Do we honor the troops too much?

[Tom Sweetnam]

I am disgusted with the tax breaks we have bestowed on military people. They now get exempted from property & income taxes. Not only do they live off the tax payer, but now they are not burdened by being a tax payer.

You made a typo. "disgusted" should read "disgusting"

 

[Tom Sweetnam]

They do have a very proud military history. They love their guns over there too.

Maybe they don't respect their military much.

The Fins are strange people, not much given to emotional display of any kind. I think "stoic" understates the fact. I'm sure they admire their Winter War soldiers, they're just not given to expressing it.

 

[Saigon]

American troops and power were the reason you in Finland were not under the Russian thumb. Hell, you might well have joined your Estonian cousins as being part of the USSR.

Finland did have a tradition of military courage before its "Finlandization".

Um.....no they weren't.

Seriously man - I do not expect anyone to know a great of Finnish history, but I would expect people to know more than that.

 

[Saigon]

They do have a very proud military history. They love their guns over there too.

Maybe they don't respect their military much.

The Fins are strange people, not much given to emotional display of any kind. I think "stoic" understates the fact. I'm sure they admire their Winter War soldiers, they're just not given to expressing it.

They are admired and respected, of course, but then I think most Finns also respect doctors, nurses and teachers.

I wonder if this is why our education system is so much more effective than that in the US, i.e. that teachers feel respected and valued in society.

 

[Meathead]

American troops and power were the reason you in Finland were not under the Russian thumb. Hell, you might well have joined your Estonian cousins as being part of the USSR.

Finland did have a tradition of military courage before its "Finlandization".

Um.....no they weren't.

Seriously man - I do not expect anyone to know a great of Finnish history, but I would expect people to know more than that.

I know enough of the Cold War to know that Finland was effectively neutered. Finnish soldiers did not have to protect their own country because, as in WWII, they proclaimed neutrality and invested nothing at all in the fall of the communist block. They were effectively protected by NATO without a single contribution.

Tell me of you read on Finland's role in the Cold War.

 

[Saigon]

Meathead -

Far from "not having to protect their own country" Finland actually fought TWO wars against the Soviet Union (The Winter War, The Continuation War), and in doing so became the only country to defeat the Soviet Union on the battfield (in the Winter War).

Finland was never neutral (you may be mistaking Finland with Sweden) but originally sided with the Nazis in order to repel the threat of Soviet invasion, and then switched sides to the Allies late in the war when that threat was neutralised.

This is not "how I read it" - it's simply what happened.

 

[Unkotare]

I respect soldiers.
...

But particularly in the US, there seems to be a culture in which soldiers are treated with a reverance [sic] denied other professions.

Since you are not a US citizen, the appropriate step for you to take now is to SHUT THE FUCK UP AND MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS. If you must do something, take a moment to thank your lucky stars your also-ran country is an ally of the United States. Leave it at that.

 

[Delta4Embassy]

Don't honor our troops at all. We make a lot of noise with our mouths, but that's not honoring anyone.

Wanna honor our troops, raise their pay scales, simplify medical/dental/psychological services in and after they get out, quit throwing them away in pointless wars for oil, or at the very least quit lying to them about what it's for. At least give them the chance to willingly risk their lives for oil. But lying to them about why they're fighting when the lie is so blatant is no where near honoring them.

 

[Meathead]

Meathead -

Far from "not having to protect their own country" Finland actually fought TWO wars against the Soviet Union (The Winter War, The Continuation War), and in doing so became the only country to defeat the Soviet Union on the battfield (in the Winter War).

Finland was never neutral (you may be mistaking Finland with Sweden) but originally sided with the Nazis in order to repel the threat of Soviet invasion, and then switched sides to the Allies late in the war when that threat was neutralised.

This is not "how I read it" - it's simply what happened.

Liar: Finland and Finlandization History Today

Imagine how different the world would be today if the rest of Europe were Finlandized. Subservience to the Soviet Union is nothing to brag about and the sooner you let this topic go, the better you'll look.

