Why is it that Americans have seemed to forget what a war is like?

Question

I know I'm young but I'm very patriotic and this is something I have wondered for a while. There have been less than 4,000 deaths of Americans in Iraq and everyone is saying how terrible the war is, how we should pull out (in my opinion that would make the war a complete waste we should finish the job), and I have even heard people comparing it to Vietnam. Vietnam had over 50,000 soldiers killed in it. Vietnam had even more people opposing it than the war in Iraq so it would seem people would be grateful we arn't fighting a war were we are losing 4,000 soldiers in a month or two. So how is it that in 30-40 years so many people forgot what it takes to win a war?

For the people who seem to think that I feel that it's no big deal that 4,000 Americans have died their wrong. I love America and those who will die for it so please don't think that I don't care. And for the person who told me to join the military I want you to know I plan to join the Air Force after I graduate this year.

To the woman that says I'm just a kid and naive. Do you know me, my heart, or my mind? Who are you to assume what I know or understand? Or do you think just because I don't buy into the liberal media that I'm naive? It's true I'm young at the age of 17 but a lot of times I feel that people three times my age think they know everything because they watch CNN everyday. Maybe it's the old naive people that should listen to the younger generation. Remember it will be us who fix the problems of this country.

Answer 1

I'm going to join the Navy in a few months, just as my entire family has, and in my opinion, the worst part of this war is the lack of support. I have spoken to parents of MIAs and KIAs (they're upset, but overwhelmed with pride, don't let their efforts be in vain, if they didn't believe in dying for the cause, they wouldn't have been over there) and my uncles VOLUNTEERED during Vietnam. Another uncle and a few cousins just came back and told me what the press neglects to mention, that we are building schools with high walls so that girls can go to school, too without getting shot. The vast majority of them are HAPPY we're there, I've seen the pictures.

Anyone who's ever watched Spiderman knows that with great power comes great responsibility, and oh, how quickly we forget that if it weren't for another country stepping in to help us in our FIRST "civil war", we'd all be preparing for high tea and crumpets. THIS IS THEIR REVOLUTION WITH A BETTER REASON. OURS WAS BECAUSE OF TAXES, SADAAM AND HIS GOVERNMENT KILLED HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF HIS OWN PEOPLE. When you put in a new government, you need to watch it for a while. Last time we didn't police a country's new government, we got WWII. When we stayed in Germany through the nineties, they became peaceful enough to host a World Cup! If the other people on here don't want to fight or police, they don't have to. There's no draft, so SHUT UP.

The few good and responsible people left in this country and I will use the power of the most powerful country in the history of the world to help others rather than twiddle our thumbs and play with ourselves. If you don't want to fight, then don't, but allow me.

I leave you with a final question. What, other than cowardice, inspires you to think your freedom is more valuable than someone elses? The guy who wrote this question is right on. I'll be in the Navy and proud to serve on the same side as him.

Frightening Note: The vast majority of spelling and grammatical errors on this question are comitted by those that oppose the war. Just an interesting coincidence I noticed.

Answer 2

Being a good patriot does not have to mean buying into everything your government does is right. Our job as citezens is to question our system and maybe say that the 4000 people who died fighting for a bunch of crazy muslims in some **** country is not the best use of our resources, as well if anyone here is a real patriot maybe they think that the 1 trillion dollars bush's vendeta war has cost every year could have been much more useful spent in our own backyards, did anyone ever think of the millions of poor people living in all our backyards should have bin helped before going to shitty iraq. They dont like us anyway, watch combat stories on military channel filmed by actual soldiers and then youll realize that what you see on cnn is propaganda created to sucker people like you in. And Im not a hippy, i got no problem kickin *** but wasting our boys to help these bastards is wrong. And by the way, this war is just like vietnam, these terrorists will never stop blowing themselves up, we already won the war but this insurgent crap will always happen, and a huge percentage of them come from coalition countries, they could me your neighbours so if you want to help, keep your eyes open in america for the next pschyco muslim.

Answer 3

Americans were more community-oriented, and they actually gave a crap about their government back then. Now, all most of them care about is what directly affects them. If you even listen to most of them talk, they have no facts that didn't come from the media. They cannot carry on an educated conversation without saying something that proves they have no idea what goes on outside our borders. I honestly pay little attention to the general population when they talk.

That said, 4,000 deaths is still 4,000 deaths higher than I would like to see. I honestly don't believe we should have ever entered Iraq, but now that we have disrupted an otherwise stable country, it is our repsonsibility to restabilize it.

Now there's also this crap that the soldiers have to deal with on a constant basis (i.e. reporters in the field, geneva convention violations, human rights activists...). It's absolute BS. Political correctness and being nice have FAILED; it's the soldiers' job to GET THE JOB DONE, and no politician should get in their way! If the politicians had done their F'in jobs in the first place, our soldiers would still be at home.

Answer 4

You have provoked many opinions, young patriotic one. Mine is after 1947something, Americans started givin away the farm. People started gettin it for free("the American Dream") and they still want it today. Uncle Sam in now Auntie Samantha with ample bosoms to supply "it". I read allot about history and back in the day Americans use to work for a dream, not suckle one. If a person whines hard to the media they get what they want, eventually. Politicians are almost like a nanny comforting a crying child that wants "it". They use the media to feed the people that want "it" shoot even tell people it's good for you.To bad allot of Americans don't dream but expect "it"to be handed to them. Keep on asking the questions, you'll get answers, keep the ones you want. Some won't be good for you.

