Reply #15: We're not that different...

[LeahMira]

A muslim views death in the battlefield as a form of martyrdom and honor and, whether right or wrong, is willing to do die for his beliefs. We are not - we are only gung ho and ready to "kick butt" (what a vile sentence) when we are winning.

Well, some who are in the military feel that it's an honor to die for the country. Their mindset isn't rooted so much in religious beliefs as a rule, but their allegiance to the country and "duty" is similar in many ways. I also wonder if winning is pivotal, because there are still some Vietnam vets out there who believe that we could have and should have won that war, and they are angry at the protesters they feel chipped away at the nation's resolve. I think you will find them over at the FReeper boards, wishing in print that we would simply "nuke Iraq" and be done with it.

I imagine that most of us here would be willing to defend the country if we believed that it was attacked without cause. I think most of us simply don't buy into the idea of American "entitlement."