General News I feel deservedly shamed

While not in the military myself, I've been out with my brother in his Navy dress blues. Occasionally people come up to shake his hand and thank him. It's a nice gesture that is very meaningful, but even if they don't do it, he knows he makes a huge difference. He sacrifices a lot, and is well taken care of for his service.

The only real objective of the armed forces is to allow others to live in peace. So just by doing that, you give them all the thanks they need.

 

I don't feel that we actually benefit from the military. It's been a long time since we had a war against a country that a) was an actual threat and b) waging war could actually make them less of a threat. Wars nowadays are either taking on some defenceless country to get better oil prices, or trying to fight terrorism by giving more people a reason to hate us.

Not the soldiers' fault, though. They're not the ones calling the shots, and a lot of them are fooled by the propaganda. I just feel sad that lives are being wasted.

 

while I agree that the government has made poor decisions of police actions and war, I do not agree that we have no benefit having a military. Take us all away...right now and see how long it takes for an invasion with the crap foreign policy we've enacted elsewhere.

Personally I've been thanked, patted on the shoulder, bought a drink and offered a free first class seat. While it's greatly appreciated and I never turn it down, I honest to goodness prefer being ignored. Bear in mind this is a very personal decision and I do NOT think soldiers who take accolades or personal greetings are wrong. I just prefer to be ignored. Personally I think it is equally positive to go into any job and just do well at it. I have on many occasions called a manager or customer complaint line to say X restaurant and Y employee did amazingly.

Of course then there is the equally 'lovely' (sarcasm) experiences that I have experienced more often. I've had a lot of vile words typed and yelled at me because of what I did. -shrug-

good with the bad I suppose

I will however say thank you to all those who actually deployed, not just sat in a bay making warheads. I feel a mighty bit less of a soldier than those women and men

 

i don't support the wars but i do support the troops. i have not gone up to a perfect stranger and thanked them though . i guess i feel like i do about celebrities i wouldn't invade their personal space.

 

When I get a chance, I try to thank soldiers when I see them. I go to a state university and every time I see them with a recruitment table in the student center, I go and buy them a bottle of water. It might not be much, but it is what I can do to help.

 

I thank soldiers when I see them. It never fails to make their day.

 

Back in the seventies, it was a rare thing indeed to see a soldier in Canada. Except for this little episode called the October Crisis (Fall of 1970) here in Quebec. The troops were called in due to the threat of terrorism by Quebecois nationalists. It was the first time I saw soldiers patrolling the streets and riding around in Jeeps.

It took Canada's participation in Afghanistan to revive our respect for the Armed Forces, I see many soldiers in full uniform now here in Montreal, they wear it with pride. The next one I see, I will thank for their service.

 

I'm not in the military, but I'm a military brat, an ex-Army spouse, and was raised in a military town. I have had many friends in the military. So, I'm just going to say what I've heard from them.

A LOT of soldiers would prefer to be ignored, like Foxface. They've told me that it's nice that people appreciate their work and kind gestures go a long way. But ultimately it's their job, they signed up for it. It's equally important to thank our firefiighters and police officers as well. Or pretty much anyone who does good at their job, because we're all making a difference in some way.

 

As a presently serving soldier I find this attitude deeply insulting. I am no fool; I have not been duped by mendacious or manipulative politicians or governments. Also deeply offensive is the attitude, which I have also heard before, that I serve becuase I am "a victim of my economic circumstances".

Both attitudes strip me of my humanity by denying my own will and agency.

Anyway, I prefer to go without accolades, but one situation really stands out. I was in Hawaii with my family while on leave during my deployment to Afghanistan. The waiter at a restaurant my wife and I were eating at came and asked if I was military as her table wanted to know. I said, yes I am but that I am in the Canadian military. At that I thought no more of it until I see a group of people leaving the restaurant and the same waiter walking to my table. When she arrived she said that the people who had just left had paid our bill, the whole bill. And this was not at all a cheap restaurant.

I was absolutely blown away, they didn't even give me an opportunity to refuse, nor even to thank them in return!

It still blows me away...

 

I don't see soldier people much but their was this soldier guy that tried hitting on me but I didn't know he was like actually apart of the army, like I thought he was a hipster who shopped at urban outfitters or something and was wearing an ironic army suit thing, anyways I told him to beat it after calling him a few things which made him leave and then someone told me he was in the army. I felt bad but I would have been way nicer if I had known.

 

This reaction denies the powerful influence that culture has on all of us. We're all affected by the attitudes of our surrounding social groups, soldiers included. Our 'own will and agency' is a far less powerful influence on our behavior than we like to think.

Every one of us, at some point in time, has been fooled by propoganda. It's part of living in society.

 

I am a former army brat, and a 12 year veteran of the US Army myself. I agree with Reddy, I was not a victim of my economic circumstances, my brothers have done quite well without serving. I joined to help defend our country, and to promote our interests abroad. The people who get to make the decisions know more than the public, or even the soldiers on what is needed. Sometimes it seems awful expensive if you don't believe int he current war, or police action, or even if it is peacetime. I have always looked at it like an insurance policy. If you don't have any accidents, it seems like a waste of money to pay for auto insurance. When you have an accident, or an attack in the place of the military, they are very much appreciated.

 

[/QUOTE]

This reaction denies the powerful influence that culture has on all of us. We're all affected by the attitudes of our surrounding social groups, soldiers included. Our 'own will and agency' is a far less powerful influence on our behavior than we like to think.

Every one of us, at some point in time, has been fooled by propoganda. It's part of living in society.[/QUOTE]

Perhaps. But an influence is merely that, an influence, not a determinant. Particularly in a plural society like, well, practically any western society. Everyone is subject to many differing, contrasting and conflicting influences which can hardly be conceived as propaganda. Our own will and agency is exercised in sifting and evaluating those influences and acting accordingly.