Why are wounded veterans considered war heroes/charity cases?

[Lavender Lilac]

Here's a fun fact that you may find surprising: both of my parents are US military veterans. Neither of them went to war or were injured, but they served their time.

Anyway, I was reading NPR today, to better be a hardcore leftist, and in this blog entry (oh god what has happened to my news?) about a reality TV show, someone left this comment:

How about the producers just take ALL of the money they spent putting this together, and help some real Wounded Warriors to make their homes accessible? Or perhaps use the money to educate children of Gold Star families? Is there anyone more deserving of our money and attention? I think not.

<Shaking my head. />

It got 12 "likes", had me thinking, and reminded me of soooo many other times where I have heard similar sentiments expressed. What's the deal with this? I'm not arguing that these are poor causes to contribute to, but I can think of lots of people that are more deserving of charity funds and attention.

Like orphanages, Africa, abused animals and the persecuted gnomes of the Dark Reflection.

Treating these people (and anyone who serves in the military, really) as either a hero or a charity case seems like glorification of war to me. When someone is injured in war, they get money for like the rest of their lives. Tax money. My money. Your money. And if they die, their family gets a kinda big amount of money (plus whatever life insurance they had). So they're already getting money, and it's already coming from us. Why does everyone feel a need to share this weird pseudo-sympathetic attitude with the world? The military doesn't need more attention, their sob stories are already shoved down our throats.

I guess it's my fault, for seeking out feel-good politics; this just isn't my brand.

[Struwwelpeter]

To say that your parents "served" without going to war is a bit of a stretch. If you didn't go to war, you basically got paid to do pushups.

[benny vader]

Becos their the signs of weakness and defeatism, which are both the traits of feminism, which is a something that your [american] society praises, whoreships, idolizes ....

and put on the altar of family value.

Our Reverend Brother Jimmy had gone on long and deep into this topic already sometime ago. Dig up his old poasts.

[LSA King]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

Here's a fun fact that you may find surprising: both of my parents are US military veterans. Neither of them went to war or were injured, but they served their time.

So are mine. My family has a long history of military service. It was once a prestigious thing for people to do and lately has become a sorry excuse to abuse the poor sections of society. Used to be a near requirement for politicians who wanted to excel.

Anyway, I was reading NPR today, to better be a hardcore leftist, and in this blog entry (oh god what has happened to my news?) about a reality TV show, someone left this comment:

NPR is shit, don't know why you would torture yourself with that place. They're one of the worst MSM outlets with there howty-towty attitude. Pretty decent comment if you ask me. Very reasonable and not asking for much.

It got 12 "likes", had me thinking, and reminded me of soooo many other times where I have heard similar sentiments expressed. What's the deal with this? I'm not arguing that these are poor causes to contribute to, but I can think of lots of people that are more deserving of charity funds and attention.

Like who? I mean surely no foreign nation deserves charity from America until America has taken care of its own, am I right? I mean, get your own house in order before taking care of the world is my view. With regards to other charity cases, that is left up to individual interpretation. Everyone is going to say one is more deserving than the other. Why not treat them all equally. If you need help you need help regardless of what the problem is. You can rate things based off severity but in the end someone is going to be screwed by the wait time. Do YOU want to be that individual that plays god making that decision? It's a tough situation to be in and if you're ever put into a situation like that you might find it harder than you think.

Like orphanages, Africa, abused animals and the persecuted gnomes of the Dark Reflection.

Again see above. Why the FUCK would you take care of foreigners when our own nations people are suffering? Tens of millions in poverty, millions of homeless, tens of millions more living under poverty, and tens of millions unemployed in just America alone. It makes no sense to me. Right now you're saying Americans are not worth more than Africans. Granted a lot of Africa's problems is the West involvement through Government and Corporations pillaging the resources, but it doesn't change my perspective.

Animals are already starting to get more rights than humans, they're fucking animals, and while I don't support animal cruelty, what you're saying is your nations humans serving in the military are worth less than starving foreigners and animals. That's a great argument.

