off the streets.
My dad fought in Vietnam and I was ready to sign up in my senior year in high school to go out to kick Sadaam Hussein's ass for invading poor little Kuwait and taking babies out of incubators. Why didn't I go? My dad stopped me because he had been in war and had seen things no one should ever see, and he was damn sure going to make it so I didn't do the same for lies.