Answer 5

I'm afraid that many people actually do remember what war is like, and that's why we want our troops out of Iraq and home where they belong.
Iraq was a mistake to begin with, as Saddam was no threat to the United States, had nothing to do with 9/11, and did not harbor the terrorist.
We also remember that this war is similar to North Korea and Vietnam, in the fact this is a war we cannot win.
We are not fighting any organized army or group, and the so-called mission is unclear, and we cannot impose a government based on democracy to those that don't want it.
When you say we should finish the job, just what job are you refering to, when even our leaders don't have a clue?

Answer 6

WAR

is a word used to provoke you into submission

if you are very patriotic, THESE are some words that should mean a great deal to you:

Edward R. Murrow:
We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.

Henry Steele Commager:
Men in authority will always think that criticism of their policies is dangerous. They will always equate their policies with patriotism, and find criticism subversive.

Hermann Goering:
Naturally the common people don't want war; neither in Russia, nor in England, nor in America, nor in Germany. That is understood. But after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.

Howard Thurman:
During times of war, hatred becomes quite respectable, even though it has to masquerade often under the guise of patriotism.

James Baldwin:
I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.

Mark Twain:
Each man must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong, which course is patriotic and which isn't. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide against your conviction is to be an unqualified and excusable traitor, both to yourself and to your country, let me label you as they may.

Mark Twain:
The government is merely a servant -- merely a temporary servant; it cannot be its prerogative to determine what is right and what is wrong, and decide who is a patriot and who isn't. Its function is to obey orders, not originate them.

Sinclair Lewis:
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.

Theodore Roosevelt:
To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. (1918)

William O. Douglas:
Restriction of free thought and free speech is the most dangerous of all subversions. It is the one un-American act that could most easily defeat us.

Answer 7

The last generation which had to fight and endure a world war are in their 80s. The veterans of that war are dying at the rate of 1,000 per day. And, even during that world war, there were hints of the dissent and moaning you see today regarding our operations in Iraq and Afghanistan. I recall seeing some of the letters sent from the mothers and other loved ones of the men who died on Iwo Jima. Letters sent to Admiral Chester Nimitz who headed up that operation. Hateful letters spewing forth all sorts of nastiness at the Admiral and his family.
It's been over sixty years since that last total war. And some genius decided to invent the "instant on" switch for TV sets. So, we no longer have to wait for tubes to warm up and reward us with picture and sound. Like Pavlov's dogs we've been conditioned to getting things instantaneously. Even our street protests have the same generic chant:
What do we want? (Fill in the blank). When do we want it? Now!
The really sad thing is that the Salafist Jihadists who are our enemies in this war know that. Most of them are western educated and the sons of well-off families. They know it may take generations to rid the planet of the Jahili world and bring about Dar-Al-Islam. And they have an edge because they are not hobbled with rules of engagement or bothered by protestors.

Answer 8

well sir, the truth is people, not just americans, are generally not to good at recalling anything in there lives, and then they only see the end reslut, and forgret the struggle, and when it comes to war, 99.9% is struggle. I to are amazed at how many people jump on the band wagon that the media runs wether its for the war or against, it's what ever is popular, and they go with it, until it's not popular in the Media, then they go with that. but in the End, as with the Civil war and WWII, to wars that for some reason people think where "good" wars, and that everyone was patriotic and all was as one in thought and deeds, is totally wrong. the Civil war tore this country apart, not just north and south, even the north protested, had violent riots where dozens where killed at a time, the Papers where full of anti war, anti -Lincoln, anti anything., yet when the war ended, everyone after a few years and talked of how patriotic they where, and how we all pulled together. Like WWII, the pull together spin is just that, there where riots against the war, some anti govermenyt and anti america going to war media people where locked up for the duration, and there stories sqelched after the war, it just had to be , for the good of the nation as a whole some times to have to do, if not the enemy is helped through such detrimental views being broadcast, that could undermine and endanger our own nation and troops. the goverment knew even back then, that the media is run by many (not all) irresponsibloe people, with idealic points of view, who generally believe, the US is always wrong, and the president is personally killing your little boys, in a war, about money,oil or some other commercial motive. (same media spin for every war, even the American revolution, was only supported by lest than 35% of the colonist). Free press is a good and a bad, and hard to believe but is nessessary, but yet sometimes they need to shut up, and let the war be a war, not some reason to debate agendas and tear down our own system or way of life. they need to just report the news, leave opion out of it. stop supporting the Enemy, and realize those people have no respect for them. as for the American people, sometimes where just to diverse, to contrary for our own good. All wars are bad, there has never been, nor will there ever be a good war, war is Hell, and people think they can make sense out of Hell, Hell means Caos, which means confused destruction. war is totally illogical, yet sadly often nessesary, when all else fails, and I just like to remember who says there for or against it, and then se how they cnage later on if we win or loss, People are so " go with the crowd", and need to start thinking for themselves not what the 24/7 news tells them to think and support.

Answer 9

Losing 4,000 brave American soldiers for a just cause is one thing. Losing them while they police a civil war is another. I wish you had the opportunity to talk with a mother, father, wife or husband of someone killed in Iraq. You could tell them what you wrote above. I'm sure it would mean so much.

I was around when we were in Vietnam, and I can tell you that the police action in Iraq is much the same. I hope you will put your money where your mouth is and join the military. Maybe a jolt of reality is what you need.

Answer 10

there are no winners in war, and even in the past, winning was a propaganda tool that not everybody fell for, and I'm not falling for it now. i find it sick and disgusting that you think because we lost 4,000 lives as opposed to 50,000 that we're doing good. You also fail to mention the human lives of the Iraqi people, innocent women and children lost in the war. You have not even see the real footage of how they're treated, it's not broadcast on our stations. Sorry if I'm not 'grateful' for it.