Why is military service no longer seen as an honor?

[Clevername]

First, I am from the US and can only speak from the perspective of an American. I served in the Marine Corps for one enlistment (4 years) during that enlistment I did 2 seven month deployments to Iraq. I graduated college on May 17 2003 and enlisted on May 19 2003, I had other options available for employment but with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan in full swing I felt it was my duty to go and fight. I have always been a fan of American history and loved learning about our forefathers and how that fought for their country with such selflessness and resolve that I wanted to be a part of that legacy.

9-12-01 it was hard to find anyone in the US who wasn't pro military and pro America but that seems to have dwindled and faded. I have watched many of my friends who served with me do back to back to back deployments because the numbers weren't there to relieve them and let them rest. You get comments like that of John Kerry who told a group of college kids to (I'm paraphrasing) 'Pay attention in class or they would find themselves in Iraq'. I have watched the number of prior military congressman dwindle. In WWII it was not uncommon whatsoever for celebrities to do their part step up and join the military now we are purely amazed when someone like Pat Tillman would leave his multi-million dollar career to actually serve the country that has given him all the opportunities that he has had in life. Men are still dying in Afghanistan and instead our media is splashed with Kim Kardashian's divorce.

At what point did serving in the military become a job for the poor who had no other alternatives? This saddens me to my core, perhaps this was not the best forum for this but I have seen intelligent discussion here. I am not a war monger, but I am saddened by the fact that I don't think the majority of Americans really care enough about their freedom anymore to fight or die for it.

For those of you who have the time and interest to read this I also enjoyed this article but fair warning it may only appeal to people who have been in combat. http://public.wsu.edu/~hughesc/why_men_love_war.htm

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[ryoukthebloodelf]

It's because in general anything conservative is under attack

[BatteredRose]

I'm not sure I know anyone that thinks serving in the military merely meant a job for the poor with no other alternatives, but I certainly don't believe that.

And considering the recent and current wars, some of the general public will tend to think negatively of all things/people involved.

Edit:

It's because in general anything conservative is under attack

*facepalm*

[Shoridayo]

First, I am from the US and can only speak from the perspective of an American. I served in the Marine Corps for one enlistment (4 years) during that enlistment I did 2 seven month deployments to Iraq. I graduated college on May 17 2003 and enlisted on May 19 2003, I had other options available for employment but with the war in Iraq and Afghanistan in full swing I felt it was my duty to go and fight. I have always been a fan of American history and loved learning about our forefathers and how that fought for their country with such selflessness and resolve that I wanted to be a part of that legacy.

9-12-01 it was hard to find anyone in the US who wasn't pro military and pro America but that seems to have dwindled and faded. I have watched many of my friends who served with me do back to back to back deployments because the numbers weren't there to relieve them and let them rest. You get comments like that of John Kerry who told a group of college kids to (I'm paraphrasing) 'Pay attention in class or they would find themselves in Iraq'. I have watched the number of prior military congressman dwindle. In WWII it was not uncommon whatsoever for celebrities to do their part step up and join the military now we are purely amazed when someone like Pat Tillman would leave his multi-million dollar career to actually serve the country that has given him all the opportunities that he has had in life. Men are still dying in Afghanistan and instead our media is splashed with Kim Kardashian's divorce.

At what point did serving in the military become a job for the poor who had no other alternatives? This saddens me to my core, perhaps this was not the best forum for this but I have seen intelligent discussion here. I am not a war monger, but I am saddened by the fact that I don't think the majority of Americans really care enough about their freedom anymore to fight or die for it.

I agree that Americans only care about retarded things like stars/drama etc.
But I don't agree that the military is any better.

I would never join the military. Ever.
And the only reason people do is because they pay for everything.
Yeah, there are some people who think it's honorable etc, but in this day and age, honestly, intelligent people just think it's stupid.
And I don't blame them, honestly.
What is there to fight for?
I can go be "free" in Europe or Canada. (Moving to Japan, myself.)
This country is dying and you're blind not to see it. Most people just don't care, honestly, probably because they don't think it will ever affect them.

User infracted for this post.

[Sunseeker]

Probably the video of the soldiers shooting that puppy.

Or making sexual scenes with captives.

Or ya know, that idiot in the flight suit in front of a "mission accomplished" sign.