 

[Saigon]

Meathead -

It really makes sense that you would know much more about Finland and Finnish history than anyone in Finland. Especially when you led by mistaking us with Sweden.

 

[ogibillm]

'Support' for the military was turned into a cause celebre after 9/11. Either you were constantly professing your love for the troops or you were accused of not supporting them at all. Then you have jackasses like tom sweetnam that want to claim people hate vets and the military and use military support or the perceived lack as a weapon, which basically means that for public figures and organizations you have to make a sideshow out of military support, and even that won't keep the idiots from spouting off.

So I'm with delta, we don't honor the military too much, we give them too much lip service and make too many empty gestures

 

[Mr Natural]

A lot of the support for the troops comes from the fact that they work cheap.

Start paying them the kind of money that big city cops make and you'll see that support disappear.

 

[Meathead]

Meathead -

It really makes sense that you would know much more about Finland and Finnish history than anyone in Finland. Especially when you led by mistaking us with Sweden.

Do you really need for me to copy and paste "Finlandization". I certainly did not coin the word.

Anyway, from Time magazine on the suggestion Finlandization being a solution for the Ukraine:

Walk on eggshells, make an art of balancing your policies with the big bear overshadowing your country. Base your foreign policy on pleasing the neighbor. Zip up your lips and define journalistic facts with political relativism. Or even better: avoid cognitive dissonance by adopting a world view from the ideology next door. Make a virtue of necessity, diplomatic wisdom and negotiation skills, and build on the surrounding reality (as defined by your political leaders who know what’s good for you).

That was the famous Finland Example, a.k.a. Finlandization.

Finlandization Is Not a Perfect Recipe for Ukraine - TIME

Others take their sovereignty more seriously.

 

[Saigon]

Meathead -

Finlandization has nothing whatsoever to do with World War Two, The Winter War nor the Continuation War. It refers to the extension of Soviet hegemony into Finland that largely took place during the 1960's and 70's.

I'm sure you are going to post another majestic oratory to display your immense knowledge of Finnish political history, but you might want to check a few basic details first.

 

[Saigon]

A lot of the support for the troops comes from the fact that they work cheap.

Start paying them the kind of money that big city cops make and you'll see that support disappear.

I'm curious....how much to "big city cops" make?

You may be right about salaries for troops....I know I'd want a hell of a lot of cash to go to Afghanistan or Iraq myself.

 

[Unkotare]

I don't remember the last time I heard anyone talk about honoring nurses, teachers or the police...

Because you don't live in America. They are rightly honored all the time. Butt the fuck out.

 

[Unkotare]

Don't honor our troops at all. We make a lot of noise with our mouths, but that's not honoring anyone.

Wanna honor our troops, raise their pay scales, simplify medical/dental/psychological services in and after they get out, quit throwing them away in pointless wars for oil, or at the very least quit lying to them about what it's for. At least give them the chance to willingly risk their lives for oil. But lying to them about why they're fighting when the lie is so blatant is no where near honoring them.

So, "honoring" them involves adopting your fucked-up leftist views in every instance? Yeah, maybe not, Herbert.

 

[whitehall]

PTSD is a fraudulent scam to camouflage the incumbent democrat party as well as the liberal media's treasonous agenda to destroy the Military mission in Afghanistan and Iraq. Pretend that the Troops and Veterans are infected with a PTSD mental disability and turn victory into a humble excuse .

 

[KissMy]

Military, teachers, nurses, police, and all the other pussies you stupid fat old farts honor can Kiss My Ass. Those jobs are not difficult or dangerous & definitely not worth all the praise & my tax dollars I am forced to honor them with. Loggers, fisherman, farmers, iron workers, power linemen, aircraft pilots, trash-man, roofers, carpenters, slaughter house workers, etc all have far more important, dangerous & demanding jobs than any of your idols.

 

[Skull Pilot]

Someone has to honor the troops because the fucking politicians that waste the lives of our brave men and women on unjust "wars" that are nothing but political games of brinksmanship certainly do not.