Introduction here: http://theromaniandream.com/blog/2009/07/17/taboo/
Today’s topic: American Army
Scene 1:
A busy airport in US (if I remember correctly Chicago). Everybody, focused on getting to the right gate, is going their way. An ant-like airport for the one that has time to contemplate. Suddenly something brakes the organized chaos. I hear a few claps of hands at first, and after that more and more claps. What is happening? A plane bringing back American Soldiers (from who knows what war zone) has arrived and soldiers start coming out. Someone (probably close relatives) have prepared a few banners and are glad to see their loved ones. All the people passing by that area (or at least all the Americans passing through the are) are stopping to applause the returning heroes. General consensus is that they have risked their lives to protect everyone’s freedom and to keep the US the greatest nation in the world.
Scene 2:
You’re watching a movie a home. Due to the fact that advertising is the heart of commercial TV at some point a commercial starts. But this one is not trying to get you to buy anything. It’s about PSTD(Post-traumatic stress disorder) of war veterans. You are made aware - in a bleak, disturbing way - of the difficulties faced by a returning soldier that fought in a war zone, now a war veteran (although he’s not past 30 from the way he looks). More, you find from all types of media about veterans not being able to integrate back into society, having problems finding and keeping a job, doing drugs, hurting (physically and mentally) loved ones and in extreme (but not rare cases) committing suicide.
You may wonder why someone will want to go through that? Money, health care, social status, desire to do something in life and for the country. Many reasons. What they are hoping to get, what the actually get and the price payed is a complete different story.
A bit of history:
American history is strongly dominated by wars. I would go as far as to say that war is part of the American Culture. I think from a politic and economic point of view the US is too focused on their objectives to have time to take a close look at the human drama associated with war. Also, the American Society need heroes. Needs to see people being transformed from mere mortals to legends. The army is a fast path for building such legends. But at what cost? Add to that the fact that there is an entire war ‘industry’ that needs to sell their products. Guess where those products are going…
The bottom line:
Almost all the people around here know that some things have to be done in order for the US to retain the top position in the food chain. What people have mixed feelings about is the way these things are achieved. Although war may not always be the quickest or the most optimal way of doing it, it sure seems that [at least looking through a historic point of view] is the most facile and well-known way.