#030: Rad Panda

[dariuseng]

Okay, I now want a Rad plushy. Hurry up and make one so I can give you more of my money

 

[Erttheking]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

I'm an American and I was a soldier. Soldiers do a job, often selflessly for shitty wages. Heroes are make-believe. Soldiers are merely subjected to events that are more likely to create a heroic narrative. I'd rather be a soldier any day, at least then I'm not fake.

It's good Rad would rather be a hero. He's make believe too, so it suits him.

Heroes are make believe? I disagree. Oh sure you don't see many of them nowadays, but when there are people like Oskar Schindler in the world I refuse to believe that there are no such things as heroes.

What Zhukov was poking fun at is that there seems to be a rather disturbing trend in America to only see someone as a hero depending on the body count that they make. That and, I'm sorry, there is an unhealthy amount of hero worship going on with the US military, especially with all the questionable wars they've been fighting recently. Not your fault of course, but when I live in a country where I can't question some of the things the military does without people getting pissed at me, something has gone horribly wrong.

Just for the record, I don't blame the average American soldier for this, the guys at the top calling the shots are the ones who have my disdain, but the mindset that civilians set up towards the military makes me really freaking uncomfortable.

 

[Xan Krieger]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth in unison.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

As an American I just view soldiers as people with jobs, jobs that often get them thrown away for government contracts which makes me view them more as victims than heroes. They're people who wanted a job, a way to pay for college, raise a family, and they get thrown out because another senator wants money.

OT: More hypersonic teabags please.

 

[Gorrath]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

I'm an American and I was a soldier. Soldiers do a job, often selflessly for shitty wages. Heroes are make-believe. Soldiers are merely subjected to events that are more likely to create a heroic narrative. I'd rather be a soldier any day, at least then I'm not fake.

It's good Rad would rather be a hero. He's make believe too, so it suits him.

Heroes are make believe? I disagree. Oh sure you don't see many of them nowadays, but when there are people like Oskar Schindler in the world I refuse to believe that there are no such things as heroes.

What Zhukov was poking fun at is that there seems to be a rather disturbing trend in America to only see someone as a hero depending on the body count that they make. That and, I'm sorry, there is an unhealthy amount of hero worship going on with the US military, especially with all the questionable wars they've been fighting recently. Not your fault of course, but when I live in a country where I can't question some of the things the military does without people getting pissed at me, something has gone horribly wrong.

Just for the record, I don't blame the average American soldier for this, the guys at the top calling the shots are the ones who have my disdain, but the mindset that civilians set up towards the military makes me really freaking uncomfortable.

When I say that heroes are make-believe, I am talking about what makes someone a hero. Soldiers are regular people who sometimes are put in a position to do something extraordinary. Heroes are not people, heroes are stories. This point is perfectly illustrated by the very next thing you write. When Americans hero-worship the military, they aren't "worshiping" the men and women who do these things, they are "worshiping" the narrative itself, they are "worshiping" an idealized illustration, not any person. I know precisely what Zhukov was on about, which is why I made my comment. If America cared so dearly about the people and not the stories, soldiers wouldn't have to fight tooth and nail for their VA benefits. The heroes themselves are forgotten in body, many trying to scrape a life together after the service, while the tales of their deeds outlive their misery. And soldiers either know this inevitability or discover it with some experience. Service is sacrifice.

The whole reason people get pissed when you question what the military is forced to do is not because those people care about the soldiers, it's because they care about you ruining the narrative. Heroism is a tale, not a person and not even an action. Believe me, or don't, when I tell you there is nothing at all heroic about shooting other people, or about dragging around your injured buddies while under fire, or about blowing up a convoy with explosives strapped to your body. Being a hero is just about being in the right place at the right time, doing what you feel you have to do and hoping you and everyone else doesn't get killed in the process, then having those tales blown up large for an audience that wants to feel patriotic. I do not condemn people for liking heroic stories, it's natural, even helpful but I do caution about conflating the stories with the men and women who serve as their core. Heroes are myths, people are messy and soldiers are just doing a really difficult job.

