At what point does military worship become dangerous?

[cliffordu]

57. Your obsessive hatred of all things military and

your willingness to smear stupid shits like me for doing what we felt we had to do, to include us in your problem with "The Military" is too broad a brush.

I don't know if you understand completely how harmful your 'take' on this really is.

I had no choice except to go into the military. If I had gone into the Peace Corps or gone to Canada, my family would have never had another word with me. You have to believe that not serving was NEVER a possibility.

Every male in my family served for as far back as any of us could recall. So when it came my turn, I served.

But I was not a moron. I figured it out in Vietnam. I finally understood the Domino theory for the lie that it was, and the fact that Ford/ Philco was having automobile generator armatures wrapped by hand by Vietnamese civilians down the road for a buck a day while I kept the bad guys away with an honest to fucking god assault rifle and a high powered scope.

I was vigilant in my service.

And I am reminded of it, somehow, every goddamned day.

“Blood a necklace on me all my life.”

― Michael Ondaatje, The Collected Works of Billy the Kid

You don't have to rub it in. You aren't saving anyone from the wars. You can flamebait assholes like me because you had choices and some 17 year olds do not.

I am not complaining:

I'm no different than anyone who served in any army, ever.

The Roman army served the rich and Empire.

It's what armies do.

But eventually wars end, and the main players in "The Military" (left alive and reasonably whole) all have to go home and, as Candide says "Tend our gardens"

I'm happy for you, that you got to go do the Peace Corps. I know a couple of mothers who wished their sons could have made the same choice.


More than anything, though, I'd like to be left alone with it, with this thing I did, and was, and am no more.

I'd like people to know that although I was IN the military, I was NOT the military: That civilians make the policy; that if you REALLY hate the military, you are going to have to change the policy.

And that means you might have to sacrifice more than an offensive post on Democratic Underground with the idea that any dogface, jarhead or seagoing bellhop has a fucking thing to say about assignment or task.

Get elected. Picket Congress. Start a revolution. Leave me out of it.

Leave the 17 year olds alone.