What's your gut reaction to an American military uniform?

[undeterred]

Poll question: What's your gut reaction to an American military uniform?

Cokie Roberts, well known as a reporter-pundit for NPR and ABC, appearing on the Letterman show a few weeks later, gushed: "I am, I will just confess to you, a total sucker for the guys who stand up with all the ribbons on and stuff, and they say it's true and I'm ready to believe it. We had General Shelton on the show the last day he was chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and I couldn't lift that jacket with all the ribbons and medals. And so when they say stuff, I tend to believe it."

[khashka]

1. Multiple feelings...

Scared because of American Imperialism.
Proud because of the total commitment these people have made for my country.
Turned on because who doesn't like a guy in uniform.

I have complex feelings about the military and still have yet to sort them all out. But, in the meantime, I want our troops safe. And I want them home. And I want them with their families.

Sometimes war is necessary and we are very lucky that we have men and women willing to put their lives on the line for the rest us. But, goddamnit, this one isn't!

Go volunteer at a VA hospital - you'll learn a lot about courage and how badly we treat our heroes.

Sorry, rant over. Like I said, I 'm still conflicted about the whole military thang. It scares me, it disgusts me - but they are worthy of our admiration.

Khash.

[tjwmason]

5. Exactly the same here

A military force is the tools of its political masters - only once has the British military sought to control the political process (Oliver Cromwell's rule following the death of Charles I), apart from that they have been good or bad (in their actions) essentially to the extent that they are told to do good or bad.

But yes - give me a man in uniform, or indeed even hearing that the guy is a squaddy, a massive turn-on.

[khashka]

8. I thought the "British Vice"

was CP (public schools, Swinburne, all that), but apparently it's squaddies!

I have a lot of British porn - and all of it involves squaddies!

I'm all for it, but the military fetishism offends my political sensibilities.

I didn't know this about you.... but it's given me several rather nicely nasty ideas....

Khash.
(I fear I shall inevitably disappoint you... I shall never be a gorgeous counter tenor squaddy)

[tjwmason]

9. It's not the British vice - it's la vice Anglais

Just another continuation of the 100 years war (thankfully no longer continued on the battlefield).

There is definite a big thing about military - the uniform thing (firemen - swoon). But I think that if we're going to discuss British porn we probably shouldn't do it in open forum.

I think that a large part of it, is that a squaddy is a very strong, very fit man - plus a definite 'hunter' style attraction.

You're more than gorgeous enough for me - I know that much. :loveya:

[caty]

2. Pride, honor,

pity, misguided, brave, steadfast, victim

[undeterred]

3. I have a total mix

I've never been one to be attracted to guys in uniform, but the symbolism is powerful.

[GOPisEvil]

4. Depends. If it's one of the Pentagon idiots, then a little mistrust.

If it's a regular member of the armed services, then overall I'm pretty positive. But then I attach military uniforms to my dad who was in the service until I was 17.

[KG]

6. cokie robert is a total idiot.

[undeterred]

7. It scares me that I used to think she was a real journalist

and then she admits something like that. Ick.

[jobycom]

10. I said Respect, but it's more like gratitude.

But not the goofy nationalistic crap Cokie Roberts and the Republicans spin. It's more a personal gratitude.

I grew up in Gulfport, Mississippi, between two military bases, and had many friends whose fathers were in the military. Including my wife's father. My aunt was an Army officer. So I never thought of the military as an odd thing, just as another job.

But every time there was a hurricane, the National Gaurd popped out to keep the peace, to help with rescues and clean up. So I'm used to seeing military uniforms on people I know, and to see them on people helping us clean our neighborhoods. I would see a soldier on a street corner with an M-16, and feel like he was helping out, just like the power crews and the Red Cross.

That's why New Orleans was so FUBAR. There were no Gaurd members out the afternoon after the storm. There should have been; that's what everyone expected. But they were not available. That's why NO got so out of hand.

So my gut instinct when I see a uniform is that I'm seeing someone doing a job, and helping out. When I see our troops in Iraq or Afghanistan, I'm pissed, because to me these are friends, relatives, neighbors, a couple of personal enemies--in short, regular working people--who are being forced into Hell for no reason. Makes me hate Bush more. He's made the whole profession into a political ideal, so that people either worship the troops or feel they are the symbol of something bad. But they aren't--they are tools being misused by an evil, incompetent beast.

Not to say there aren't bad people in uniform. Just that that's my gut reaction.

[Zuni]

11. respect

and I know most of the guys wearing the uniform are good, decent ordinary people. It is the people in the WH who are misusing them