NY Times Editorial Board Offers Their Very Serious People Bona Fides

[douglas9]

I took a bit of a roundabout path to reading this Op-Ed from the New York Times Editorial Board. I am still seething after having first read it a couple of hours ago. It seems whichever member of the Editorial Board that authored this, thinks the military members are not “sacrificing” enough so pay and benefits need to be “on the table.” As I looked through the short bios of the various members of the Editorial Board, it is fairly obvious that few if any of them have actually had much experience of military life beyond the obligatory “I support the Troops” or “Thank you for your service” they may have uttered in an airport somewhere.

http://my.firedoglake.com/dakine01/2013/12/01/ny-times-editorial-board-offers-their-very-serious-people-bonafides/

[Victor_c3]

1. If I would have actually done what I signed up to do, I don't think I'd even want any compensation

I do realize that I was stupid to ever believe this, but I joined the military to actually make the world a better place and to help people. I was a stupid naive kid and I happily lapped all of the propaganda up and truly believed it.

As soon as politicians and people vow to never send the military into a frivolous war or a fight that was built on lies and a war that is actually about either protecting our country or actually making the world a better place, then I feel they can talk about reducing military compensation. I would have been honored to have been a part of such a conflict. However, my war was about none of that.

[unhappycamper]

2. "However, my war was about none of that. "

Vietnam, Grenada (??), Iraq, Afghanistan were all about taking the military out for a 'spin'.

Wars of choice.

With our all volunteer military, most Americans don't have any skin in the game. With the ever-eternal AUMF our President can start whatever he wants and must go to Congress within six months. Something needs to change.

[Victor_c3]

3. I hope my comment didn't get under your skin

I know how touchy a topic my military experience is to me and how I feel about my military service in Iraq. With that in mind, I don't feel comfortable making the same assessment on any other war and their respective veterans' service. I know that I fought and gave everything I had for nothing in Iraq, but I have a hard time hearing that from someone else. That is why I only referred to "my war".

Again, I sincerely did not mean to offend you or anyone else. Although I've never met anyone on this forum in real life and I wouldn't even say that I "know" anyone personally on this forum, you and a handful of mostly Vietnam veterans are guys that I look up to in a lot of ways.

Victor

[unhappycamper]

4. I was just pointing out that most military veterans over the last 20 years have had 'their' war.

Mine was Vietnam; yours was Iraq.

We have both been changed by those experiences. One result of nearly every adventure we have been on: