I whole-heartedly agree. War is a task that should have a goal of disappearing. Our political process has allowed war to turn into a business, that has no end.

I first tell people when they thank me for my service, "You should spit in my face for supporting a government that is so obviously against the concepts of freedom and democracy, both at home and in our foreign policy. Next, unless you are involved with your city, county, state, and federal officials and let them know your thoughts about how government should be serving the people on current proposed legislation, you don't really appreciate my service. Voting once every 2 or 4 years in a popularity contest, then sitting back and letting them think for you isn't honoring those who died and suffered for your freedom!"

Very well typed sir! I have never served, because of personal beliefs and don't give $h1t number one what blindfolded flag wavers may think.
The word hero has come to be horribly offensive to my ears. Everyone who rescues a cat from a tree is a hero these days.

Concerned more now that my daughter is in the reserves. People constantly saying thank you for your service and she looks at me and says I have not done anything to be thanked for! Drives us both crazy.

It is sometimes difficult to tell, from the UK, what is really the mind set of Americans. We see nearly everything through the lens of the media outlets and so are at the mercy of their agendas. Your words are refreshing as they probably represent the majority of (ex)servicemen in your country.

We also have a high regard for our military people but the mood is nearly always somber never jingo-istic, I can think of one exception in recent memory, but I'm not sure why that is. America is portrayed as more gladiatorial in its approach to war, is that accurate? Britain has been fighting wars for 2,000 years, does that make a difference to how we now see war? I don't know but thx for a thought provoking question Marz

There hasn't been a justifiable war in my lifetime. The waste of lives, both military and civilian, is unconscionable. The money wasted in these efforts could have payed for health care and many other things the citizens of this country need.l was in the Army 68 - 70.

The role of government is to protect those within the nation's borders. That protection often comes at a price. The problem is no critical thought about that price or what we should be protected from. Sometimes we need to be protected from ourselves. This, I think the founders understood.

Thank You for your servce and sacrifice.

I agree.

I agree "thank you for your service" is used too often and I believe it has lost it's meaning. If you ask most veterans/active duty they will tell you they don't want to hear it and they simply respond with the obligatory "thank you". Now, with that being said, my anecdotal evidence shows those same veterans/active duty are the ones who tipped the scale and elected the current administration. I'll search for empirical evidence and get back to you with those numbers.

That jingoism is being perpetrated by Trump and the ethnocentric right wing. Once can always expect demagogues to act in a similar manner in troubled times to draw attention away from their own faults and weaknesses. In the 1940s political scientist Hans Morgenthau stated, "The degree of aggressive nationalism and imperialism expressed in a nation's foreign policy is inversely proportional to the nation's political and economic stability."

Great commentary, fellow veteran. Check out Veterans for Peace…

I agree with every thing you said. I'm concerned about the jingoism but jingoism in this country is nothing new.

As a Viet Nam vet, I proudly and freely took an oath to uphold the constitution. Then, as an enlisted man they took all my rights away by, for all practical purposes, putting me under martial law.

I think those who call for war all the time probably never served in uniform.

The point is well taken but questioning people's patriotism is such a typical political jab that I'm surprised people pay any attention to it. Popularity of the "insult" fluctuates along with the sense that one's personal vision of patriotism is the only valid position and all other visions are "treasonous". The concept is really not so different from religious, especially Evangelical, talking points where personal preferences are unjustifiably twisted into being "for God" or "against God". The tactic of identifying one's opponent's ideology as being "against God" or "not patriotic" (justified or not) is frequently enough to sway the ignorant masses who lack the capacity for critical thinking. For that reason the tactic will not go away anytime soon.

Ah, but you DID carry a gun for The Empire. And I salute you for that. Well done. Whether you like it or not, you're a card carrying, bona-fide member of The Gunfighter Nation. We comprise less than 3% of the population of this country. So, walk quietly, be respectful, but realize you've become one of us.

Well said sir

I am really troubled by the mentality of worshipping without question authority figures with guns. I have respect and admiration for the extreme sacrifice you and other soldiers go through. I also empathize with police officers putting themselves in danger and making difficult choices. This doesn't mean people shouldn't question the military motives, or rampant abuse by officers. Shouldn't we think about the whole consequences and try to make sure our position is morally correct before we send away so many beautiful young humans to possibly die? Not to mention the real humans that die and lives upended on the other side. Shouldn't we consider the fact that we might need to pay to fix these people physically and mentally when they come back and possibly forever so we don't end up with so many homeless disabled veterans. What about all the fizzled marriages due to years of absence and kids who are missing a parent for large portions of their lives. Don't families matter? I guess the kids needing both a dad and a mom thing only applies to discriminating against gays.. It just seems like we should question these things more instead of less, and that this shouldn't be seen as disrespectful and met with anger.

I'm a bit ranty this morning. You said it much more elegantly and being a vet have more authority than me on the subject. I wish there were more people like you speaking about these things more often.

Yes, very true.

Unrestrained capitalism requires war to obtain resources and open up markets...

Theodore Roosevelt said "Speak softly and carry a big stick". We seem to have forgotten how to speak softly.

...totally on board with your
sentimentent-war disrupts all lives
it touches;that recent worriors were
required to do multiple deployments;
that we are now using proxy or
outright mercenaries shows that
the tail wags the dog when it comes to foreghn policy.--

I look at the culture someone came from before I judge them, but I feel like that the bravery of the non-violent protester for social change, the every day heroism of those who are non-military but keep us safe (such as fire fighters and the Coast Guard and the people who protect and rescue from floods, disease, natural disasters, etc.) are under-recognized and that bothers me. Why is it that being willing to kill someone who by accident of birth was born into a different culture or nation or religion or society and took up arms to "defend" JUST like YOU makes you a bigger hero than those who PROTECT and RESCUE, is something I have a tough time with. I am enormously conflicted here. I do believe that there is such a thing as a Just War, but I think in our time, there are few instances where that term applies.

Humans "cycle". We're currently cycling downward in a dark, dismal vortex headed toward a massive cull, because that's what humans do. It doesn't matter how available truthful information is out there.
No country is immune to this cycling thing, herd think, hive mind.
People hate having to change generally speaking, hate having to admit they're wrong, so they cling, STUBBORNLY to what they thought they always "knew", anything else means they have to say goodbye to their "Linus blanket".

Right on!