 

[Erttheking]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

I'm an American and I was a soldier. Soldiers do a job, often selflessly for shitty wages. Heroes are make-believe. Soldiers are merely subjected to events that are more likely to create a heroic narrative. I'd rather be a soldier any day, at least then I'm not fake.

It's good Rad would rather be a hero. He's make believe too, so it suits him.

Heroes are make believe? I disagree. Oh sure you don't see many of them nowadays, but when there are people like Oskar Schindler in the world I refuse to believe that there are no such things as heroes.

What Zhukov was poking fun at is that there seems to be a rather disturbing trend in America to only see someone as a hero depending on the body count that they make. That and, I'm sorry, there is an unhealthy amount of hero worship going on with the US military, especially with all the questionable wars they've been fighting recently. Not your fault of course, but when I live in a country where I can't question some of the things the military does without people getting pissed at me, something has gone horribly wrong.

Just for the record, I don't blame the average American soldier for this, the guys at the top calling the shots are the ones who have my disdain, but the mindset that civilians set up towards the military makes me really freaking uncomfortable.

When I say that heroes are make-believe, I am talking about what makes someone a hero. Soldiers are regular people who sometimes are put in a position to do something extraordinary. Heroes are not people, heroes are stories. This point is perfectly illustrated by the very next thing you write. When Americans hero-worship the military, they aren't "worshiping" the men and women who do these things, they are "worshiping" the narrative itself, they are "worshiping" an idealized illustration, not any person. I know precisely what Zhukov was on about, which is why I made my comment. If America cared so dearly about the people and not the stories, soldiers wouldn't have to fight tooth and nail for their VA benefits. The heroes themselves are forgotten in body, many trying to scrape a life together after the service, while the tales of their deeds outlive their misery. And soldiers either know this inevitability or discover it with some experience. Service is sacrifice.

The whole reason people get pissed when you question what the military is forced to do is not because those people care about the soldiers, it's because they care about you ruining the narrative. Heroism is a tale, not a person and not even an action. Believe me, or don't, when I tell you there is nothing at all heroic about shooting other people, or about dragging around your injured buddies while under fire, or about blowing up a convoy with explosives strapped to your body. Being a hero is just about being in the right place at the right time, doing what you feel you have to do and hoping you and everyone else doesn't get killed in the process, then having those tales blown up large for an audience that wants to feel patriotic. I do not condemn people for liking heroic stories, it's natural, even helpful but I do caution about conflating the stories with the men and women who serve as their core. Heroes are myths, people are messy and soldiers are just doing a really difficult job.

Ah. Ok, I see what you're trying to say now. That makes a lot more sense.

I still think heroism exists, because to be a hero you don't necessarily need to be famous. You can be someone's personal hero.

 

[Gorrath]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth in unison.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

As an American I just view soldiers as people with jobs, jobs that often get them thrown away for government contracts which makes me view them more as victims than heroes. They're people who wanted a job, a way to pay for college, raise a family, and they get thrown out because another senator wants money.

OT: More hypersonic teabags please.

I'd like to caution you about treating or thinking of soldiers as victims. We agree to do what we do; we are not coerced. A lot of soldiers find that sort of thinking to be condescending as hell. I know you don't mean it like that but treating soldiers like hapless victims talks down to them. I would much rather be scrutinized for every thing I did and either loved or hated for it than be told I'm merely a duped victim. I knew what I was doing when I signed up, the good and the bad. We are what you say we are, people with jobs. I think the best thing to do is respect the sacrifices people make when they agree to do the service. You don't need to respect us as individuals just because we serve; plenty of soldiers are dirtbags. I like being appreciated for the sacrifices I made but I am not a hero, or a victim, or anything other than, as you said, a person with a job.

Thanks for reading!

 

[ArcaneGamer]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

I'm an American and I was a soldier. Soldiers do a job, often selflessly for shitty wages. Heroes are make-believe. Soldiers are merely subjected to events that are more likely to create a heroic narrative. I'd rather be a soldier any day, at least then I'm not fake.

It's good Rad would rather be a hero. He's make believe too, so it suits him.

