Fifteen years ago, I began an article about Memorial Day by facetiously talking about what is conveniently ignored at barbeques on the last Monday in May.
I have had to disconnect the connection between the died and the country because I am a dissident and no longer a patriot. I believe many of the men were fighting for a nation and just happenned to be caught up in the politics of a government. I still love those men that I would share a beer with at the legion hall in my home town but I have disdain for the country that they died in the name of, even back then. All of those awful wars could have been prevented.
Would Hitler have been stopped & defeated if we had just let the Nazi war machine & the Russian troops continue to engage without our intervention, etc? Recently watched a program about the 900 day siege of Leningrad (based on diaries of citizens, etc) - millions of basically innocent citizens affected & over a million killed there alone. (Started in 1941)
Should we have just stayed in the Pacific theatre after Pearl Harbor?
Don’t even get me started on the draft for the awful, unnecessary VietNam War.
Wish we would have heeded former Pres Eisenhower’s farewell speech about the industrial war complex - now we have the industrial medical (vaxxx) complex. Terrible.
I choose to believe that war started in Heaven between God, the Creator, & Satan. In the New Testament, one of the apostles, James, writes about this continual problem ...James 4
Thank you. I am blessed to be married to a “poor man’s atty” who marched in a protest ag the Viet Nam War in Washington, DC. He is wonderfully analytical with a healthy mix of classic liberalism, some conservatism, & a dose of libertarianism. We grieve the lack of civility in discussion of differing, yet, important views.
The poor postwoman who had to get out and deliver Amazon packages when all her colleagues had the day off.... I cannot honor any soldiers, because I think all the wars are useless. I certainly cannot honor that man-woman who is a high up in the army. A disgrace.
The ones that should be honored are those that defended their country against invaders. Native Americans, and all the people where America has invaded for no reason at all
P.S. I just got back from walking around my general area to find the homeless women I know. I encountered an older, disabled woman who is so sweet and is always so happy to see me. She asked me why everything was so empty so I told her it's Memorial Day.
She is so focused on daily survival that she doesn't have time to think about how to properly mark artificial propaganda days.
Artificial propaganda days ! that is an excellent way of naming these so called remembrance and other festive days ! Even Christmas and Easter fall in that category nowadays, since they are only used to up the sales
Bravo. And, in case you haven't seen it, there's a movie called "The Card Counter" dir. Paul Schraeder, (2021 I believe) that, and this is really rare for Hollywood, I mean, REALLY rare, actually shows the horror of Abu Graib, and the horror of a psychologically damaged and sterile USA. It should be required viewing for Memorial day, indeed.
I see most grunt troops as victims. I will honor my son and forget about the war mongers who avoid serving, but don't care about sending others to slaughter, or be slaughtered.
MLK said that by submitting soldiers to the brutality of war only for them to discover the goals as corrupt and illicit, “We are adding cynicism to the process of death”. This sentiment was conveyed by a veteran who was tasked with investigating Abu Ghraib. Not to excuse the abuse but to appreciate its origins...
Well, this is a wake up call. I appreciate and respect your candor.
And I appreciate and respect your willingness to read my stuff with an open mind!
I have had to disconnect the connection between the died and the country because I am a dissident and no longer a patriot. I believe many of the men were fighting for a nation and just happenned to be caught up in the politics of a government. I still love those men that I would share a beer with at the legion hall in my home town but I have disdain for the country that they died in the name of, even back then. All of those awful wars could have been prevented.
🙏
A necessary conversation, Mickey Z.
Would Hitler have been stopped & defeated if we had just let the Nazi war machine & the Russian troops continue to engage without our intervention, etc? Recently watched a program about the 900 day siege of Leningrad (based on diaries of citizens, etc) - millions of basically innocent citizens affected & over a million killed there alone. (Started in 1941)
Should we have just stayed in the Pacific theatre after Pearl Harbor?
Don’t even get me started on the draft for the awful, unnecessary VietNam War.
Wish we would have heeded former Pres Eisenhower’s farewell speech about the industrial war complex - now we have the industrial medical (vaxxx) complex. Terrible.
I choose to believe that war started in Heaven between God, the Creator, & Satan. In the New Testament, one of the apostles, James, writes about this continual problem ...James 4
May we individually seek peace & truth
with God & our fellow man.
Thank you, San. Excellent questions and powerful conclusion!
Thank you. I am blessed to be married to a “poor man’s atty” who marched in a protest ag the Viet Nam War in Washington, DC. He is wonderfully analytical with a healthy mix of classic liberalism, some conservatism, & a dose of libertarianism. We grieve the lack of civility in discussion of differing, yet, important views.
I appreciate your Substack writings & input.
Thank you! I appreciate your presence here. 🙂
P.S. Next week, on the D-Day anniversary, I'll share a post that touches on some of the topics mentioned.
The poor postwoman who had to get out and deliver Amazon packages when all her colleagues had the day off.... I cannot honor any soldiers, because I think all the wars are useless. I certainly cannot honor that man-woman who is a high up in the army. A disgrace.
The ones that should be honored are those that defended their country against invaders. Native Americans, and all the people where America has invaded for no reason at all
AMEN!
P.S. I just got back from walking around my general area to find the homeless women I know. I encountered an older, disabled woman who is so sweet and is always so happy to see me. She asked me why everything was so empty so I told her it's Memorial Day.
She is so focused on daily survival that she doesn't have time to think about how to properly mark artificial propaganda days.
Artificial propaganda days ! that is an excellent way of naming these so called remembrance and other festive days ! Even Christmas and Easter fall in that category nowadays, since they are only used to up the sales
💕
Bravo. And, in case you haven't seen it, there's a movie called "The Card Counter" dir. Paul Schraeder, (2021 I believe) that, and this is really rare for Hollywood, I mean, REALLY rare, actually shows the horror of Abu Graib, and the horror of a psychologically damaged and sterile USA. It should be required viewing for Memorial day, indeed.
Thanks, Lorie! I have never heard of that film but will look into it and appreciate the suggestion. I really liked Schraeder's "First Reformed."
I haven't seen that one but will check it out--Schraeder is often good.
I see most grunt troops as victims. I will honor my son and forget about the war mongers who avoid serving, but don't care about sending others to slaughter, or be slaughtered.
MLK said that by submitting soldiers to the brutality of war only for them to discover the goals as corrupt and illicit, “We are adding cynicism to the process of death”. This sentiment was conveyed by a veteran who was tasked with investigating Abu Ghraib. Not to excuse the abuse but to appreciate its origins...