I suppose you can argue in a post-draft world that the men and women who join the military are just getting a job, it was presented as a career option when I was in high school!!!
On Sun, Jul 21, 2013 at 8:36 AM, MJ <[email protected]> wrote: > > *Service or Employment? > *By Laurence M. Vance > July 20, 2013 > > *“There is no higher calling than service in our Armed Forces.”* -- > George W. Bush > *The debt to the heroic men and valiant women in the service of our > country can never be repaid.”* -- Harry S. Truman > > The idea that U.S. military personnel are serving the country just by > virtue of being in the military is so ingrained in American thinking that > being in the military is simply referred to as being in “the service.” > > Callers to some radio shows who identify themselves as being in the > military are thanked for their service. Well-wishers in airports thank > returning soldiers for their service. Signs outside of churches on the > Sunday before one of the three military appreciation > days<http://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/07/laurence-m-vance/happy-empire-day>(Memorial > Day, Fourth of July, and Veterans Day) thank veterans for their > service. Signs outside of businesses thank the troops for their service > every day of the year. Even postal > clerks<http://www.lewrockwell.com/2011/07/laurence-m-vance/no-i-dont-thank-you-for-your-service>thank > military personnel for their service. > > This “military service” mindset leads to some absurd conclusions, like > this one I received from a critic: “Enjoy your right to express such > intellectually bankrupt ideas. It is through the sacrifices of veterans > that you enjoy this right. I just suggest that you exercise it a bit more > wisely.” Or this one: “They continue to stand guard for us, so that if > someone comes to take away your freedom to write your nice little remarks > about them, they stop them dead in their tracks.” Or this bumper sticker: > “If You Can Read, Thank a Teacher. If You Can Read in English, Thank a > Marine.” Or this one: “If You Can’t Get Behind Our Troops, Feel Free to > Stand in Front of Them.” > > According to the Department of > Defense<http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32965.pdf>, > there were 155,754 Americans who joined the military during the most recent > fiscal year. All four branches of the military exceeded their recruitment > goals, as they did the previous fiscal year. Additionally, there were > 100,654 Americans who joined the Army or Air National Guard or the Army, > Navy, or Marine Corps Reserve. > > Are these men (and women) who recently joined the military serving “us” or > just getting a paycheck? Oh, they may be serving Uncle Sam; they may be > serving an evil empire; they may be serving the president; they may be > serving a rogue state; they may be serving themselves -- but they certainly > aren’t serving “us.” > > My problem with many in the military, and many more chickenhawks and > armchair warriors out of the military, is not just that military personnel > are the president’s personal attack force or that they are a global force > for imperialism or that they help maintain an empire or that they fight > senseless foreign wars or that they help carry out an evil, interventionist > foreign policy or that brothels flourish wherever U.S. military bases are. > My problem is the charade, the masquerade, the subterfuge, the deceit, the > scam, the ruse that is military “service.” > > Military service is a job, nothing more. Forget all the nonsense about > duty, honor, country, the flag, the few, the proud, patriotism, 9/11, > terrorism, and service. The military is an employment program. If those in > and out of the military would just come clean and drop the service > pretense, then I wouldn’t pay any more attention to them than I do clerks > who work for the Social > Security<http://www.amazon.com/Social-Insecurity-Laurence-M-Vance/dp/0982369778/lewrockwell>Administration > -- except, of course, when they unjustly kill for the > government. > > Why are people looked upon as a special because they “served” in the > military? What need in society have they met? What is something productive > they have done? Because the military does everything but actually defend > the country against real threats, the answer is very little if anything at > all. Military personnel should be viewed as just another faceless > government bureaucrat or clerk. > > So, to those in the military, and to those who moan incessantly about the > troops not being appreciated for their service, I would just say this: Stop > the deception; end the ruse. The military is an employer. The troops don’t > defend > our > freedoms<http://www.lewrockwell.com/2011/06/jacob-hornberger/youre-not-defending-our-freedom>. > When they die overseas they die in > vain<http://archive.lewrockwell.com/vance/vance239.html?CFID=19907157&CFTOKEN=7933fc43884626c7-9FA38E84-02EC-04E9-9D31F5D0050AC2C4>and > for > a > lie<http://www.lewrockwell.com/2006/05/laurence-m-vance/uncle-sam-wants-you>. > They don’t protect my right to write anymore than they protect your right > to watch television, walk your dog, or play poker. > > http://www.lewrockwell.com/2013/07/laurence-m-vance/thanks-for-your-service/ > > -- > -- > Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. > For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum > > * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ > * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. > * Read the latest breaking news, and more. > > --- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "PoliticalForum" group. > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > email to [email protected]. > For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out. > > > -- brine http://brineb.blogspot.com/ -- -- Thanks for being part of "PoliticalForum" at Google Groups. For options & help see http://groups.google.com/group/PoliticalForum * Visit our other community at http://www.PoliticalForum.com/ * It's active and moderated. Register and vote in our polls. * Read the latest breaking news, and more. --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "PoliticalForum" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/groups/opt_out.