Thank you for your service. I would respect a soldier before I would a politician. I bring this up to let you know that I respect them, I respect your service, but...you imply that heroes are fake. That real ones aren't as well. I find that adorable.

 

[Kenjitsuka]

Hero... try Bad Ass!!!

 

[Xan Krieger]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth in unison.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

As an American I just view soldiers as people with jobs, jobs that often get them thrown away for government contracts which makes me view them more as victims than heroes. They're people who wanted a job, a way to pay for college, raise a family, and they get thrown out because another senator wants money.

OT: More hypersonic teabags please.

I'd like to caution you about treating or thinking of soldiers as victims. We agree to do what we do; we are not coerced. A lot of soldiers find that sort of thinking to be condescending as hell. I know you don't mean it like that but treating soldiers like hapless victims talks down to them. I would much rather be scrutinized for every thing I did and either loved or hated for it than be told I'm merely a duped victim. I knew what I was doing when I signed up, the good and the bad. We are what you say we are, people with jobs. I think the best thing to do is respect the sacrifices people make when they agree to do the service. You don't need to respect us as individuals just because we serve; plenty of soldiers are dirtbags. I like being appreciated for the sacrifices I made but I am not a hero, or a victim, or anything other than, as you said, a person with a job.

Thanks for reading!

I don't mean to sound mean, it's just that I miss when people could join the military and fight to defend freedom, I hate to see people signing up knowing their government considers them to be so expendable. I feel genuinely bad for what it's become. I've been studying military history for the past 17 years, I love soldiers. I just wish they were treated as people meant to defend freedom instead of people meant to defend the next big military production contract. I would love for government reform that remembers the cost of any war includes the cost of caring for all those affected by it. I mean heck we've known about PTSD since WW1 when the british began investigating it. Like I said I love you guys, I just wish you were better cared for and I wish our government wasn't so bloodthirsty.

 

[Gorrath]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

I'm an American and I was a soldier. Soldiers do a job, often selflessly for shitty wages. Heroes are make-believe. Soldiers are merely subjected to events that are more likely to create a heroic narrative. I'd rather be a soldier any day, at least then I'm not fake.

It's good Rad would rather be a hero. He's make believe too, so it suits him.

Thank you for your service. I would respect a soldier before I would a politician. I bring this up to let you know that I respect them, I respect your service, but...you imply that heroes are fake. That real ones aren't as well. I find that adorable.

Sorry, not sure I follow you. Are you saying that you interpreted my post to mean that I differentiate between "real" heroes and heroes that only exist in stories? If so, that's exactly the opposite of what I'm saying. Every hero is mythological, even the ones based on real people and their real deeds. Heroism is just tales, stories told about the exploits of people, real or fake, for the benefit of the reader.

 

[DementedSheep]

Yep as well all know being a hero is abandoning everything else no matter the consequences to save deadweight. It only sounds good when its fake.

 

[Gorrath]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth in unison.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

As an American I just view soldiers as people with jobs, jobs that often get them thrown away for government contracts which makes me view them more as victims than heroes. They're people who wanted a job, a way to pay for college, raise a family, and they get thrown out because another senator wants money.

OT: More hypersonic teabags please.

I'd like to caution you about treating or thinking of soldiers as victims. We agree to do what we do; we are not coerced. A lot of soldiers find that sort of thinking to be condescending as hell. I know you don't mean it like that but treating soldiers like hapless victims talks down to them. I would much rather be scrutinized for every thing I did and either loved or hated for it than be told I'm merely a duped victim. I knew what I was doing when I signed up, the good and the bad. We are what you say we are, people with jobs. I think the best thing to do is respect the sacrifices people make when they agree to do the service. You don't need to respect us as individuals just because we serve; plenty of soldiers are dirtbags. I like being appreciated for the sacrifices I made but I am not a hero, or a victim, or anything other than, as you said, a person with a job.

Thanks for reading!

