America's Fetishization of Military Service

With the Memorial Day holiday upon us (meaning a three-day weekend, barbecues, and — in my neck of the woods — lots of racing), I find myself struck by a phenomenon in this country that doesn’t get a whole lot of notice, probably because the public outcry would be so massive were it remarked upon:

The fetishization of military service in this country.

To be clear, I am not referring to the troops themselves, nor do I have quarrell with them. The men and women who willingly enlist in our armed forces are to be respected for their bravery, their sacrifice, and their contributions. The issues I am about to outline have nothing to do with them.

Over the next few days, you’ll likely hear many of the same remarks regarding the troops. How their sacrifice has made it possible for us to enjoy the freedoms we have (I’ve even heard in the past people argue how the military service of others allows us to enjoy motorsports — not quite sure how to make that logical leap).

For the most part, these expressions of gratitude will be genuine, and I will also tip my cap to those men and women.

But at the same time, I’ll be left wondering — yet again — what exactly are these men and women fighting for? And why, even as public sentiment toward the wars we’ve engaged in over the last decade has turned, are we still putting the military on such a pedestal?

Is it because of the corporations who stand to benefit from a perpetually-active military? Is it because politicians are afraid to come out and stand against war of any sort, lest they be seen as terrorists-enabling cowards? Is it because we, as a country, can’t bring ourselves to admit that the last 12 years or so of war have been a mistake? Is it because we, as a country, can’t possibly grasp the grim reality of war the way our ancestors did?

Every Memorial Day, just as every Veterans Day, I stop and think: what exactly are we doing with our military? Not just in the sense of sending our young men and women off to battle for whatever reason; how do we spend the money we do for the military? Why do we spend so much? Why does so much of it go to private, civilian companies?

At what point does “Support the Troops” stop meaning send them off to die in yet another war? When does that phrase stop meaning, “Don’t criticize the politicians who made the decision to go to war?”

At what point does “Support the Troops” mean making sure our soldiers have all the equipment they need while on the battlefield, then bringing them home, providing them with quality healthcare, and making sure they can find a job upon their return?

You can’t claim to support the troops, then turn a blind eye when those same people you shipped off to Iraq are now homeless.

Somehow, I doubt those who sell those yellow ribbon car magnets have all that stuff in mind. There’s still a belief in this country — less prominent than it was 10 years ago, but it’s still there — that criticizing a decision to go to war equals a criticism of the men and women fighting that war.

News Flash: That’s not the case.

I know of no other country that directly equates freedom with military service. That our national security budget is larger than that of the next 26 nations combined reflects a national philosophy and identity: we are a nation of war. They like to tell you we’re a nation of freedom and equality and values, but we’re really not. We’re a nation of war.

I understand part of that comes from the founding of this nation: we fought an oppressive regime in order to gain our independence. But instead of merely remarking on the history of that, we, as a nation, have used it as a rallying cry to bloat our defense budget at the expense of … well, just about everything else.

I can already tell this essay is going to make people accuse me of not supporting the troops. I know some people are going to read this and think that I hate this country. On the first point, they’re wrong; my definition of “support the troops” just differs from theirs.

On the second point … well, to a degree, they’re right. There are a lot of things about this country right now that I just can’t stand (and if you’ve paid any attention to this blog, chances are you know what those things are). But … I love what this country can be. I love the potential this country has.

I just don’t see that potential being realized, nor do I see us approaching that potential so long as we collectively masturbate over the idea of perpetual war. I’m not advocating for the abolition of Memorial Day or Veterans Day; they are important holidays, and they carry with them important lessons we would do well to keep in mind 365 days a year.

But those days have become national rallying cries for the virtues of perpetual war, an excuse for a nation to shame those who are anti-war (like myself) as cowards, terrorist enablers, and people who don’t even respect the men and women who serve.

These days have become an exercise in chest-thumping, an excuse to stand up and shout, “We’re America, dammit, and our weapons are bigger than yours!”

Which carries its own set of baggage.

To me, a fitting memorial for our veterans and our fallen soldiers isn’t to rush head-on into another war, damn the consequences. It’s to thank them for their sacrifices in the past, learn from the lessons of their generations, and start building a truly free, truly equal America. An America where everyone is free to pursue their dreams, where everyone who has a job is economically secure, where who you love or what you believe is not cause for discrimination.

That’s what our men and women fight for. We’d all do well to remember that, and to maybe — finally — start fighting in our own way for more just, more fair, and less violent union.

But what do I know? I’m just a filthy fucking liberal.