Treating these people (and anyone who serves in the military, really) as either a hero or a charity case seems like glorification of war to me.

I agree, you're an idiot to glorifying war and I refuse the notion and cringe hearing people babel about being a "War Hero". It makes me sick personally and a lot of former servicemembers. That is where the line is drawn. You haven't been in the military and neither you or your parents have seen combat. By far caring for your Veterans isn't glorifying war. It's the Government and the citizens of the nation taking care of the men and women they willingly put into a war zone. Remember government is run by the people. If you feel the government does its own thing then you need to stop them. Everything they do is considered the 'will of the people'. What I'm saying is you put them there as much as the President did.

When someone is injured in war, they get money for like the rest of their lives. Tax money. My money. Your money. And if they die, their family gets a kinda big amount of money (plus whatever life insurance they had).

It's not quite as easy as you think. You don't just get paid for being injured. You have to manually put in that processes and it's a long hectic one that the government doesn't make easy. The percentage of payments vary and are not nearly as much as you think. I know people that have been crippled and got less than 50% because the VA sees your legs as being separate from the rest of your body and judges your disability accordingly. You don't just get paid for getting injured, you have to fight for it.

If you die, you get two options. A lump sum or a monthly check. The monthly check will allow you to drain the full SGLI allotment (mind you in which Soldiers on meager wages PAY INTO). If you get the lump sum it's automatically cut in half, just like the lotto. The government invests that money with there Wall Street buddies, that's how it works just like Social Security and all other investments. It's not "free money". It's partly money from a system in which we paid into.

Oh and getting third-party life insurance, ughh that's why they created the SGLI. Have fun going around finding a insurance company that is willing to gamble with you joining the military going into a hostile zone to not get killed. They are greedy fucks, but they aren't idiots.

So they're already getting money, and it's already coming from us. Why does everyone feel a need to share this weird pseudo-sympathetic attitude with the world? The military doesn't need more attention, their sob stories are already shoved down our throats.

Again, IF they are getting money. You speak as if this is automatic and that everyone in there mother knows about it in the military and or does it. That's a misunderstanding at the very very least. The money you might get also varies as I said. It could be a $100 a month to $2,000 depending on your percentage and the system to gauge that is fucking unreal. I've seen guys with full blown PTSD getting 100% and people who've been shot, had shrapnel, and lost parts of there limbs get under 50%.

Nobody is asking you to sob over the military. Stop reading MSM propaganda if you feel that's what you're supposed to do. Most military and Vets don't ask for shit, so who are you to judge them collectively?

I guess it's my fault, for seeking out feel-good politics; this just isn't my brand.

No, it's your fault for reading/listening to NPR. That place is like cancer and feel-good politics doesn't exist. You should never feel good about politics in general. Politics should horrify you and make you sick at the same time. Nothing good comes from it.

[Lavender Lilac]

Why would you measure worth in dollars?

[FoodStamps]

they laid it out on the line defending your country, something ur bitch ass, having kids and not raising them, pussy ass self wouldnt dream of doing

[FoodStamps]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

Here's a fun fact that you may find surprising: both of my parents are US military veterans. Neither of them went to war or were injured, but they served their time.

they are not veterans

[Lavender Lilac]

Originally Posted by FoodStamps

they are not veterans

are too

[FoodStamps]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

are too

nope, not unless they went to war, they are not. They dont not have to be injured but at least they have to go to war to be considered veterans.

[Fox Paws]

How are they any more worthy of charity than abused wives or homeless people? I personally wouldn't donate to either cause, but my point is people make charities for all kinds of shit. Wounded vets attract sympathy. That's all it comes down to.

I do think it's funny though that you think abused animals rank higher than real live human beings who don't have legs anymore on the charity scale. You got your priorities way out of whack. I don't wanna hear your fucked up justifications or anything, I just think you're a disgusting person and should die.

