It’s not soldiers who start wars. There is some cognitive dissonance, but one can be angry at corrupt politicians sending troops to unnecessary wars, and respect those same troops as heroes risking their lives for the country.
Honest question: do people really think that attacking a third world country, thousands of kilometres away from your home, that hasn’t attacked you, is “risking your life for the country”?
We’re not talking about defending yourself from an invading attack, but going far away to invade a foreign country
GI Joe did not join the military to attack a third world country. Members of the armed forces, once signed up, have to go wherever they are deployed. So yes, many service members are brave folks who are willing to risk their lives to defend their country. But likely the majority are completely average people who enlisted because they didn’t see many other career opportunities available to them. Either way, they agreed to follow orders.
And then they are sent to stupid wars where they are traumatized (and they traumatize civilians of the hostile country) for no good reason. That doesn’t mean they are inherently evil or aggressive people, or even that they want to be at war.
It’s not soldiers who start wars. There is some cognitive dissonance, but one can be angry at corrupt politicians sending troops to unnecessary wars, and respect those same troops as heroes risking their lives for the country.
Honest question: do people really think that attacking a third world country, thousands of kilometres away from your home, that hasn’t attacked you, is “risking your life for the country”?
We’re not talking about defending yourself from an invading attack, but going far away to invade a foreign country
GI Joe did not join the military to attack a third world country. Members of the armed forces, once signed up, have to go wherever they are deployed. So yes, many service members are brave folks who are willing to risk their lives to defend their country. But likely the majority are completely average people who enlisted because they didn’t see many other career opportunities available to them. Either way, they agreed to follow orders.
And then they are sent to stupid wars where they are traumatized (and they traumatize civilians of the hostile country) for no good reason. That doesn’t mean they are inherently evil or aggressive people, or even that they want to be at war.