I dunno, just sayin.

[Bad Management]

Must have been som nice five years, I mean, beeing conned into fighting for something, when all you really did was fight for oil.
meh, I guess atleast you got to shoot some haji's right? Some honor -_-

<Infracted> Be respectful to other people and nationalities.

[Pandush]

Because there is nothing worth fighting for anymore

[mitbrandir]

Maybe because the reason of the war in Iraq? The leaked things?

[vaeevictiss]

you can easily tell who would rather have sat in their peaceful liberal college while their far left professors jammed their viewpoints down their throat. Institutions that simply cater to the other side of the impressionable youth so they can craft them into the harmless flock of sheep they are today.

As long as there are sheep, there will be wolves. As long as there are wolves there is a need for sheepdogs.

[omglazor]

I still view military service as an honorable thing. I sure as hell don't have the brass to risk my life. I don't know anyone who does not in fact. Many of my irl friends and WoW players I know are reserve or current military.

[Ethes]

How is going to Iraq fighting for YOUR country? If anything, it is an invasion.

If you fight the enemy out of your country, then yeah sure! I think you did a good thing as everybody has the right to their own freedom. However, this includes the men and women from Iraq. If you like it or not.

[Clevername]

Because there is nothing worth fighting for anymore

You don't think an attack on the largest city in the US and death of almost 3000 citizens is worth fighting for?

[Larynx]

Because there's nothing honorable about the current wars, and they're not worth fighting.

Sure, it'd an honorable thing to defend your country (like the World Wars), but the war we're fighting isn't ours to fight.

[smallz]

Well it's mainly because the motives for the Iraq/Afghanistan wars were highly dubious at best. And when the American public stopped waving their flags after 9/11 and saw the absolutely ludicrous amounts of money spent on the military during the worst financial crisis in 70 years...well, you get it.

[Larynx]

You don't think an attack on the largest city in the US and death of almost 3000 citizens is worth fighting for?

As a result of USA aggression.

That's like saying, if I punched you and you punch me back then you're the only one at fault. Or saying that the English during WW2 were evil because they bombed German cities.

[Clevername]

How is going to Iraq fighting for YOUR country? If anything, it is an invasion.

If you fight the enemy out of your country, then yeah sure! I think you did a good thing as everybody has the right to their own freedom. However, this includes the men and women from Iraq. If you like it or not.

Serving in the military means doing whatever is asked of you by the elected officials. The American people elected those officials those officials ordered me to do my duty I carried it out with precision. In times of war indecision has no place.

[ro9ue]

Regardless of my perspectives on the war or anything like that, I still hold a lot of respect for people in the military. It takes a lot of balls to do what they do, and I can appreciate that.

[vaeevictiss]

I have always been a fan of American history and loved learning about our forefathers and how that fought for their country with such selflessness and resolve that I wanted to be a part of that legacy.

This is another key thing. Pretty weird how when the government got so involved in education...you slowly see less and less being taught about american history. Why do you think a government that is more and more supporting complete control of its people, would want those people to know exactly how the forefathers succeeded against a tyrannical and controlling government?

This is what they want, and they are crafting an entire generation to feel the same way.

[ptwonline]

There's 2 reasons:

1. The military (I assume you are talking about western nations) is now seen as a tool less for defending their own nations and instead as a tool for boosting political and financial agendas

2. Increasingly there is greater and greater disclosure about what really happens in war. We started seeing that in Vietnam and it has only grown since then. So now we see the war crimes, the innocents killed or suffering, torture and other misdeeds by soldiers, incompetent or poorly planned operations that get soldiers killed, and so on. Back in WWII or WWI or in earlier wars the people didn't see these things and didn't hear about them. Even letters home were often edited to hide a lot fo the truth of what was going on. Now we have a much better idea, and we are less tolerant of it.

I think most people still see honor in those who choose to serve. The problem is that the cause they are serving is no longer seen as so honorable.

[omglazor]

This is another key thing. Pretty weird how when the government got so involved in education...you slowly see less and less being taught about american history. Why do you think a government that is more and more supporting complete control of its people, would want those people to know exactly how the forefathers succeeded against a tyrannical and controlling government?

This is what they want, and they are crafting an entire generation to feel the same way.

Any citations on that?