[Lavender Lilac]

We define personhood differently. I think it's fucked up that you would think me fucked up for this. Does that make me a hypocrite? Sometimes I wonder

Animals have feelings, too.

[neosade]

I totally agree. Almost every single soldier I know has told me that they joined the military simply so that they could kill people legally. The other ones said they joined so that they could have the training to "fuck people up". It makes me sick when people want to give charity to these types of people. Mostley woman ive noticed are the ones who are all about there army guys. You stupid bitches, You know jack shit about whats really going on in your boyfriends head

[Malcolm Equis]

All wounded military veterans should commit ritual seppuku.

[Proots]

That's a good question.

I mean, I don't know a whole lot about human psychology or the human condition. This is going to be made very obvious once you read my thoughts on it, so don't be too critical.

I think it's because these wounded veterans put themselves on the line completely. Everyone who signs up does, yes - but, they went out and basically crippled themselves for their country. If that's not deserving of at least some kind of comeuppance or restitution, I don't know what is.

Just my 2 cents, though. I'm kinda with you, I don't really understand it either.

[ArmsMerchant]

Originally Posted by FoodStamps

nope, not unless they went to war, they are not. They dont not have to be injured but at least they have to go to war to be considered veterans.

Bullshit, and fucking egregious bullshit at that.

Anyone who served in the military, regardless of where they were stationed, is a veteran.

I hope the next veteran you encounter kicks your ignorant ass.

[Fox Paws]

Maybe the guys who did payroll and graphic design and all that other gay shit for the military are technically veterans, but I have no respect for them

[jkim4007]

Glorifying veterans ≠ glorifying war.

[mizled]

Were it not for our founding fathers willingness to take arms and go to war, we'd all still be speaking English.

[Struwwelpeter]

Originally Posted by ArmsMerchant

Bullshit, and fucking egregious bullshit at that.

Anyone who served in the military, regardless of where they were stationed, is a veteran.

I hope the next veteran you encounter kicks your ignorant ass.

What an angry, violent and fearful person you are...

I am glad that the DA wants you to do hard, paint-thinning time in one of America's finest ass-fucking facilities. Someone like you has no business whatsoever existing in the same realm that my little babies learn and play in. I'm a concerned mother and I want you in jail. And if you don't like it, FUCK YOU, because the Oxygen channel told me that I don't have to answer to you anymore. Deal with it

[p6867]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

Here's a fun fact that you may find surprising: both of my parents are US military veterans. Neither of them went to war or were injured, but they served their time.

Anyway, I was reading NPR today, to better be a hardcore leftist, and in this blog entry (oh god what has happened to my news?) about a reality TV show, someone left this comment:



It got 12 "likes", had me thinking, and reminded me of soooo many other times where I have heard similar sentiments expressed. What's the deal with this? I'm not arguing that these are poor causes to contribute to, but I can think of lots of people that are more deserving of charity funds and attention.

Like orphanages, Africa, abused animals and the persecuted gnomes of the Dark Reflection.

Treating these people (and anyone who serves in the military, really) as either a hero or a charity case seems like glorification of war to me. When someone is injured in war, they get money for like the rest of their lives. Tax money. My money. Your money. And if they die, their family gets a kinda big amount of money (plus whatever life insurance they had). So they're already getting money, and it's already coming from us. Why does everyone feel a need to share this weird pseudo-sympathetic attitude with the world? The military doesn't need more attention, their sob stories are already shoved down our throats.

I guess it's my fault, for seeking out feel-good politics; this just isn't my brand.

when you die, your next of kin only get 100k. That sounds like a lot of money, but it's not enough to offset the financial burden on your family to be down a bread winner. How long would that last your baby mother and her 2 kids zek?

