Anyone else find the ubiquitous pro-military attitude a little weird sometimes?

Got into a bit of a situation the other day when I intimated that I don't really give a damn about the troops or Toby bloody Keith for that matter.

Short answer, I think if you want a quiet life in America you have to pay at least minimal lip service to the flag and "support our troops" type issues.

However, I think it's ok to demonstrate you have absolutely no interest in country music or other popular culture issues that may be connected in the popular mind to US jingoism.

Could there be a bit of "there but for the grace of God go I" involved? As long as there are young men and women willing to volunteer for the services, the mandatory draft is kept at bay, and that is something to be thankful for. However, it seems to me to be very good form to not give a damn about Toby Keith.

Doesn't mean we have to tongue their arseholes every second though. I have read about servicemen who are made to feel very uncomfortable by the sycophancy, and I can understand that, because why would they want to be constantly reminded about having to spend however many years getting shot at in some desert shithole?

So support, as in, recognize they're putting themselves in the line of fire by choice - yeah, that's fine. But the constant flag-waving circlejerk is a bit much.

I'm with you on the Toby Keith thing though. I ****ing hate hick hop.

I'm with you Sultana, as an ex serviceman I find the whole 'thank you for your service' thing a bit overbearing! I saw zero active service, yeah I worked hard in some dodgy places, but in between that it was beer and women!!
Yes support those who serve their country in action, but jockeys like me, nah give it a rest!

I try to see it from their perspective. Like when I was at the Bears game at the weekend, they had a bit during a break in play (yes, one of many ...) where they brought some poor woman out and paraded her around like some sideshow attraction just because she had been to whatever theatre of war they shipped her off to. I can't imagine deep down it feels particularly good for those people to be trotted about at venues like that as a pawn in some weird jingoistic game, brought on by what I can only imagine is some deep seated insecurity the US has because they think nobody likes them.

HOW DARE YOU QUESTION THE MILITARY, GET OUT OF MY COUNTRY YOU COMMUNIST!

Like many things, it is hard to have a sensible discussion when that is the response.

That sounds like a bad strategy, even in California. What exactly did you gain from being an ar§e about it?

As someone who paid for the right to live here, rather than someone who just fell out of the right crotch in the right place, the suggestion to 'get out', always makes me laugh a little.

They do that during the seventh inning stretch at Yankees games and it does feel very awkward -- but as these people are usually retired from the service, surely no-one is putting a gun to their head (sorry!) to show up at these venues, they aren't ordered to be there?

Maybe they do it because they don't want to deal with some kind of backlash if they turn it down. Or maybe they're OK with it. Just seems weird to me, but I don't really like having excess attention drawn to me anyway, so I just can't relate to that mentality at all, whatever the occasion.

During the Vietnam War, soldiers who returned were not provided the heroes welcome that was given to those who fought in WWII, and they were occasionally even vilified for participating. Now we're making amends by supporting the troops (whatever that means).

I have no explanation for Toby Keith. Some things are just baffling.

It wouldn't be such a bad idea if the draft was brought back. Some of the clueless millennial, whinging wankers around these days might benefit from it.

The Vietnam war memorial is a memorial to a generation of young men who were treated as pariahs and "baby killers' at the time of the war. Most were draftees who chose not to run away to Canada instead

How times and attitudes change

Yeah what often gets forgotten about veterans is the high levels of homelessness, PTSD, mental issues, food stamps...

I was looking around for numbers and found this article. Obama increased veteran homelessness spending 300% and while progress was made it is far from done!

The U.S. Declared War On Veteran Homelessness — And It Actually Could Win : NPR