General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why do we buy into the worship of the military? [View all]GanjaGrower
(83 posts)I understand and agree with some of your points about the military-industrial complex and the needless wars.
With respect to your conversation with your son however, I find that insulting. The military isnt for everybody, but it DOES provide an avenue to a career, college education, a chance to work closely with people from all over the world and expand horizons. Im forever grateful for my time in the Navy. Also, were not all cannon fodder. Many of us do highly technical work in stressful/tough situations with pride and dedication. In fact only about 1% of the military ever experiences combat.
I was an 18 year old black kid from Mississippi and my two options after HS were the military or the local petrochemical plant. 15 years later I have an engineering degree and live on my own farm. That couldnt have happened without the military.
Ill also point out that there are bad people in this world. Always have been, always will be. Believe me, I want nothing more than peace on earth, but that peace comes at a price. Its easy to point at blunders line Iraq or Vietnam and condemn our military, but they actually do a tremendous amount of good. They stood up to Nazi Germany, the USSR, and now China.
Im in no way encouraging blind worship of our military, but I do think they deserve some respect and your blanket statement that the military doesnt do a thing for you is just plain wrong.