I don't mean to sound mean, it's just that I miss when people could join the military and fight to defend freedom, I hate to see people signing up knowing their government considers them to be so expendable. I feel genuinely bad for what it's become. I've been studying military history for the past 17 years, I love soldiers. I just wish they were treated as people meant to defend freedom instead of people meant to defend the next big military production contract. I would love for government reform that remembers the cost of any war includes the cost of caring for all those affected by it. I mean heck we've known about PTSD since WW1 when the british began investigating it. Like I said I love you guys, I just wish you were better cared for and I wish our government wasn't so bloodthirsty.

Oh I know, your post was perfectly well-intentioned, I just wanted to caution you that some of the phrasing you were using strikes a condescending cord in soldiers. We hear that kind of thing a lot from people who oppose war. As I"m sure you know, during and after Vietnam there was a backlash against soldiers. Anti-war people blamed soldiers personally for the horror of war. People are sensitive to that and have replaced anger at soldiers for the war with condescending pity which really isn't any better. I'd take a dose of hatred for what I did over being called a victim, as if I were some misguided babe. I don't want to come off as harsh about this because I know you meant no ill in anything you said, I merely want to give you some insight into how such well-intentioned words can come off to a soldier.

I'm with you on how bad the care is, that's why I always like to take time to ask people to look into reforming the VA system. Lots of politicians on both sides want to do it but there aren't enough voters who care enough to make a big deal about it. If you want to make a real difference, support VA reform, all it takes is making your self and your vote heard. It's the sort of appreciation that veterans really need.

Lastly, wars are always complicated affairs. As a student of military history myself, the ones we fight now are no better or worse than the ones we've fought before with regards to personal motivation and money-making. I served in three conflicts myself and there was good and bad to be had in all of them. We simply tend to see the past through a much more black and white take on things,s tripped of their emotional content. There was immense war profiteering even in WW1 and WW2.

Thank you for your sentiments and I hope you don't take my replies too harshly; it is a matter of perspectives, not an attack on your person. Cheers!

 

[ArcaneGamer]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

I'm an American and I was a soldier. Soldiers do a job, often selflessly for shitty wages. Heroes are make-believe. Soldiers are merely subjected to events that are more likely to create a heroic narrative. I'd rather be a soldier any day, at least then I'm not fake.

It's good Rad would rather be a hero. He's make believe too, so it suits him.

Thank you for your service. I would respect a soldier before I would a politician. I bring this up to let you know that I respect them, I respect your service, but...you imply that heroes are fake. That real ones aren't as well. I find that adorable.

Sorry, not sure I follow you. Are you saying that you interpreted my post to mean that I think heroes only exist in stories? If so, that's exactly the opposite of what I'm saying. Every hero is mythological, even the ones based on real people and their real deeds. Heroism is just tales, stories told about the exploits of people, real or fake, for the benefit of the reader.

I meant that I thought you thought that as the changed post now reads, that heroes exist only in stories.It's a likely incorrect one, but it's the message I got from it. And while I'm on the topic of your other work, "I do not condemn people for liking heroic stories." Oh really? Because that's sure what it SOUNDS like you're doing. People need something to believe in, or in the case of the heroes, a role model. ?There's power in stories, though. That's all history is: The best tales. The ones that last." Most of us like them, gives us someone to aspire to be. Heck, it's likely the main reason why Superman is so popular. But I digress, that's what I thought you meant. From the looks of it, you don't, so...there's that.

 

[Solkard]

So Rad is a red panda?

http://www.knoxville-zoo.org/sites/www/Uploads/images/Exhibits/panda1_709041545401.png

 

[MtnGamer]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth in unison.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

As an American I just view soldiers as people with jobs, jobs that often get them thrown away for government contracts which makes me view them more as victims than heroes. They're people who wanted a job, a way to pay for college, raise a family, and they get thrown out because another senator wants money.

OT: More hypersonic teabags please.

I'd like to caution you about treating or thinking of soldiers as victims. We agree to do what we do; we are not coerced. A lot of soldiers find that sort of thinking to be condescending as hell. I know you don't mean it like that but treating soldiers like hapless victims talks down to them. I would much rather be scrutinized for every thing I did and either loved or hated for it than be told I'm merely a duped victim. I knew what I was doing when I signed up, the good and the bad. We are what you say we are, people with jobs. I think the best thing to do is respect the sacrifices people make when they agree to do the service. You don't need to respect us as individuals just because we serve; plenty of soldiers are dirtbags. I like being appreciated for the sacrifices I made but I am not a hero, or a victim, or anything other than, as you said, a person with a job.

