Reply #17: Good post, Carl Brennan, but let's also remember

[jdonaldball]

the Berlin Airlift.
I see your point, and provocative perspectives like yours are what keep sanity in our country. I agree with you partially, insofar as it's wise to prevent confusing the military with Humanitarianism. I think we do need to remind ourselves that the essential purpose of the military is to kill and to destroy - even if it's "necessary" (as some, such as I, believe it SOMETIMES is necessary) to kill for defense or for the sake of a greater good.
But I think you have written this post like a true patriot, to keep our minds clear about the nature of the military - its main job is to kill and to destroy - and many good military men know this all too well. Posts like yours keep our minds sharp and clear, and maintain whatever sanity our Republic has.
However, that said, I would rather see our military helping people than harming them. And as a simple practical matter, I think what matters most is to help the victims of this disaster by any means, and the military has some of those means. In fact I'd rather see them do more of this.
And I think, at least, the individual military men who work in this relief effort, deserve respect for any work they do.