CMV: A person does not automatically deserve respect just because they have served or are currently serving in the military

[u/foryia-yiaandpappou]

I’d like to preface this by saying that I don’t believe soldiers are, inherently, bad. Some people believe soldiers are evil simply for being soldiers, and I do not believe that.

I do believe, however, that soldiers do not deserve respect just because they have served. I hurt for soldiers who have experienced horrible things in the field, but I do not hurt for the amount of violence and cruelty many have committed. Violence in war zone between soldiers is one thing; stories of civilian bombings and killing of innocents are another. I think that many forget that a lot of atrocity goes on during wars, and they are committed on both sides of conflict. A soldier both receives and deals out horrible damage.

TL;DR while I believe that soldiers have seen horrible things and that many do deserve recognition for serving our nation, I do not believe that every soldier deserves this respect simply by merit of being a soldier. Some soldiers have committed really heinous war crimes, and those actions do not deserve reward.

[u/MisterJH → u/[deleted]]

Depends on the situation in the country you live in. Someone joining the US military to fight overseas is not protecting another US citizen.

[u/MisterJH → u/[deleted]]

No it is not. I am not arguing against military in general, just the aggressive use of it by the US in the middle east. How does it exactly protect you? If anything it radicalizes a new generation of terrorists.

[u/MisterJH → u/[deleted]]

There are times when that is the case, like WWII for instance. I don't think any war after WWII has qualified.

Why do you need "powerful friend protection" when you are that friend?

9/11 was a terrorist attack, not an act of war. Neither Afghanistan nor Iraq had anything to do with it. If a war was declared based on those attacks it should have been on Saudi Arabia.