Would you say military people are more liberal or conservative, now and before the war, and what you think?

Question

I ask this for many reasons. Mainly the FOX News/ CNN. One definately swings majorly to the left and the other majorly to the right. As a soldier, civilian, and student I feel that I do not listen to any of them. I may watch my local news, BBC is very non liberal and to get my news sources I usually go to the News section on Google because they can offer mainy views about the war, politics, and etc. Would you say most military people have conservative, liberal, or pretty much non-biased views? I personally have the agenda to just say "roger" to politics because I can stay in my own lane.

Answer 1

As a Vet I would say Conservative. You get more of a real worlds view.

Answer 2

The US military is mostly a conservative institution. I know several high ranking officers, O-6 and O-7, who are very conservative, but oppose the execution of the war. The war itself is not an issue, but the way it was managed prior to the surge. The surge is perfect and it allows the troops to go after the SOBs.

A majority of the younger enlisted, E-4 and below, are more middle of the road/lib. The higher in rank, the more conservative. Army Times surveys back this up.

Answer 3

The problem with defining the military as 'conservative' or 'liberal' is because people in the military tend to believe in a strong national defense and are not afraid of guns (both views associated with conservative viewpoints).

If you were to poll military personnel on their opinions on abortion then you will probably get results that mirror those of the general population.

Now - what has been happening in the past several years is a hardening of attitudes in the military against the Democratic party and people identified as 'liberals.' People in the service see these groups has having betrayed them and as such they are going to be less inclined to listen to their viewpoints and more receptive to the viewpoints of those who oppose those two groups.

BTW cory - your analysis is too simplistic. The percentage of military personnel with at least some college education is higher than that of the Democratic party.

Answer 4

As a whole it's conservative. It's become more conservative since the war started. Don't believe me. It's a well studied subject. Since 9-11 the military has become more white, upper middle-class.

When I retired, as a part of my pre-retirement seminar, I took a Briggs-Myers Personality Test. I fell into the category that about 75% of military people fall into.

http://www.heritage.org/Research/NationalSecurity/cda05-08.cfm

Who Bears the Burden? Demographic Characteristics of U.S. Military Recruits Before and After 9/11
by Tim Kane, Ph.D.
Center for Data Analysis Report #05-08

Answer 5

I'm not sure who some of you people served with...
I'm a conservative and was a conservative when I joined the Navy at the age of 17. I believe in the nobility of these country and I also believe our values are superior. We don't multilate women or kill them for having sex outside of marriage. We don't slit the throats of gay people or people who change their religion.
I served with some people who turned out to be vey liberal. Two were my friends. One introduced me one time as to being to the right of Hitler. He didn't understand why I didn't appreciate that. His mom and older brother were welfare collecting dope smokers. He became a teacher at Penn State. His wife is Japanese and for some reason he thought that I would hate her. As you can see, even as my friend he thought some things about me that were absolutely not true. I thought his wife was great.
Another liberal friend has guns, conservative values (he won't admit it) and when the subject of politics comes up he is a Clinton Kool Aid drinker. I'm surprised that someone who seems so smart rejects researched facts for bumpe sticker banter.
Most of the people that I knew in the military have had the advantage of seeing the rest of the world. So when liberals speak of poverty, we have seen real poverty not this fake poverty in the US.
When liberals talk about universal health care, we have experienced it personally.
When liberals say that all cultures are equal, I have seen the slaughter in the streets of Karachi, Pakistan.
I find it hard for anyone with a military background to truly be a liberal.
I would like clarify one thing, the friend in Penn State has never had a problem with government making laws against whatever is the crisis of the day ie. smoking, radio listening, guns, etc.

Answer 6

I agree with your last statement of "Roger". Because soldiers should be non political in there views, soldiers follow orders, that's what we do. Did it for Bill, did it for George, and will do it for whom ever comes along after. But, i think if they are not already, soldiers by enlarge are conservative in nature. not saying all are conservative, that would be preposterous to state. but, because the profession of arms is a moral high ethical code lifestyle (Do not lie, do not cheat, do not steal) They are core values that lead to conservatism.

PS. Coragryph, so conservatives aren't educated? is this what your inferring? Because nothing could be farther from the truth, I think liberals tend to be non working dope smokers, so don't know where you got the we liberals are all educated thing LOL

