A thread about military service in America:
For the sake of our own humanity, we must examine how our country frames the reverence for "the troops" and the flag. Though it's admirable that people sacrifice their lives "for their country," there are some truths we must admit:

1) The bravery of servicemen from earlier generations was a function of the Selective Service System, in which men ages 18 to 25 were required to register for the military draft. In short, failure to report for military service if called could land you in PRISON...

So when we talk about the bravery of our veterans from earlier generations, understand that men called to serve were offered unfavorable alternatives to being trained and ordered to kill, often for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with "protecting our freedom."

2) Presently, the US military offers "career options" for men and women whose prospects are limited by underfunded education systems and community support services. Again, many American servicepersons turn to a life of potentially killing others to avoid poverty...

a poverty for which the people who send our troops overseas to occupy other nations are responsible. Without the allowances for exorbitant military spending, our tax dollars would amply finance an infrastructure that would provide better career options for the poor.

3) It's clear that the national ultimatum of "support the troops or you hate America" is a propaganda tool that allows for our very own war profiteers (and their surrogates in Washington) to absolve themselves of any role in the hardships that American people face...

...when in reality, these profiteers and their advocates, whose dereliction of duty to the People is clear, are Public Enemy Number One...not Arabs, not Russians, not the Chinese; the evil is truly coming from inside the house (in some instances, the actual House).

4) The most devious aspect of how citizens associate attitudes about military service with patriotism is that the ideal of greatness that Americans espouse is precluded by elected politicians that have no business representing Americans; they're only in business for themselves.

PS: I know this issue isn't a high priority in our discourse at the moment; it's just been on my mind for years.

But it IS highly likely that our national relationship with race has a lot to do with why it's been so easy for Americans to chronically vote against themselves.