For this reason most servicemen take out a 250k dollar life insurance policy that, when i was in, cost 25 dollars a month. Now we're left with 350k dollars. You must now make this money last until your kids are grown. Were you planning to send your kids to college? you probably aren't now. The free housing you had as a service family, that's gone. Odds are you've moved to a different part of the country where you have no ties, now you can either try to get a job in the area you've been living in, or you can go back where you came from. Either way, you need to find a job, someone to watch your kids, because you're a single parent now. It's a huge burden and i totally understand people donating to that.

You want to donate to other stuff? go right ahead. It's charity, you can donate to whatever cause you feel is worthwhile.

[Lavender Lilac]

Originally Posted by p6867

when you die, your next of kin only get 100k. That sounds like a lot of money, but it's not enough to offset the financial burden on your family to be down a bread winner. How long would that last your baby mother and her 2 kids zek?

For this reason most servicemen take out a 250k dollar life insurance policy that, when i was in, cost 25 dollars a month. Now we're left with 350k dollars. You must now make this money last until your kids are grown. Were you planning to send your kids to college? you probably aren't now. The free housing you had as a service family, that's gone. Odds are you've moved to a different part of the country where you have no ties, now you can either try to get a job in the area you've been living in, or you can go back where you came from. Either way, you need to find a job, someone to watch your kids, because you're a single parent now. It's a huge burden and i totally understand people donating to that.

You want to donate to other stuff? go right ahead. It's charity, you can donate to whatever cause you feel is worthwhile.

$350,000 comes out to about 12 years of pay, making roughly $30k per year. That's more than I've ever made, and it's certainly enough to live off of. Being adults, the people who have lost spouses in war are, in general, capable of working themselves. So they've got that $350,000 to last them until they can find a job, and if it takes them more than 12 years to find a job they aren't really trying to find one. And honestly, just because you have one of the two adults working in the military does not mean that the other people gets to not work. Both of my parents held jobs while I was growing up.

I'm sorry, but if families are getting $350,000, then I can't understand why it would be worthwhile to give them even more money when there are families that have much, much less. Parents die all the time, and some of these people that die don't have life insurance, and their families are not getting big checks just because the parent that died had a government job.

My mom raised my brother and I alone, and while we were kids she made roughly $25,000 - $35,000 per year. Why did no one donate to my family?

[ThunderDownUnder]

I used to be a legend, then I took an arrow to the knee.

[Fox Paws]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

That's more than I've ever made, and it's certainly enough to live off of.

Yeah but that's because you don't support your children

[Lavender Lilac]

Originally Posted by Fox Paws

Yeah but that's because you don't support your children

No, it's because in my line of work I currently make about $23k per year. If I supported my children, I imagine I would make the same amount of money.

[curioushat]

Because they attract sympathy?

You can look at it two ways.

First, the guys who fight in the war wanted to be there. That's noble and they deserve sympathy and applause. <-- Most people

Second, the guys who fight in the war wanted to be there. They're aggressive bloodthirsty dickheads and they got what they deserved. <-- You

[Fox Paws]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

No, it's because in my line of work I currently make about $23k per year. If I supported my children, I imagine I would make the same amount of money.

How stupid are you? Jesus

I didn't mean that caring for your children would magically earn you more or less money. Why would that make any sense? Use your brain. I meant that whatever you make is enough for you personally to live on because you don't have the responsibility of raising your kids.

Imagine if your salary was cut in half just feeding them and buying them clothes and shit like that. Plus you would have to pay your bills on that salary as well. And that's not even including college expenses for when they grow up.

Actual loving parents need money to support not just themselves, but their children as well, that's the point I was trying to make

[Lavender Lilac]

Originally Posted by Fox Paws

How stupid are you? Jesus

I didn't mean that caring for your children would magically earn you more or less money. Why would that make any sense? Use your brain. I meant that whatever you make is enough for you personally to live on because you don't have the responsibility of raising your kids.

Imagine if your salary was cut in half just feeding them and buying them clothes and shit like that. Plus you would have to pay your bills on that salary as well. And that's not even including college expenses for when they grow up.

