"My Son Serves So You Can Be Free"

[Sunstone]

Yesterday, I passed a car on the road with a bumper sticker that said, "My Son Serves So You Can Be Free".

I thought there were a number of things wrong with that sticker. For instance, in an age when the US is more likely to send soldiers into combat in order to secure an economic empire, rather than to destroy any existential threat to the US, just how accurate is it to say "My son serves so you can be free"? Wouldn't it be somewhat more accurate to say, "My son serves so Haliburton can make a profit"?

In other words, while the average service member might be of the opinion he or she is serving their country, aren't they at least as much serving the interests of war profiteers these days?

What do you think?

 

[Madhuri]

I agree with you, but you can't really tell that to the people who are involved in the military.

 

[sandandfoam]

It's a lie.

Maybe the boy believes it. Whether or not he does it's a lie.

 

[LuisDantas]

Isn't there a degree of intentional self-delusion there? At least since the Vietnam War there were people claiming that the USA freedom was being defended, and at that time it was already a puzzling claim to be made.

I get the impression that North Americans are just way too confortable with their own military, to the point that they both need and resist letting go of it to a serious degree. Military expenses have become a major (perhaps even THE major) force in Economy, yet there is no excuse for that. These days there is no true rival to the US military power, yet the expenses and avoidable conflicts just keep mounting up. World War II involved far less military might than is now kept and researched as a matter of course with basically no justification at all.

The only way I can make some sense of it is by reminding myself that the lure of being a mighty, fearsome soldier is powerful indeed. Quite frankly, I think that there is a serious and historical lack of common sense in the US approach to the Armed Forces. Some major, major backpedalling is sorely needed by now.

 

[Gunfingers]

There's plenty of people on these fora in the military, so clearly he can.

And anyway, while some results of our current conflicts are benefiting defense contractors it's unrealistic to claim that that's what they enlisted for. I go to school with a lot of people in the service and reasons for enlisting have ranged from "college money" to "I wanted to help the people in Iraq and Afghanistan". No mention of Halliburton or KBR.

 

[sandandfoam]

Some major, major backpedalling is sorely needed by now.

I agree - the warrior cult in the US is very worrying. It needs to be dropped.

 

[Sunstone]

There's plenty of people on these fora in the military, so clearly he can.

And anyway, while some results of our current conflicts are benefiting defense contractors it's unrealistic to claim that that's what they enlisted for. I go to school with a lot of people in the service and reasons for enlisting have ranged from "college money" to "I wanted to help the people in Iraq and Afghanistan". No mention of Halliburton or KBR.

I'm confused. Has anyone said that American service members are enlisting with the desire or intention of making record profits for Haliburton or KBR? Did you read the OP closely?

 

[Alex_G]

"My Son Serves So You Can Be Free". Free of bad service..maybe he's just a top notch waiter...

please leave a tip if you like low quality, forced out jokes!

 

[Requia]

How about "My son serves so he can get a six figure salary as a mercenary."

 

[dmgdnooc]

Yesterday, I passed a car on the road with a bumper sticker that said, "My Son Serves So You Can Be Free".

I thought there were a number of things wrong with that sticker. For instance, in an age when the US is more likely to send soldiers into combat in order to secure an economic empire, rather than to destroy any existential threat to the US, just how accurate is it to say "My son serves so you can be free"? Wouldn't it be somewhat more accurate to say, "My son serves so Haliburton can make a profit"?

In other words, while the average service member might be of the opinion he or she is serving their country, aren't they at least as much serving the interests of war profiteers these days?

What do you think?

Google 'War is a Racket'.
November 1935, General Smedley D Butler ret USMC; one of the US's most highly decorated soldiers (2x awarded the CMH).
'I spent 33 years and 4 months in active service .... and during that period I spent most of my time being a high-class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer for capitalism.'
He had 'helped in the raping of half a dozen central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street.'
　
So what makes you limit the observation to 'these days'?