Thanks for reading!

I don't mean to sound mean, it's just that I miss when people could join the military and fight to defend freedom, I hate to see people signing up knowing their government considers them to be so expendable. I feel genuinely bad for what it's become. I've been studying military history for the past 17 years, I love soldiers. I just wish they were treated as people meant to defend freedom instead of people meant to defend the next big military production contract. I would love for government reform that remembers the cost of any war includes the cost of caring for all those affected by it. I mean heck we've known about PTSD since WW1 when the british began investigating it. Like I said I love you guys, I just wish you were better cared for and I wish our government wasn't so bloodthirsty.

Oh I know, your post was perfectly well-intentioned, I just wanted to caution you that some of the phrasing you were using strikes a condescending cord in soldiers. We hear that kind of thing a lot from people who oppose war. As I"m sure you know, during and after Vietnam there was a backlash against soldiers. Anti-war people blamed soldiers personally for the horror of war. People are sensitive to that and have replaced anger at soldiers for the war with condescending pity which really isn't any better. I'd take a dose of hatred for what I did over being called a victim, as if I were some misguided babe. I don't want to come off as harsh about this because I know you meant no ill in anything you said, I merely want to give you some insight into how such well-intentioned words can come off to a soldier.

I'm with you on how bad the care is, that's why I always like to take time to ask people to look into reforming the VA system. Lots of politicians on both sides want to do it but there aren't enough voters who care enough to make a big deal about it. If you want to make a real difference, support VA reform, all it takes is making your self and your vote heard. It's the sort of appreciation that veterans really need.

Lastly, wars are always complicated affairs. As a student of military history myself, the ones we fight now are no better or worse than the ones we've fought before with regards to personal motivation and money-making. I served in three conflicts myself and there was good and bad to be had in all of them. We simply tend to see the past through a much more black and white take on things,s tripped of their emotional content. There was immense war profiteering even in WW1 and WW2.

Thank you for your sentiments and I hope you don't take my replies too harshly; it is a matter of perspectives, not an attack on your person. Cheers!

I've sort of lost track of the conversation train, but I wanted to applaud you and everyone else in the chain for their civil and respectful dialog. This conversation could have turned sour at any point, but you all agreed and disagreed, argued your points, and explained your answers with excellent manners. Bravo to you all.

 

[happyninja42]

When I say that heroes are make-believe, I am talking about what makes someone a hero. Soldiers are regular people who sometimes are put in a position to do something extraordinary. Heroes are not people, heroes are stories. This point is perfectly illustrated by the very next thing you write. When Americans hero-worship the military, they aren't "worshiping" the men and women who do these things, they are "worshiping" the narrative itself, they are "worshiping" an idealized illustration, not any person. I know precisely what Zhukov was on about, which is why I made my comment. If America cared so dearly about the people and not the stories, soldiers wouldn't have to fight tooth and nail for their VA benefits. The heroes themselves are forgotten in body, many trying to scrape a life together after the service, while the tales of their deeds outlive their misery. And soldiers either know this inevitability or discover it with some experience. Service is sacrifice.

I work for my state VA office, and our job is to help veterans obtain their benefits, and frequently, the biggest hurdle to a veteran getting their benefits, are the veterans themselves. It's quite depressing actually, how many vets walk through my door, loaded to the gills on the military rhetoric they were fed while in the service, that is directly opposed to them getting benefits. "Walk it off" "Don't go on sick call, sick call is for pussies" "I didn't want to take benefits away from people who actually need/deserve it" "I didn't want to be a burden", the list goes on and on. These soldiers, were conditioned while in service, to act in a way that is directly detrimental to their benefits after they get out. They don't go on sick call for certain things, and now it's not in their medical records for confirmation when they apply after they're discharged. They don't want to seem like they're "asking for a handout", so they never bother to actually apply for anything. It happens...every...day.

