Are we all going to be having to thank the troops the rest of our lives?

No disrespect here is meant to the soldiers. I have nothing but respect for the soldiers and everything they do but this whole blind patriotism thank the troops, god bless the troops stuff has been going on for 10 years for a war noone, not even the troops, knows what it is for. Am I going to be an 80 year old man and still be hearing god bless the troops, gotta support the troops. I mean seriously does anyone even give a crap anymore. I used to see ribbons and things like that. You dont even see those anymore. You just have to hear everytime you watch a sports game. god bless the troops. oh another christmas we have to all thank the troops for their great work keeping us safe 10 years after 9-11. Is this just the status quo now and we will just be in afghanistan for another hundred years? We will all be dead and they will still be saying gotta thank the troops. I am tired of having to hear Chris Berman remind me to just walk up to a troop and thank them becuase it will be such a wonderful moment for them. I dont need Chris Berman or anyone else telling me to thank the troops year after year. The shit is getting old and I am tired of it. This so called war has gone on for longer then either of the world wars. It is ridiculous. Does anyone else feel this way? I heard a statistic that said that 90% of Afghanistans people have never even heard of 9-11 and like 70% of them or something like that are illiterate. I just don't understand and am pretty sick of people just saying thanks to the troops but yet noone cares to know anything about the war or question why it is still going on or anything of the sort. They just go about their days and do an occasional facebook update saying thanks troops on holidays and that is about it. I have never heard one person give a explanation of what our mission is there. I just hear a bunch of bs and we are just supposed to accept it and just assume whatever they are doing there is somehow keeping the whole world safe even though noone can seem to explain what it is they are doing.

My take on it is this. We spend so much money on our military industrial complex that it would be a severe waste of money if we are not at war so the middle east has become a big sandbox for us to use all our military toys in.

"In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists and will persist. We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together." - Dwight D. Eisenhower

The Answer is "Yes".

Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Who's gonna do it? You? They have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what they know. And there existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want them on that wall, you need them on that wall. They use words like honor, code, loyalty. They use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. They don't have the time nor the inclination to explain themselves to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that they provide, and then questions the manner in which they provide it. They would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise,  pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, they don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

You are so right my friend. That is why they will not have a draft because they know the war would be over tomorrow if we had one. But as long as it is just mainly the poor fighting the war for us it is real easy for everyone to just say they "support" our troops without actually doing anything to support them.

God we can only pray that ppl like you don't live till their 80 !!!! Your best bet is to end it now or go live in Iran or some place !!!!! The feds should be looking at sites like this for gamblers they should be looking for these kinda ppl that disgrace the country that gives them the god dam right to write BS like this . Go try in your father land

Well you are the exact type of person why this country is going downhill in a hurry. Oh no, don't question anything the government does. That is not what our forefathers wanted from the citizenry at all. You need a history lesson my friend. Or just keep buying into the propaganda and live your happy little life safely away from all troubles.

Yes we will always thank our armed forces. Every single day that we enjoy freedom and liberty we have them to thank.

No its low lifes like you that bring this great Nation down !!! My father was in Korea and Nam my brothers over in Afghanistan fighting the dam towel heads so your ass can be safe on a plane or a train nor the less walking down a god dam street that why we say THANK YOU TO THE USA ARM FORCES and if you are wondering why I did't join I was born with a missing vertebrate in my back

https://thebrigade.com/2010/11/17/congratulations-to-medal-of-honor-recipient-u-s-army-staff-sgt-salvatore-giunta/

https://thebrigade.com/2010/11/24/this-thanksgiving-be-thankful-for-soldiers-working-with-others-30-hq-photos/

https://thebrigade.com/2010/10/20/photos-of-the-day-thank-you-jorge-villarreal/

This comming from someone who's from where bumfuck Illinois The land of inbreds