What Glory in War? / The Next Greatest Generation

by prophecor 12 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  under74

  Well, I'm just going to throw out my opinion hear. I as you stated
  
  

  There is a morbid romanticism that comes with war.

  It's not only culture (in my opinion) but a human need to see what we can endure and live through. The thing is we also have self preservation and also the capacity to not take everything fed to us by our government and media.

  As far as WWll goes, Kurt Vonnegut was a veteran of that war and still thinks it was wrong. Read Slaughter House 5. I think the veterans of WWll seemed bigger and better than those of the following wars because media has claimed they are bigger and better. Maybe that generation was made stronger because of the childhood they endured during the depression? Have you ever seen The Straight Story? It's not about WW2 but there's a scene where the lead character (a vet) stops in a bar and talks to another WW2 vet--it's heart wrenching.

  I think there are some people serving right now that are proud of serving and are strong people but I've known one Iraq vet who killed himself on leave last year and another that returned in June that just isn't the same person. He was always telling me to smile and now all he does is start fights with strangers and talk about death.
• 

  sass_my_frass

  I think it's a shame that the young people putting themselves in harms way are told a different version of the same lie that got WWI, WWII, Vietnam, Korea, and Gulf War soldiers enlisted; that they need to risk their lives for their country. I don't think it's so much of a problem that the baby boomers are realistic about war, and the delusion that going into one protects your country. Maybe the 'softness' is due to the anger of the baby boomers' youth never being translated into anything other than spending.... the sixties were noisy and provocative, but then you all grew up and bred and bought houses and calmed down.
• 

  DanTheMan

  I think that young people long for a sense of purpose, and the military is a place where many find it. I don't say that to be cynical, I would agree that often these young men and women are some of the finest human beings you'll find, although certainly not always. It's their dunderheaded leaders like Rumsfeld, Rice, Cheney and company that have got their heads up their arses.