If you are an advocate for veteran's rights/benefits, then please actually drag your reluctant fellow veterans to their local STATE VA office for assistance in :
1. Figuring out what benefits they actually have.
2. Applying for them.

A lot of the benefits are simply waiting for them to actually apply for them, but if the veteran can't be bothered to start the process, they will never get them.


Oh yes, and if you know anyone who is still on active duty get them to go on fucking sick call for stuff! The military has them for only a few years, the wear and tear they get from that time is with the veteran for life. But if they don't get it documented, they have a really tough (sometimes impossible) fight to try and convince the VA that the issue in question is related to time in the service, and not something that happened as a civilian.


Oh yeah, the strip was nice. It's amazing how much I enjoy Critical Miss when Erin isn't in it.

 

[PunkRex]

When I say that heroes are make-believe, I am talking about what makes someone a hero. Soldiers are regular people who sometimes are put in a position to do something extraordinary. Heroes are not people, heroes are stories. This point is perfectly illustrated by the very next thing you write. When Americans hero-worship the military, they aren't "worshiping" the men and women who do these things, they are "worshiping" the narrative itself, they are "worshiping" an idealized illustration, not any person. I know precisely what Zhukov was on about, which is why I made my comment. If America cared so dearly about the people and not the stories, soldiers wouldn't have to fight tooth and nail for their VA benefits. The heroes themselves are forgotten in body, many trying to scrape a life together after the service, while the tales of their deeds outlive their misery. And soldiers either know this inevitability or discover it with some experience. Service is sacrifice.

The whole reason people get pissed when you question what the military is forced to do is not because those people care about the soldiers, it's because they care about you ruining the narrative. Heroism is a tale, not a person and not even an action. Believe me, or don't, when I tell you there is nothing at all heroic about shooting other people, or about dragging around your injured buddies while under fire, or about blowing up a convoy with explosives strapped to your body. Being a hero is just about being in the right place at the right time, doing what you feel you have to do and hoping you and everyone else doesn't get killed in the process, then having those tales blown up large for an audience that wants to feel patriotic. I do not condemn people for liking heroic stories, it's natural, even helpful but I do caution about conflating the stories with the men and women who serve as their core. Heroes are myths, people are messy and soldiers are just doing a really difficult job.

I liked that post, I'm gonna jot that one down if you don't mind.

 

[Gorrath]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

I'm an American and I was a soldier. Soldiers do a job, often selflessly for shitty wages. Heroes are make-believe. Soldiers are merely subjected to events that are more likely to create a heroic narrative. I'd rather be a soldier any day, at least then I'm not fake.

It's good Rad would rather be a hero. He's make believe too, so it suits him.

Thank you for your service. I would respect a soldier before I would a politician. I bring this up to let you know that I respect them, I respect your service, but...you imply that heroes are fake. That real ones aren't as well. I find that adorable.

Sorry, not sure I follow you. Are you saying that you interpreted my post to mean that I think heroes only exist in stories? If so, that's exactly the opposite of what I'm saying. Every hero is mythological, even the ones based on real people and their real deeds. Heroism is just tales, stories told about the exploits of people, real or fake, for the benefit of the reader.

I meant that I thought you thought that as the changed post now reads, that heroes exist only in stories.It's a likely incorrect one, but it's the message I got from it. And while I'm on the topic of your other work, "I do not condemn people for liking heroic stories." Oh really? Because that's sure what it SOUNDS like you're doing. People need something to believe in, or in the case of the heroes, a role model. ?There's power in stories, though. That's all history is: The best tales. The ones that last." Most of us like them, gives us someone to aspire to be. Heck, it's likely the main reason why Superman is so popular. But I digress, that's what I thought you meant. From the looks of it, you don't, so...there's that.

Sorry, I will clarify my meaning. People themselves might be called a hero, their deeds may be said to be heroic but those people are not heroes in and of themselves. Heroism is not found in the people but in the narrative spun about their actions. That's why so many soldiers, when asked what they think about being called heroes, chafe under the weight of the term. I am not a hero even if someone might collect a recounting of my wartime deeds and build a heroic narrative out of them. A hero is the figure that appears in the story, a character made up of but a small portion of some of my actions. That hero is no more me than what I had to eat yesterday, a paltry sum of my total. The person that exists in a heroic narrative isn't real, that person is a myth. Heroes exist insofar as the narrative that creates them but they aren't real people. I hope that clears up what I was saying.

