The Wages of War: Alcoholism, Suicide

A possible solution to this problem that affects mostly men is to simply stop going into military recruiter's offices and asking to join up.

This war is a vile lie that is doing only three things -

* destroying men and women and their families (both American and Iraqui)
* creating massive profits for the companies connected to the Bush regime
* insuring that oil prices stay sky high by supressing Iraq's oil output

Every single justification for this war has been proven to be a lie.

And sadly, honorable soldiers are in fact dying in vain, for nothing but corporate profits.

manonthestreet

I know soldiers like to think that they are valued and honoured by the state that uses them in battle. But this is all just one big lie. Sure you'll get the sentimental gushing praising their sacrifices but it is all a sham. Once their use it over they revert to being just dross.

Some who were exposed to an old-fashioned education may recall Rudyard Kipling's Tommy. (Yes, I know, Kipling was an boot-licking running dog lackey of the Imperialist jingoist hetronormative, patriarchal, racist establishment who didn't write real poetry, only doggrel - I've been exposed to Liberal University critiques of the man. Just read the damned poem.)

Most long-term military and their families know what their social status is between wars - somewhere below the gangbangers and street people, as a rule. Quite a few don't fight because of the civilians they guard, but rather desite them. Quite a few fight because they value the country they serve, and think it worth defending. A bizarre concept, I know, but there you are.....

As George Orwell remarked, People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf. As often as not, the people who sleep peacefully in their beds regard the warriors who defend them with contempt. Perhaps that is a good place to look for the causes of PTSD, rather than the violence that has, throughout history and before, been every (male) human's fate more often than not.

Men have means to adapt to long-term exposure to violence. Exposure to the contempt and disregard of the very group they set out (however rightly or wrongly) to defend may well be more stressful and destructive than the psychologists choose to preceive - for if so, how could those psychologists, and all those who sneer at the "rough men", preserve their moral superiority?

There were quite a few men that served the entire war during the 2nd big one. With all of the national guard and reserve People being made to serve over and over again it only makes sense that this current situation would cause more hardship on these People. The fact that the military is even telling People about it is different, they've know for a long time about the affects of battle conditions on Human Beings, it isn't new. Another problem for our already under funded under staffed v.a.
Yes the war is unjust, yes they shouldn't be there, but we still need to support the men and women that are serving. Those that have never served, good for you, but respect the sacrifice of those that have. Remember, we all are victims, even if we think ourselves more enlightened, or more intelligent. We are still slaves unless you were born into the "right" family.

David A. DeLong

trotter said,

"I know soldiers like to think that they are valued and honoured by the state that uses them in battle. But this is all just one big lie. Sure you'll get the sentimental gushing praising their sacrifices but it is all a sham. Once their use it over they revert to being just dross"

Some politicians like to start wars, especially under false pretenses, then provide the troops with inadequate armor and equipment; then once the soldiers retire and become veterans, put them in places like Walter Reed or deny them benefits.

-ax

"Yes the war is unjust, yes they shouldn't be there, but we still need to support the men and women that are serving"

100% correct.

-ax

America is the most warlike country this planet has ever seen. We have invaded, intervened, rescued, and in other ways used military force hundreds of times since our Constitution was written.

You have to wonder why this peace-loving nation holds the world record for military aggression.

For a reasonably complete list of all of our military adventures, go to this URL -

http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:Aqxo5kl4ptIJ:ftp.fas.org/sgp/crs/natsec/RL32170.pdf+list+of+US+military+engagements+since+WWII&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7&gl=us

manonthestreet

"America is the most warlike country this planet has ever seen"

I must admit that this is the way I see it as well. The British are also in the same category ( I am British myself). Also there is no regret at any of this. In fact just the opposite.

From a MM point of view I think it should be said that none of these war have benefited men at all. Each war displaces men and see the advancement of women at their expense.

It is all a bit late now because our frame of mind and culture are irredeemably moulded by this history. I do not think that it would even occur to the Americans and British that those who have not shared in this experience think and understand the world in a totality differently from us. Peoples who have not experienced two world wars will for ever be different from us which is why the Arabs are so distant from us and why we are bent on destroying the,