Coddling the Military

Do you thank military members you see?


One the hate mongers on my local hate radio station was talking this morning about his son's experience on the way to deployment in Iraq.


First of all, it's rather odd that radio hate mongers or their families, in particular, and conservatives, in general, actually serve in the military.  Our recent experience tells us conservatives mostly send others to die in their wars.  But it's not so odd of radio hate mongers to talk about honoring the military.  Glorification of the military is an integral part of fascism and American conservatism is the new world version of fascism.


This guy was saying his son had experienced receiving the good wishes and thanks of persons in an airport where he changed planes.  That, too, isn't so odd.  Many Americans have taken to thanking military persons in uniform for their service.


I wonder if it's healthy, though.  Our country wasn't designed to be the Uniformed States of America.  Our Second Amendment, for instance, guarantees the People a civilian military.  That's because a military is a threat to democracy.  Do we dishonor our founding principles when we encourage militarism by thanking those in uniform?  


I think we do.  Moreover, we endanger our democracy by coddling and glorifying them.  We should return to the days when Americans pursued peace not war.