When I mention I was in the Air Force, conservatives always make a show of thanking me for my service, often interrupting and talking over me to do so. When I mention my time in the military helped inform my political views of social liberalism and democratic socialism, they scream at me that I'm anti-American and a traitor. The supposed honoring of veterans isn't about the veterans, it's about the show and puffing themselves up.

I'm a US veteran and I hate the entitlement some other vets have. I've seen people chewing out cashiers because the store didn't offer a discount. I'm confrontational enough that I remind them they fought for freedom, which includes the freedom to decide business practices, and condemning a business for not offering a discount pretty much makes them a huge hypocrite

Confusing militarism with nationalism and/or patriotism is a f*****g epidemic in the USA. And there’s no way to solve it, because I can guarantee on all that is real that the vast majority of these bigoted asshats could never come close to defining any of these three concepts, much less sound out a 4-syllable word.

The all "hero recognition" syndrom also is known to have bad consequences.

Never forget the "great citizens of this great country of ours" have gone and voted to give all of our serving members of the military so much for their monthly income that they need welfare and food stamps in order to survive.

As a vet that followed 5 other generations of vets, f the flag waivers and wannabes no shows. They need to all watch or read "All Quiet On The Western Front" The movie was subsequently banned. All Quiet on the Western Front was one of the many books burned by the Nazi Party after Hitler took power, because of its representation of German soldiers as disillusioned and its perceived negative representation of Germany.

I've read comments from soldiers complaining about how the people who want to thank them for their service while they're just trying get breakfast at McDonalds are also the ones who vote again more funding for soldiers & their families. John Stewart had to get loud & public to shame Republicans to continue to support 911 first responders.

I lived in the US for a while and came across a lot of veterans in my work around chronic pain treatments. Make no mistake, it's usually the most demonstrative "thank you for your service" people who are voting for politicians that repeatedly cut funding for veteran care. Vets don't need platitudes without action, because unfortunately care providers don't accept those "thanks for your service" gestures as legal tender when the funding gets cut off and vets suddenly can't afford the only treatment that's been helping them. But it's free to say "thanks for your service" and actually improving veteran care in any meaningful way takes effort so that's why they only do the former.

They're not patriots, they're nationalists.

It's the fact that so many vets end up homeless, the VA has such a bad rep, and more vets have died by suicide than in Vietnam that gets me. It reminds me of the people who rabidly fight against abortions and don't give a flying fúck about supporting parents in difficult circumstances or kids in the system. All mouth, no trousers.

Speaking as a Veteran, I agree with you. I also feel this way about Police officers it's voluntary no one forced you into these vocations.

In response to your last sentence: From what I've seen, military in America IS a big business.

Welcome to America

look, I talked to many vets and servicemen, one thing they all hate, is being thanked because they decided the best way to pay off student debt was to go out and kill another person that they don't even know, I am a big military supporter, I have family and friends who served, but I don't like the fact that people use my family, friends and my dead family and friends to be a peace of $hit, they put that uniform on mostly because they had to in the past and even know, if it's to pay off debt or drafted, I'm a Aussie but I still feel like $hit when I hear the reasons for why Americans put on that uniform, I knew a guy right still do, he was in Afghanistan, a Aussie leading the child sweep and clear operation, still today he can't stand crying of children, and if you thank him or ask him about his service he tells you right up to drop it, they don't do it for the thanks, they do it for their own reasons, but yet we still thank them for the truma they need to go through for the rest of

Wish I could upvote this 1000 times.

mostly vets get lip service NOT idolization

"I genuinely admire anyone that chooses to join the military to protect their country" And yet the rest of your post is about how you don't understand why other people do the same thing.