Answer 7

i replace into very lots a liberal tell I connect the army and observed the international. So how great that's here evaluate to different places. Than i desperate to alter into an EMT to help human beings. After being shot at on an identical time as assisting a guy that alter into harm. The shooter theory i replace into attempting to arrest his chum. Pull somebody out of automobile that than caught fireplace and face a regulation greater healthful using fact the gal now had a scare. I have been given harden. So i found different artwork than on 9/11 I knew we've been at struggle. My friends in the provider have been going places that they could not tell me approximately some did not come back. a guy that lived some doorways down from the living house I grew up replace into killed in Iraq. refer to vets coming lower back and listening to how the clicking have been given is getting it incorrect. I grew to alter right into a conservative. i admire this united states lots of folk we do not know are in places making confident we are secure. they have memories to tell yet they are in a position to't. I submit to in suggestions others that have been on the WTC. between the staffers on the Pentagon faces to maximum yet now memories to others. we would desire to placed away the con vs lib junk. we would desire to get our heads in the game. There are actual human beings available that want to do us harm. that's not Bush, Clinton, Kerry, or Chenny. that's not approximately Bushco or enormous oil. that's approximately us staying a unfastened united states. The rants I even have heard from liberals here sadden me. they don't know the hurricane is coming we end there or wait tell it gets here.

Answer 8

The military trends conservative always. Bush's approval is down in the military as of late, but Republicans still hold a 30% lead on Demagogues. Understandable, I am a conservative veteran who has seen ineptness in Bush's policies:
Not enough troops.
Deployments too long.
Disabled vets not being treated right.
Complicated rules of engagement.
Too many soldiers prosecuted for conduct in combat.

Answer 9

Sense the early 70s, the military has been overwhelmingly conservative. In fact, when I was in, I never met a single liberal but I'm sure there were some after all, there was 2000 men in my battalion alone.

Answer 10

As a veteran myself, and hearing from many service persons- conservative. As for the BBC...politically I thought liberal...London Telegraph is most conservative than Washington Times. ABC still shocks me occasionally with a conservative viewpoint.

http://www.livestockweekly.com/papers/00/07/20/scpitts.asp
From "It's the Pitts"
"I'm thinking more of a traditional family with two parents, some brothers and sisters, a couple of grandparents, a crazy old uncle and maybe a dog. I would not waste my one wish on wealth or welfare, because a family like that can make a happy home out of any old hut."
If I were society's architect, I'd start with parents. Two of them. The father and mother roles would be played by a man and a woman, because women still make the best moms and men the best dads. This would be the basis for what used to be known as the "family unit," before the monetary unit took its place. One dedicated father and one loving mother: What a concept! The idea may be out of fashion, but it's still the best form of government ever devised and the source of greatest human happiness.
The parents would spend more time selecting their lifelong partner than they would their silver pattern, and would be willing to finish any family they started. Their long-range plans would include staying together instead of going from matrimony to alimony before the first child is born. No child of theirs would be shuttled back and forth between parents on an airplane like some piece of excess baggage. Or have their IRS deductibility argued over in court.
These old-fashioned parents would spend more time investing in the family than in the Dow and would talk to their kids more often than to their stockbroker. They'd give their children a safety net and a head start in life by teaching them a trade, manners and sportsmanship at an early age. They'd be more concerned about being a good parent and less about being a pal. They wouldn't give their kids a new car to drive to school that is better than their teachers can afford. And if a child was overly interested in things that go boom, the parents would be the first to know. Not the last.
I wonder, is it asking too much for prospective parents to realize that bringing a child into the world includes some responsibilities that should NOT be handed off to a day care center, Internet chat room, school system or penal institution?
In rebuilding the family's foundation, I'd surely want to include some brothers and sisters as building blocks. Hopefully, there would be at least two offspring so they could team to share their toys, teachers, communicable diseases and inner-most thoughts. Siblings simply can't be beat as teachers for life's most important lessons: Knock first. Clean up your own mess. Pass the gravy, please. It's always your turn to do the dishes. And family pride and respect are the best hand-me-downs.
As they've been known to do on occasion, brothers and sisters will no doubt combat, compete, compromise and tattle-tale over trivial things. And hopefully, those things not so trifling: like a brother hanging with the wrong crowd or a sister doing drugs. Sure, they can be annoying at times, but siblings guarantee two things in life: a high phone bill and a friend forever.
No family would be complete without a full complement of supporting players: grandparents to spoil the children rotten, cousins to take the place of gang members, and plenty of aunts and uncles who enjoy sitting at the folding table with the little tykes for Sunday dinners or holidays. Is there anything better than a family that's all wrapped up with one another on Christmas Day? What's the point of having a sap in the family tree or a doting aunt if they are recognized only for traveling the farthest distance to the family reunion or by their name badge?
Want to live in a better world? Then remember this: Family matters.

Can't beat "Paul Harvey" 83 y/o orphan of a cop turned radio broadcaster for ages...one of the GRAN OLD GUYS!
Hear him at www.paulharvey.com/
Liberal viewpoint for contrast:
Fynny and smart...Evan Sayet...so good that Hollywood named a movie Evan Almighty to keep people from finding him so easily on the internet!

Answer 11

Enlisted- Liberal and Conservative, more liberal towards the lower ranking, conservative towards the higher ranking

Officers: ALL Conservative.