This is going to be a touchy subject since we Americans idolize soldiers as much as we do. So I'm going to establish right off the bat that I respect soldiers for what they done and the sacrifices they've made. This wont stop most of the knee jerk reaction I'm sure this will get but maybe some of it.
That being said, I don't think being a soldier automatically means their opinions are right. But they bring up their combat history as if that makes all their opinions right.
I was recently arguing with a very right wing old man who stated "If Obama had given us all that bail out money every American would be a millionaire right now!"
And I said "But if we were all millionaires then a load of bread would cost a thousand dollars."
"I'm a soldier and I had three tours in Vietnam and that's not how it works."
Long awkward pause because, I too, respect soldiers and I wondered if I should pursue this or just let it go.... But fuck this guy. I don't care if you're Superman, stupidity is stupidity. So I said "It's called INFLATION. The more money we have the more things cost! If everyone had ten times more money then everything would COST ten times more. It's basic economics."
The argument went on and skewed off into other subjects like how he thought the rich shouldn't be taxed at all because they give us jobs and we should honor them for that etc etc etc. But the sticking point for me was... He brought up his combat history repeatedly as if killing people in Vietnam made his opinion more correct than mine. And he got very... VERY upset that no matter how many times he brought up that he was a soldier, I wouldn't back down.
Honestly, he's not the only one. I've seen soldiers bring up that they are soldiers, their tours, etc many times as a way to establish their own credibility.
If I used my job I'd say "I'm a janitor of two years and I clean shit off walls put there by ignorant slob tourists and my opinion of economic reform is this!" See how ridiculous that sounded? That's what I feel when they try to pull their combat history into a discussion that has nothing to do with combat.
But they can do it not get called out on it.
That being said, I don't think being a soldier automatically means their opinions are right. But they bring up their combat history as if that makes all their opinions right.
I was recently arguing with a very right wing old man who stated "If Obama had given us all that bail out money every American would be a millionaire right now!"
And I said "But if we were all millionaires then a load of bread would cost a thousand dollars."
"I'm a soldier and I had three tours in Vietnam and that's not how it works."
Long awkward pause because, I too, respect soldiers and I wondered if I should pursue this or just let it go.... But fuck this guy. I don't care if you're Superman, stupidity is stupidity. So I said "It's called INFLATION. The more money we have the more things cost! If everyone had ten times more money then everything would COST ten times more. It's basic economics."
The argument went on and skewed off into other subjects like how he thought the rich shouldn't be taxed at all because they give us jobs and we should honor them for that etc etc etc. But the sticking point for me was... He brought up his combat history repeatedly as if killing people in Vietnam made his opinion more correct than mine. And he got very... VERY upset that no matter how many times he brought up that he was a soldier, I wouldn't back down.
Honestly, he's not the only one. I've seen soldiers bring up that they are soldiers, their tours, etc many times as a way to establish their own credibility.
If I used my job I'd say "I'm a janitor of two years and I clean shit off walls put there by ignorant slob tourists and my opinion of economic reform is this!" See how ridiculous that sounded? That's what I feel when they try to pull their combat history into a discussion that has nothing to do with combat.
But they can do it not get called out on it.
