Then what the hell are we going to do with the trillions we’ve spent on mega-death-scale weaponry? It’d be a shame to let it go to waste!
unclefrogysays
I know that it is normal to use the generals as the ones to be the ones to characterize as wanting war and to a certain extent it is true. How ever most of the wars we have been in since I have been alive, a post WWII baby boomer here, have all been started and promoted by politicians and to a large part even badly controlled by politicians. The military has stepped up and done the fighting it is true though most of the killing and dying has not been done by generals. No corporation (persons don’t you know) has faced any sacrifice for having been involved with supplying the effort either.
I do not know how that could be illustrated in a cartoon how ever.
uncle frogy
nomdeplumesays
“have all been started and promoted by politicians”. Yes, I think that is largely true. However retired senior military men have found a niche on the Fox part of the media, giving (like retired footballers at a football game) “expert” commentary on wars, and acting to whitewash old wars, boost current ones, and promote future efforts. They also push that malign trope that because soldiers have already died in some particular war it must be kept going otherwise it would dishonour their “sacrifice” – a recipe for forever wars.
It also needs to be said that current military men demand to have all the latest, shiniest, most expensive weaponry, and if they are not given them immediately, will damn the politicians concerned as being unpatriotic. And once they have them, why, it would be a waste not to use them, right? So, yes, politicians start wars, but the military have generally been willing accessories before and after the fact.
unclefrogysays
not to be discounted when looking at military spending and military involvement is retired military personnel connected with industry in purchasing and evaluation
uncle frogy
hemidactylussays
If you believe the hyperbole for ritual consumption if not for our veterans in recent conflicts (post WWII) we would not be able to enjoy pro football or many of our other freedoms. Really? Vietnam, Somalia, and two conflicts involving Iraq kept us safe enough to enjoy football games? Surely our veterans strived to keep each other safe in harm’s way, but to what ends.
And on the NFL Network the A Football Life is recounting the tragedy of Pat Tillman who fought for honorable reasons and sacrificed so much but was done wrong in his death and how it was cynically portrayed by our government.
Then what the hell are we going to do with the trillions we’ve spent on mega-death-scale weaponry? It’d be a shame to let it go to waste!
I know that it is normal to use the generals as the ones to be the ones to characterize as wanting war and to a certain extent it is true. How ever most of the wars we have been in since I have been alive, a post WWII baby boomer here, have all been started and promoted by politicians and to a large part even badly controlled by politicians. The military has stepped up and done the fighting it is true though most of the killing and dying has not been done by generals. No corporation (persons don’t you know) has faced any sacrifice for having been involved with supplying the effort either.
I do not know how that could be illustrated in a cartoon how ever.
uncle frogy
“have all been started and promoted by politicians”. Yes, I think that is largely true. However retired senior military men have found a niche on the Fox part of the media, giving (like retired footballers at a football game) “expert” commentary on wars, and acting to whitewash old wars, boost current ones, and promote future efforts. They also push that malign trope that because soldiers have already died in some particular war it must be kept going otherwise it would dishonour their “sacrifice” – a recipe for forever wars.
It also needs to be said that current military men demand to have all the latest, shiniest, most expensive weaponry, and if they are not given them immediately, will damn the politicians concerned as being unpatriotic. And once they have them, why, it would be a waste not to use them, right? So, yes, politicians start wars, but the military have generally been willing accessories before and after the fact.
not to be discounted when looking at military spending and military involvement is retired military personnel connected with industry in purchasing and evaluation
uncle frogy
If you believe the hyperbole for ritual consumption if not for our veterans in recent conflicts (post WWII) we would not be able to enjoy pro football or many of our other freedoms. Really? Vietnam, Somalia, and two conflicts involving Iraq kept us safe enough to enjoy football games? Surely our veterans strived to keep each other safe in harm’s way, but to what ends.
And on the NFL Network the A Football Life is recounting the tragedy of Pat Tillman who fought for honorable reasons and sacrificed so much but was done wrong in his death and how it was cynically portrayed by our government.
Has there ever been a more warlike nation?
Pick a year; any year: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_United_States_military_operations
“Has there ever been a more warlike nation?” No, there hasn’t. The American Empire makes the Roman and British Empires look like a bunch of peaceniks.
https://allpoetry.com/poem/8540447-The-Next-War-by-Osbert-Sitwell
Froggy @ comment 2: The classic illustration is a C-130 flying into Dover and unloading a corporation in a body bag.