Why is America

[BlueStreak]

Originally Posted by finnbow

Every time I hear the notion that we should be thankful for servicemen in Iraq "defending our freedom," it puzzles me. Our silly adventure there has nothing to do with our freedom.

And Libya, and Afghanistan, and Bosnia, and Vietnam..........................Have we fought a single war that has had any direct effect on our personal "Freedoms" since WW2?

I may have been young, but I seem to recall people decrying the economic effect leaving Vietnam would pose. "War is good for the economy.", IIRC. This was when I heard my Dad tell someone, "Well, the next time you decide to have a war in the name of boosting the economy, send your own damn kid."

Dave

[piece-itpete]

I wouldn't tell any kid fighting over there is was silly. Because it's not.

Our border wars are now halfway around the world.

Pete

[BlueStreak]

Silly, no. Tragic, yes. And telling them the truth might be good for them, albeit a bit demoralizing.

Dave

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

I wouldn't tell any kid fighting over there is was silly.

Perhaps it's not silly, per se, just ill-advised. But it is silly to believe that our fighting in Iraq has anything to do with "defending our freedom."

The truth is that I recoil at anything that wreaks of jingoism and the notion that any US soldier anywhere is automatically "defending our freedom" is just plain jingoism, pure and simple.

Keep in mind, Pete, that I've lived on and around Army bases for several decades, all told. The last thing on most soldiers' minds is "defending our freedom." Getting drunk and getting laid, well that's another story.

[piece-itpete]

Ever see them in a war zone?

Pete

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

Ever see them in a war zone?

Pete

I lived smack dab in the heart of the Fulda Gap for 3 years. Of anyone in the US forces, it could certainly be said that the soldiers of the 11th ACR were defending freedom. I've also spent some time with soldiers in Seoul and on the DMZ in Korea. Same applies there.

[piece-itpete]

I get you, but those were active war zones? Perhaps some sniper fire in Korea?

Pete

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by piece-itpete

I get you, but those were active war zones? Perhaps some sniper fire in Korea?

Pete

Korea has been a semi-active war zone since the Armistice in the early '50's. That notwithstanding, I guess what I'm saying is that the "defending our freedom" jingoism is used as a trump card in any discussions of our military efforts/funding, etc., justified or otherwise.

Cool story from Fulda. I was managing construction at Downs Barracks (lots of M-1 and M-60 tanks), Sickels Army Airfield (mostly Cobra gunships), and McPheeters Baracks in Bad Hersfeld (tanks and choppers) as well as the various border observation posts in between when SecDef Casper Weinberger came over to visit my projects. We took a chopper ride from Fulda to Bad Hersfeld right along the border fence with a Russian Mi-24 Hind helicopter paralleling us about 500 meters away (on the other side of the border) the whole way there and back. Creepy, but cool.

[merrylander]

To get back to the original theme can someone tell me why we are just about the onnly western industrialized nation that does not look after all of its people but only panders to the wealthy?

Maybe we should send Paul Ryan to the National Zoo, I hear they need another Pander Bear.

[finnbow]

Originally Posted by merrylander

To get back to the original theme can someone tell me why we are just about the onnly western industrialized nation that does not look after all of its people but only panders to the wealthy?

Because we're the only nation stupid (or greedy) enough to still believe in Reaganomics.