Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/08/04/we-get-fooled-again.html
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I think it’s just the cult of personality.
Dems should embrace it and run Oprah in 2020.
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Ww2 was more than seventy years ago. I grew up with Full Metal Jacket and Apocalypse Now. Americans no longer view war as heroic; they view it as horrifying and traumatic, and those who fight it are not seen as heroes but as victims.
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To some extant, the Dems record on this looks worse than it is because of the tendency of Democrats to select vets to run in “red” districts where they have little realistic chance of winning. They have to run SOMEBODY, after the GOP nominee might be caught with in bed with “A dead girl or a live boy.” And there is at least a perception that a vet might escape the “mamby pamby anti-gun, anti-American” label that the GOP puts on Democrats. The net result is the vets are losing disproportionately because many were nominated for races that they had little chance of winning.
And the draft ended more than 40 years ago… In fact more years separate us today from the draft than separated the Vietnam War from WWII. Most of today’s enlistees and their families do no regard themselves as “victims.” at least not because of their military service. They are more likely to regard themselves a victims of an economy which no longer works for them. And that fact is why military recruitment and service tends to be concentrated in the places that have been left behind by the “new economy,” aka “Trump Country.”
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That’s the only quality that’s relevant for becoming a politician in the US?
Fighting wars is the sole purpose of statecraft?
Oh my. I don’t know where to begin …
Then why does the USA starts so many wars?
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I’m not a veteran, so feel free to ignore what I’m about to type, but I would be willing to bet, John McCain notwithstanding, that most combat veteran legislators and policy advisors would be much more cautious about committing troops to combat situations than non-combat veterans or non-veterans. Those who fight wars know that it’s not glorious to lose friends and body parts, and endure other unseen losses, in the kind of dumb, ill-defined conflicts we’ve been engaged in.
McGrath’s story of a woman from a poor, red state like Kentucky, rising to excel in the traditionally man’s world of piloting fighter jets, is inspirational to me, an old white guy. I wish her well.
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for individual power and profit. duh.
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As a retired soldier and vet of Desert Storm, I do not see myself as a victim, nor a hero. I did my job in service to my country. I do not expect to be pitied nor hailed. It is nice when I am told “thank you for your service” when someone learns I am a veteran. It’s nice to get a discount from time to time for having served. But at no point do I want nor need someone to pay homage or show reverence for my service.
Just show common respect and courtesy, I earned it.
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That’s using good logic there: let’s look at national presidential elections and use that data to compare with all local and state elections across the country.
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Could you list out the modern era wars (20th and 21st century) that the US has started please?
Off the top of my head (post WWII) I can recall US involvement in the following:
Korean Conflict/War
Vietnam War
Gulf War (Desert Shield/Storm)
Bosnian War
Kosovo War
Afghan War
Iraq War
I bolded the two we commonly know the US started.
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Charisma is important in elections. The democrats should seriously consider how much excitement their next candidate inspires.
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I would love for someone to enumerate the differences between a war hero and a con artist.
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As if the last two weren’t enough (Iraq Body Count (2003 – 14 December 2011): 103,160–113,728 civilian deaths recorded) … I’ll indulge your question:
Panama
Grenada
Bombing of Libya
Bay of Pigs
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Those are not wars. They are conflicts/military action yes…but not wars.
Additionally, while we invaded in Panama and Grenada, both Libya and BoP were in retaliation.
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Says who?
Wait, lets say the USA didn’t start any wars after WW2 because there wasn’t an official Declaration of War for every “conflict” since then - just “unfortunate accidents involving explosives”. /s
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Americans elect con artists?
They likely would’ve elected Sanders if the Dem establishment hadn’t kneecapped him. And if he’s a con artist, it’s only to an infinitesimal degree compared to Trump, Clinton, Obama and all the other corporatized operatives thrust upon us by this thoroughly corrupted two-party system.
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Your sarcasm doesn’t change the facts. Those were not declarative war, which takes an act of congress. I stated the ones that are widely and commonly recognized as wars regardless of that distinction (Korea being the primary example of that).
If you are going to say “Why does the USA start so many wars” then you need to back that up with data or relegate your comment to your opinion only. Which is perfectly fine to have that opinion…but it is not a fact.
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You already established that the USA started two wars in the last 16 years. There isn’t anything further to add.
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Wait, what? Americans have an extreme cult about their military. All those human interest stories about people giving up their seats for soldiers. When people in a forum mention their service they get thanked for it. And all those propaganda movies.
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