Actual loving parents need money to support not just themselves, but their children as well, that's the point I was trying to make

Either you edited your post or my brain did not register the part of my quote that read: "and it's certainly enough to live off of." Calm down.

Did you not read the part of my post that you quoted, that said my family growing up (2 kids, 1 parent) survived on $25k - $35k per year? I understand inflation has happened since then, and the cost of living has increased, but I know families that live on $35k per year or so.

Anyway, even if you spend $70k per year raising a family of 3, the money the families of dead soldiers get ($350k) is enough to support them for 5 years. Surely the adult in that situation will be able to find a job in 5 years. To me it seems like these people donating to the families that have lost members because they decided to sign up for war feel that those families should be able to live comfortably without working a day in their lives again, and that's just silly. People die, and that's terrible, but life goes on and the survivors need to learn to become economically productive members of society if they intend to maintain their high standards of living.

The people receiving handouts already are the last people that deserve more handouts.

[Fox Paws]

I didn't edit my post.

[Lavender Lilac]

Then I misread it, sorry.

[p6867]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

Either you edited your post or my brain did not register the part of my quote that read: "and it's certainly enough to live off of." Calm down.

Did you not read the part of my post that you quoted, that said my family growing up (2 kids, 1 parent) survived on $25k - $35k per year? I understand inflation has happened since then, and the cost of living has increased, but I know families that live on $35k per year or so.

Anyway, even if you spend $70k per year raising a family of 3, the money the families of dead soldiers get ($350k) is enough to support them for 5 years. Surely the adult in that situation will be able to find a job in 5 years. To me it seems like these people donating to the families that have lost members because they decided to sign up for war feel that those families should be able to live comfortably without working a day in their lives again, and that's just silly. People die, and that's terrible, but life goes on and the survivors need to learn to become economically productive members of society if they intend to maintain their high standards of living.

The people receiving handouts already are the last people that deserve more handouts.

See, the way it works is, we join the military. the people you elect as a member of our population chose to send us to war. We are the living embodiment of our nations decision to use force. You, the people of america chose to send us there to kill and die. We decided that when you choose to kill people, we'll be the ones to do it so you don't have to. Now, other people can debate the rights and wrongs of these wars, but I join to kill the enemies of my nation as decided by the people elected by my fellow americans.

If i'm killed in the process, it's nice to know that you guys will help my family out, since now i can't, because i was doing the fairly dangerous job that you guys told me to. I'm certain this does a fair amount to alleviate the guilt people feel over deciding to get lots of young men killed in their name.

[Lavender Lilac]

Originally Posted by p6867

See, the way it works is, we join the military. the people you elect as a member of our population chose to send us to war. We are the living embodiment of our nations decision to use force. You, the people of america chose to send us there to kill and die. We decided that when you choose to kill people, we'll be the ones to do it so you don't have to. Now, other people can debate the rights and wrongs of these wars, but I join to kill the enemies of my nation as decided by the people elected by my fellow americans.

If i'm killed in the process, it's nice to know that you guys will help my family out, since now i can't, because i was doing the fairly dangerous job that you guys told me to. I'm certain this does a fair amount to alleviate the guilt people feel over deciding to get lots of young men killed in their name.

It's always been hard to apply rationality to subjective psychology, or psychological processes.

[mizled]

Originally Posted by p6867

See, the way it works is, we join the military. the people you elect as a member of our population chose to send us to war. We are the living embodiment of our nations decision to use force. You, the people of america chose to send us there to kill and die. We decided that when you choose to kill people, we'll be the ones to do it so you don't have to. Now, other people can debate the rights and wrongs of these wars, but I join to kill the enemies of my nation as decided by the people elected by my fellow americans.

If i'm killed in the process, it's nice to know that you guys will help my family out, since now i can't, because i was doing the fairly dangerous job that you guys told me to. I'm certain this does a fair amount to alleviate the guilt people feel over deciding to get lots of young men killed in their name.

