Grunt Nation

[Tinoire]

Tuesday, June 28, 2005
Grunt Nation

Over the years I've questioned my 3 sons for feedback on today's military. One son has almost 17 years and 3 Iraq tours, another just signed out after 12 years in MI, and the youngest silly pup, to prove himself to dad and big brothers, has a couple of years. The 3 of them hold strong independent ideas and this is an assessment of their opinions. Their feedback generally agrees on specific points regarding the current active duty military.

They agree officers in the military are paid to speak bullshitalese. It's rare for an officer to speak negative of the military or the CIC, unless he's in a small circle he trusts or he's retiring out. Some officers privately agree the Iraq War is nothing more than neocon ideology, reshaping the ME to secure resources, etc. Some officers have been told that anti-Bush comments could be punished even when spoken in a small group of fellow officers. When an officer admits what is going on is bullshit, he is also likely to accept it as functional necessary bullshit. A standing army is not much use without a war or two going on. A standing army eats a lot but when standing it is not filling the coffers of industry; a significant function whether we admit it or not.

The younger troops, grunts, are the bulk of the armed services, and the dumbest. The older grunts stick with it usually because of too little ambition, a wife and too many kids, debt up to their chevrons, and know that with the skills they possess they will not find a civilian job making the money they need to get by. As one son said, "for most troops the military is welfare with honor." One son stated many soldiers he's spoken with in the last couple of years think the war is bullshit and nothing to do with OBL/terrorists but at the same time its a steady job so go along with the ideology.

(snip)

Two of my three sons believe that if ordered, troops would open fire on fellow Americans. They tell me they know some in uniform who would have no problem shooting their fellow citizens for no other reason than it meant they got to shoot someone. I write this with no intention of denigrating the troops. I have no malice toward the troops as they include my sons. As a society we need to admit who and what we are as a people.

(snip)

Tonight Bush gave a speech pushing the right buttons to make the majority of Americans "stay the course." Most will keep quiet because most have no children invested in war and most who do can agree to the trade-off. The criminals that led us into this mess may fall back as the war tolls on, (depending on how the public reacts) but only to serve us another mouthpiece in 3 years, maybe even a Democrat. They will tease us with words of anticipation. Hang in there. Roll the dice, flip the card, we'll win if we just keep playing.

http://kateablog.blogspot.com/

I just can't get enough of this writer!

===About Me
Name:Kate-A
Mother of five (three in military uniform). Grandmother of six. Central America - Been there, done that. When I was 17 it was a very good year for small town girls....

[TahitiNut]

1. "for most troops the military is welfare with honor" (or not, depending)

What other job pays you according to whether you're married and how many children you have? What other job pays you a "housing allowance"? What other job pays you a "clothing allowance"?

Now, about the "honor" ... either you have it or you don't. You can't get it by wearing the right clothes. You can't get it with logos or patches on your clothing. You can't get it by threatening another to call you by title.

But I'll say one thing. The military can be a place to discover whther you have any. I don't think many would want to pay that price.