a lkot of us grew up with the idea that america was always right crammed into our heads. i was heartbroken when i couldnt join the marines, it had been my goal since i was 8 years old. i pressured my uncle into training me to shoot, and give me daily PT, so i would be ready to join as soon as i could get my mom to sign the release form.
all my cousins were brought up the same way, shit even my mother served as a nurse in korea. it was a family tradition of military service. if i had the chance i would sign up now. but recruiters tell me they dont need old fat cripples, even if they can shoot real good. people who join the service do it not as the press tells you, because they got nothing else, not because they are stupid, and not because they are brainwashed. some of us were raised to WANT to serve.
the hippie dippy dingbats, the ME generation and the mindless MTV generation dont get that, all they see is low pay, hard work and dangerous conditions.
if i had been able to join, then i might have regretted having to follow the orders and carry out the policies of bush clinton bush again and eventually barry seotoro, but i would not regret joining, and none of my cousins did either.
my uncle did 3 hard tours in 'nam, and came back a little... odd... (buddhist pot growing survivalist with a weird passion for exotic weaponry) but even he didnt regret service.
when he got back to the US he told me stories of douches who would throw shit at him from their cars if he wore his uniform on the street, shouted curses from hippies, and rejection by the VFW for several years.
anybody who pisses on a vet for bein a vet deserves the asswhoopin he gets. you may not like the policies they caarried out, but theres a good bet they hated the policies too. differnce is, they didnt shrink from the hard choices.