And the mature and rational among us understand that and appreciate you, your sacrifice, and your service.

[Lavender Lilac]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

It's always been hard to apply rationality to subjective psychology, or psychological processes.

I have no idea what I was trying to say here. This is why you should not post drunk, people.

I'd like to say more on the subject, but I'm busy atm so I'll have to keep this short.

The people that tell you to kill people may be elected officials, but they keep the people that elected them in the dark about exactly who and why you kill. It's foolish to believe that they are always sending you off to work for the public good of the world at large, especially when so many politicians are bought by special interest groups.

People who are sent to war certainly are making a sacrifice, but who exactly is it that is benefiting from your sacrifice? Sending you to war is costing us, the citizens, money that we cannot afford to lose. There are of course instances where wars can improve important economical functions, but the way things are now your wars are gigantic money sinks. To me it seems as though we are ALL making sacrifices for causes that benefit a select few, at least for the time being. The war in Afghanistan may have been beneficial to the United States and the world at large, but the debacle in Iraq began under false pretenses and has cost the average citizen more than what they get in return.

If you feel that you are fighting for the greater good, then I would call you deluded. The United States is disliked the world over for very good reasons, and it's because we send people like you overseas to fuck shit up for other people to benefit either the US citizens (rarely, these days), or the very rich world citizens. Maybe some of what you do does help to maintain the American way of life for us Americans, but there is a world beyond the United States and those people and cultures are no more or less important than any of us. I'm very lucky to have what I do, which is more than what most do, but we should view the human population as a whole and work to share what we have instead of hoarding it and fucking each other over to stay ahead.

We don't need KFCs and Starbucks on every street corner, and I would be willing to give up much of what I have if it would improve the lives of people that have it worse than me.

You have an "us vs. them" mentality, and I'm certainly not innocent of hurting others deeply for personal gain, but at least I have aspirations beyond maintaining the status quo. I have faith that humanity can be so much more.

And mizled, I don't appreciate being called immature and irrational just because I disagree with you. At least you're being nicer than you should be, though.

[mizled]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

I have no idea what I was trying to say here. This is why you should not post drunk, people.
...
And mizled, I don't appreciate being called immature and irrational just because I disagree with you. At least you're being nicer than you should be, though.

How odd.
I describe a garment, you try it on and complain about how it fits.
An action which in your case is ironically quite fitting.
- 2 more rep points.

Stop being mundane.

[benny vader]

Originally Posted by p6867

see, the way it works is, we join the military. The people you elect as a member of our population chose to send us to war. We are the living embodiment of our nations decision to use force. You, the people of america chose to send us there to kill and die. We decided that when you choose to kill people, we'll be the ones to do it so you don't have to. Now, other people can debate the rights and wrongs of these wars, but i join to kill the enemies of my nation as decided by the people elected by my fellow americans.

If i'm killed in the process, it's nice to know that you guys will help my family out, since now i can't, because i was doing the fairly dangerous job that you guys told me to. I'm certain this does a fair amount to alleviate the guilt people feel over deciding to get lots of young men killed in their name.

好铁不打钉, 好男不当兵.

[psychomanthis]

Propaganda, it's a powerful thing.

[p6867]

Originally Posted by benny vader

好铁不打钉, 好男不当兵.

I don't speak foreign.

[benny vader]

Originally Posted by p6867

I don't speak foreign.

roughly translated ;

good metals don't end up as thumbtacks,
good men don't end up as jar heads.

[Lavender Lilac]

Originally Posted by mizled

How odd.
I describe a garment, you try it on and complain about how it fits.
An action which in your case is ironically quite fitting.
- 2 more rep points.

Stop being mundane.

Am I in the negative yet? How exactly does this work?

[mizled]

Originally Posted by Lavender Lilac

Am I in the negative yet?
How exactly does this work?

Don't be negative, life's a beautiful thing.

It works quite well.