General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why do we buy into the worship of the military? [View all]Poiuyt
(18,123 posts)to the way Vietnam vets were looked at when they returned. In time, this changed as people began to realize that they were just doing their jobs and were not all "baby-killers." Eventually, people started to go overboard. During the parades in my town, the applause was the loudest when the VN vets went marching by. I remember my sister saying to me, "Guilt applause."
Bush and Cheney perfected the adulation of the military. It was all done as part of an effort to popularize the Iraq invasion. It continues to this day as seen by glitzy TV commercials for the various branches and payments to the NFL to get them to praise the military.
I've heard that most military personnel aren't fighting for our freedom, they're fighting for their fellow servicemen and women at their side. I can appreciate that. What bothers me is the reasons that they are fighting to begin with. Money, oil, religion, political capital.