My Mom is...... kerfuffling (Veterans day)

we've had the entire week off of school from a mix of veteran's day and other events for teachers

it's weird that we don't have to go, but i'm not complaining

@DeoNaught Its a shame we don't actually honor and take care of our veterans, as suicide rates are extremely high and mental health problems, and ptsd are not taken care of properly. As with the war in Afghanistan, pick a single year, any year, you'll have more war vets that have died by committing suicide in one year, than have died in combat in all the years combined.

Don't blame the soldiers, they only do what they are told to do. Blame the ones who tell them what to do.

@aykay55 Wars are fought based on the ever changing public opinion.

Lets take for example the Vietnam War, despite nowadays most people regret fighting the war, most of the public at the time, both male and female, wanted to fight in the war. Soilder's were sent to do what the US public wanted.

Then the Vets came back and were literally spit on, even people with missing limbs in wheel chairs were spit on. They were called baby killers and had their cars egged. For doing what the public wanted them to do.

They aren't that many shelters to help rehabilitate vets with mental health problems, to help adapt to civilian life.

Oh, you don't get school off today for Veteran's Day? All the schools and colleges in my state have the day off.

@SG854
The U.S. government has not done anything based on public opinion for a very long time. Even the DEA (an unelected body with the power to make laws without even so much as a vote from congress, btw) has made an official statement saying that they do not make policies based on public opinion.

@SG854 Ummm, what do you call all that general colonel lieutenant crap then? They're the leaders! They tell the soldiers what to do, and the soldiers have to listen because they signed a contract when they joined.

I already had school off today and yesterday because of teacher conferences, so I guess I technically had off for Veterans Day. Anyways, thank you for your service to any vets here.

We didn't get college off today, but nobody was in my classes anyways (I think there was a big soccer game going on during my classes). Anyways, happy veterans day, and thanks to everyone who has served or is serving for our country!

@Subtle Demise

Even if the government does whatever they want regardless of public opinion, the majority of the public still wanted to fight in the Vietnam war.

The war would have happened whether anyone agreed or not. The reason most people probably agreed with the war was because of the "red menace" propaganda the government spread. Also, this may be an unpopular opinion, but I don't think there has been a direct attack against our sovereignty since like 1812. Maybe Pearl Harbor, but the Japanese only took a few Hawaiian islands and not for very long.

@aykay55 Generals and leaders of war are more followers then leaders. They are honored more as an individual for conforming to the group. The purple heart represents a high level of conformity. In order to reach a high status position they must prove themselves by being subservient. They lead well by following the rules of leadership, and the people under them follows their rules.

Bootcamp strips people of their individuality and devalues them as human beings in order to make them efficient killing "machines." Their life is less then property and dirt and are treated as disposable pawns in war. The moment a solider cares about his own life, the less he will be willing to sacrifice his body. Many people join in hopes of taking care of financially problems and to get army benefits. This is the male version of a prostitute, selling your body for cash to survive.

There is also the mandatory draft that first started during the Civil War up till the Vietnam war. They were forced to fight without any choice.

Here's a quote I found about the male only draft in comparison to slavery.
"Blacks were forced, via slavery, to risk their lives in cotton fields so whites might benefit economically while blacks died prematurely. Men were forced, via the draft, to risk their lives on battlefields so that everyone else might benefit economically while men died prematurely. The disproportionate numbers of blacks and males in war increases both blacks and and males likelihood of experiencing post-traumatic stress, of becoming killers in postwar civilian life as well, and of dying earlier. Both slaves and men died to make the world safe for freedom - someone else's."

@SG854 It was very much their will. Technically, you are entered into the draft when the government pays for your college, so yeah. College in return for becoming a soldier if drafted. Many people relied on the government to go to college, which is why manyhad to join the war.