 

[MSI64]

Am not sure how my time in Rwanda stopping the massacre helped big business nor my time in Bosnia?? Does it protect our freedoms at home?? Probably not, did it help the peoples of those countries??? Yes it bloody well did. I went to Iraq because I was told to as did every other soldier. I went to help my mates and to stabilize a country that was heading towards disintergration and had a Dictator who had played the "I'm armed to the Teeth" card just once too often. Im a firm believer that we did the right thing there. I for one did not want to take the chance that Saddam had WMD. None were found, but I am glad we did what we did. Afghanistan. Why am I going??? Again because I have been told to. is it right to be there? Again the answer in my mind is yes. And before anyone says it,I have looked into why we are there and I have made up my own mind.
Am I a mercenary? No I dont think so The security of my country doesnt stop at the borders!

 

[sandandfoam]

The security of my country doesnt stop at the borders!

Indeed. Perhaps if it had it would not have given the world Saddam and the Taliban.

US foreign policy has made the world a dangerous place in recent years.

 

[MSI64]

Indeed. Perhaps if it had it would not have given the world Saddam and the Taliban.

US foreign policy has made the world a dangerous place in recent years.

Im a Brit mate so I agree with you, however what do we do??
rectify the mistakes we make or just hope for the best? and before you say it we did interfere in the first place so we please dont use the arguement of "it wouldnt have happened if we hadnt got involved?"

 

[Oberon]

Wouldn't it be somewhat more accurate to say, "My son serves so Haliburton can make a profit"?

Not if the purpose statement is descriptive of the son's desires. In other words, the english can clearly be read to mean "my son serves, and his expressed purpose in serving is the freedom of americans." In fact, "My son serves so Haliburton can make a profit" would be far less accurate, because even if (for the sake of argument) the only effect of the son's service is a profit for Haliburton, he did not sign up for that effect, and therefore his purpose in serving (the so-statement) is unchanged.

 

[sandandfoam]

Im a Brit mate so I agree with you, however what do we do??
rectify the mistakes we make or just hope for the best? and before you say it we did interfere in the first place so we please dont use the arguement of "it wouldnt have happened if we hadnt got involved?"

I don't know what we do. I think the aim should be to get the troops home asap with as many of them alive as possible.
But I think it's a lie to portray professional soldiers as crusaders for freedom.
You know that soldiers join up for a million reasons - because their dad's did, because their mates did, because they couldn't get a job, because they like wandering about outside etc etc etc
This notion that 'we' are free because of the armed forces is not true. And fostering a warrior cult is not healthy. Waaaay too Prussian.

 

[MSI64]

If we didnt harbour this culture, the world would be a worse place in my opinion. Dont ask why a person joins,ask a soldier why he stays? trust me the money aint great and after a couple of tours the idea of it being a steady job goes out of the window. I have stayed for 17 years because I believe in what I do, as do most soldiers.

 

[sandandfoam]

I have stayed for 17 years because I believe in what I do, as do most soldiers.

I don't think anyone is disputing that.
My point is that I do not accept I nor anyone else are 'free' because of what soldiers are doing right now anywhere in the world.
Like your job as much as you want but do not expect me to be beholden to you nor to refrain from objecting to how your political masters choose to use you.

 

[sandandfoam]

If we didnt harbour this culture, the world would be a worse place in my opinion.

I disagree, fostering militarism is not healthy. I think the Germans offer conclusive proof.

 

[linwood]

If we didnt harbour this culture, the world would be a worse place in my opinion. Dont ask why a person joins,ask a soldier why he stays? trust me the money aint great and after a couple of tours the idea of it being a steady job goes out of the window. I have stayed for 17 years because I believe in what I do, as do most soldiers.

But do you believe you were/are defending the freedoms of your countrymen by fighting in these wars?

If so..how?

 

[MSI64]

I also dont like the way my Govt uses the Armed Forces.
However do you really consider that there is a non Military solution to everything? your freedoms at home are secured by your military standing on the world stage. I look at having an Military as having insurance, you never want to use it but you sure as hell dont want to be without it.