And if it sounds like I'm condemning this practice, I am most certainly not. Heroes might be made of myth but they serve a powerful, useful purpose. As you very rightly point out, there's power in these stories, things to aspire to. I don't know a single soldier who would say they feel like a hero though and many dislike being called one. Heroes are myth, and I, man. To call me a hero is to strip me down to a mere handful of my actions. I don't mind it really. If someone uses that myth for inspiration, fantastic, but one should not conflate the hero in a story with a real person.

Cheers!

 

[Gorrath]

The distant rumbling noise you can hear right about now is the sound of several thousand Americans grinding their teeth in unison.

"B-b-b-but those are the same thing!"

As an American I just view soldiers as people with jobs, jobs that often get them thrown away for government contracts which makes me view them more as victims than heroes. They're people who wanted a job, a way to pay for college, raise a family, and they get thrown out because another senator wants money.

OT: More hypersonic teabags please.

I'd like to caution you about treating or thinking of soldiers as victims. We agree to do what we do; we are not coerced. A lot of soldiers find that sort of thinking to be condescending as hell. I know you don't mean it like that but treating soldiers like hapless victims talks down to them. I would much rather be scrutinized for every thing I did and either loved or hated for it than be told I'm merely a duped victim. I knew what I was doing when I signed up, the good and the bad. We are what you say we are, people with jobs. I think the best thing to do is respect the sacrifices people make when they agree to do the service. You don't need to respect us as individuals just because we serve; plenty of soldiers are dirtbags. I like being appreciated for the sacrifices I made but I am not a hero, or a victim, or anything other than, as you said, a person with a job.

Thanks for reading!

I don't mean to sound mean, it's just that I miss when people could join the military and fight to defend freedom, I hate to see people signing up knowing their government considers them to be so expendable. I feel genuinely bad for what it's become. I've been studying military history for the past 17 years, I love soldiers. I just wish they were treated as people meant to defend freedom instead of people meant to defend the next big military production contract. I would love for government reform that remembers the cost of any war includes the cost of caring for all those affected by it. I mean heck we've known about PTSD since WW1 when the british began investigating it. Like I said I love you guys, I just wish you were better cared for and I wish our government wasn't so bloodthirsty.

Oh I know, your post was perfectly well-intentioned, I just wanted to caution you that some of the phrasing you were using strikes a condescending cord in soldiers. We hear that kind of thing a lot from people who oppose war. As I"m sure you know, during and after Vietnam there was a backlash against soldiers. Anti-war people blamed soldiers personally for the horror of war. People are sensitive to that and have replaced anger at soldiers for the war with condescending pity which really isn't any better. I'd take a dose of hatred for what I did over being called a victim, as if I were some misguided babe. I don't want to come off as harsh about this because I know you meant no ill in anything you said, I merely want to give you some insight into how such well-intentioned words can come off to a soldier.

I'm with you on how bad the care is, that's why I always like to take time to ask people to look into reforming the VA system. Lots of politicians on both sides want to do it but there aren't enough voters who care enough to make a big deal about it. If you want to make a real difference, support VA reform, all it takes is making your self and your vote heard. It's the sort of appreciation that veterans really need.

Lastly, wars are always complicated affairs. As a student of military history myself, the ones we fight now are no better or worse than the ones we've fought before with regards to personal motivation and money-making. I served in three conflicts myself and there was good and bad to be had in all of them. We simply tend to see the past through a much more black and white take on things,s tripped of their emotional content. There was immense war profiteering even in WW1 and WW2.

Thank you for your sentiments and I hope you don't take my replies too harshly; it is a matter of perspectives, not an attack on your person. Cheers!

I've sort of lost track of the conversation train, but I wanted to applaud you and everyone else in the chain for their civil and respectful dialog. This conversation could have turned sour at any point, but you all agreed and disagreed, argued your points, and explained your answers with excellent manners. Bravo to you all.

