- Joined
- Dec 28, 2016
It always puzzled me that the regular US citizens have a major appreciation for the US military, but never had a single big parade during Memorial Day, or even just a general appreciation point and parade for people to be able to watch on TV from the Nation's Capital.
Heck, the UK has both the Remembrance Sunday procession down Whitehall and the Trooping of the colour, which usually has a military procession from Buckingham Palace to the Horse Guards Parade Grounds via The Mall. Never mind the world famous (and globally minded) Edinburgh Tattoo, which includes combined military marches down through the streets of Edinburgh several times a day.
Even on top of all that we've got Armed Forces Day (has been going since 2008 ) who's main site and parade rotates every year, with the Picturesque Seaside town of Llandudno having the honour of the official parade this year.
Meh. The cult of the military is absolutely out of hand in the US. I say this having myself served a few decades ago.
Yes, military service is a thing to be respected, but here it's either demonized completely or worshiped without question, and both approaches are unhealthy. I expect this is also true in the UK, though I haven't been there since the 90s and so I'm operating off of old information.
Don't like the purposes to which the military is put? Vote differently. The military is, has, and should be subservient to the civil authority which we - in both nations - elect. Don't like silly hippies blaming the military for being what we tell it to be? Get mad at the sun for rising. Hippies are gonna be with us forever, no matter how many condoms we sell. Let them throw fits, it makes precisely zero difference to the way things operate. Hell, they're just part of the sideshow, really.