Thanks for saying so, it's as useful to point out good manners as it is to express them. Your encouragement is not a wasted effort.

 

[Gorrath]

When I say that heroes are make-believe, I am talking about what makes someone a hero. Soldiers are regular people who sometimes are put in a position to do something extraordinary. Heroes are not people, heroes are stories. This point is perfectly illustrated by the very next thing you write. When Americans hero-worship the military, they aren't "worshiping" the men and women who do these things, they are "worshiping" the narrative itself, they are "worshiping" an idealized illustration, not any person. I know precisely what Zhukov was on about, which is why I made my comment. If America cared so dearly about the people and not the stories, soldiers wouldn't have to fight tooth and nail for their VA benefits. The heroes themselves are forgotten in body, many trying to scrape a life together after the service, while the tales of their deeds outlive their misery. And soldiers either know this inevitability or discover it with some experience. Service is sacrifice.

I work for my state VA office, and our job is to help veterans obtain their benefits, and frequently, the biggest hurdle to a veteran getting their benefits, are the veterans themselves. It's quite depressing actually, how many vets walk through my door, loaded to the gills on the military rhetoric they were fed while in the service, that is directly opposed to them getting benefits. "Walk it off" "Don't go on sick call, sick call is for pussies" "I didn't want to take benefits away from people who actually need/deserve it" "I didn't want to be a burden", the list goes on and on. These soldiers, were conditioned while in service, to act in a way that is directly detrimental to their benefits after they get out. They don't go on sick call for certain things, and now it's not in their medical records for confirmation when they apply after they're discharged. They don't want to seem like they're "asking for a handout", so they never bother to actually apply for anything. It happens...every...day.

If you are an advocate for veteran's rights/benefits, then please actually drag your reluctant fellow veterans to their local STATE VA office for assistance in :
1. Figuring out what benefits they actually have.
2. Applying for them.

A lot of the benefits are simply waiting for them to actually apply for them, but if the veteran can't be bothered to start the process, they will never get them.


Oh yes, and if you know anyone who is still on active duty get them to go on fucking sick call for stuff! The military has them for only a few years, the wear and tear they get from that time is with the veteran for life. But if they don't get it documented, they have a really tough (sometimes impossible) fight to try and convince the VA that the issue in question is related to time in the service, and not something that happened as a civilian.


Oh yeah, the strip was nice. It's amazing how much I enjoy Critical Miss when Erin isn't in it.

Firstly, thanks for working in the VA system. I appreciate the work you do. I know well the attitude you speak of. I have expressed exactly that sentiment so many times. I don't need help integrating, save that for the guys who really need the help. I don't go to sick call, that's for shamers. Good soldiers grit their teeth and fight through the pain. ect. ect. ad nauseum. Even now I refuse to seek VA assistance for some of my issues because I don't think they are a big deal. I have a rough time watching realistic war movies and get pretty upset if I get drunk and civilians talk about the war with me (not angry at them, just general bad feelings.)

However, I did seek VA help with several of my benefits and have spent the last 10 years fighting for them. I served in three conflicts and in every one of them there was a lot that never got documented that have become lingering issues for me. It was not my choice to be ignored, it was a matter of priority with limited services at war. I did try to get in to see the medics when I could but it never happened. I was turned away because my issues were small in comparison to the guys who were really hurt.My VA home loan is worthless and despite three tours of duty, I was not grandfathered into the much improved GI bill because of when I served.

I'm sure you do good work and are exasperated by the attitudes a lot of soldiers have. We don't want to feel like a burden, like we're breaking or broken. We eschew the myths made about us while relying on said myths for comfort. But we can reform the VA system to work better even with these challenges. Sometimes soldiers are our own worst enemy and sometimes its the bureaucracy.

I'm personally involved with a group that champions VA reform. I know there are Democrats and Republicans that see the issues and there are some good reform ideas out there. We just have to get the American people involved in not just knowing there is an issue, but explaining exactly how they can help with their vote. And again, thank you for your work, without you we'd have nothing at all.