I'm a veteran and have never understood other vets who support chicken hawk

[kairos12]

rethugs who are dedicated to fighting to the last drop of someone else's blood and guts.

[TreasonousBastard]

1. I don't get it either.

[haveahart]

2. It's not about love of country, bravery or patriotism. It's about hating the same people and hating

the same things and talking a macho game.

[Ligyron]

11. That's about it, especially the macho part.

Vet myself.

[Loge23]

3. After putting your life on the line..

... for the very principles that the #IPOTUS seems to loathe; why support this man?

[atreides1]

4. Well?

Perhaps it's like haveahart said, it's not about love of country as much as it's about hatred! Those vets who keep supporting chicken hawks, like Trump and Pence, hate the same things...equal rights for all Americans, a system that aids the most vulnerable in American society, and helping other vets!

[n2doc]

5. Being a Vet doesn't make one immune to the RW propaganda machine

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a blanket immunity to their indoctrination.

(Obviously some are wise to it, though)

[Nitram]

6. Glad to hear you have principles, and that you live by them.

Some veterans appear to respect tough conservative talk more than real courage.

[demigoddess]

7. me neither. And endless war.

Father fought in WWII and Korea, Dad fought in Korea, he served 20 years, military brat, military wife here, and war is always hard on the US. We have disabled vets, dead vets, and clusters of disabled american children born because of war. This is something I have seen since I was 8 years old. And the stupid #$%^ Repugs start wars that cannot be won and go on forever. Costing us trillions in american wealth and that much in american lives and then people go and vote them in to do it all over again. DO NOT UNDERSTAND IT!!!

[peacebuzzard]

9. My dad fought in WWII and Korea also, military brat,

The greatest job I had later was 4 yrs. as an Army DOD translator. (Contract civilian).
The most unsettling was to assist with bringing our fallen heroes of Iraq and Afghanistan, including war dogs, for the final leg home.

[Dorn]

22. My dad was in WWII & Korea, Battle of the Bulge and others. He told us kids: NEVER VOLUNTEER

Now imagine if we had a draft, would we still be in the longest war in US history? Would there be a peace party? Would I vote to send my 20 year old children to be killed in Iraq, Afghanistan, etc ?

NEVER VOLUNTEER

[TEB]

8. Makes me wonder

[bora13]

10. they have narrow minds

and they probably didn't learn anything tangible in their service to this country.
Only that they hate people of color more than when they went in.

[cab67]

12. I didn't really get it with my dad.

He served in Vietnam. I actually understood his opposition to Bill Clinton, whether or not I agreed with it - but his support for Bush Jr., who merely dodged the draft in a different way, made no sense. Even when he ran against John Kerry.

[sandensea]

13. My guess is that the GOP has been good at concocting a false choice between "patriots" and "hippies"

When they themselves are not only serial draft evaders, they delight in sending thousands of men and women in uniform to die so their backers can become trillionaires.

If Bush and his regime were to ever see justice for what they did, I'd like to see a jury of veterans decide on their punishment (anything reasonable short of death; they should live with the consequences of what they did).

Thank you for your service, kairos.

[The Wizard]

14. Impotence, bigotry, ignorance, fear

take your pick.
Trump talks like a professional wrestler bragging about what he's going to do all enemies real or imagined.
I still talk to other vets who want to go back to Vietnam to "finish the job."

[former9thward]

25. What job do they want to finish?

[LittleGirl]

15. I live near the air force base

in Tucson and when I see those expensive and loud jets coming back from where ever, I just think, there's another 100k of jet fuel that could have given someone cancer treatment or a hospital stay or fed a few thousand families. Or fixed that awful road that is like a washboard. Or, or, or...sorry, I'm not anti-military but the amount of money we put in that bucket each year boils my blood.

Thank you for your service.

[Mr.Bill]

19. Unfortunately the USA has spent the last seven or eight decades

building a political and industrial system that makes the country prosper from war and the goods we stockpile or sell to others to fight said wars. It saddens me to say it's the #1 government supported jobs program. Eliminate the pentagon and the military industrial complex and I bet half this country would be out of a job.

Imagine if we had built this system around science (NASA was a good step in that direction), sustainable agriculture or energy, education or medical science. Instead WWII happened, and with all due respect to those that gave their lives in that necessary cause, the worst damage it did to this country is our militarization that has grown to staggering proportions compared to anything else our country does.

[LittleGirl]

24. Indeed Mr. Bill

and I agree with your response but I really don't think half the country would lose their job. Because back in the 90s, Clinton closed a bunch of bases and I lived in AZ back then too (phoenix) so I didn't see a massive change in employment.

[former9thward]

27. During the Clinton era there was a lot of "off-sourcing" of activities

military personnel used to do. Things like food, clothing, paperwork, etc. So employment shifted and did not decrease. The DOD budget increased during the Clinton years.

[BigmanPigman]

16. I would say that it could be that he attended military schools while growing up

since he was a problem child but I doubt that is the reason. It most likely has to do with Republicans being pro-military hawks for a long time.

[demigoddess]

34. one problem is that officers of the military are often of the opinion (and it is true)

that the way to make rank is in a war. No war, less chance of moving up and getting all those promotions. So military schools are yes, promoting the idea of war is good and it is a win/win for the men and they change history and go down in history as heroes. Dries me nuts too.

[Ninsianna]

17. I'm guessing that those particular vets subscribe to the other views

that this administration backs.

There is a wide variety of people who have serve, some of them it would seem are truly horrible people, despite their service. Racists, misogynists and rapists who see something in Trump that they relate to.

Didn't the real vet organizations take a stand against him? I seem to remember that they were blocked on his twitter feed. Are there any organizations that support him other than that scam one that pretended to raise money for Vets?

[broadcaster90210]

18. Indeed. That one blows me away

nt

[Permanut]

20. Another veteran here..

Mind boggling that any military or vet would support a coward. I respected the conscientious objectors and those who refused on principle, but these stool specimens are just chickenshit.

[iluvtennis]

21. Vets hit Trump on twitter about his appalling statement about Blumenthal...

Link to tweet

[Puppyjive]

23. Why they went went that way

As a vet, I try to understand what has happened to my fellow veterans and what has made them embrace Trump and the republican ideology. For those that made a career be out of the military, most of them, if educated, used University of Phoenix which is more or less online and not sure about the accreditation, but I am guessing. The career veterans end up working for defense contractors who salivate for government contracts, regardless of whether their technology or mission is required or outdated. You can't win with these people because they make a ton of money and they need the money. Their lack of education in diversity is revealed as they are some of the most racist, homophobic people I know. It scares me to think that our government is producing soldiers who think like this.

[TheMastersNemesis]

26. They Love Their Guns. Believe Obama Was Taking Them.

[politicaljunkie41910]

28. Another Vet who doesn't get it.

I have a hard time understanding how the military allows itself to be used the way they do. Now they don't have to be disrespectful to the CIC, but you wouldn't see me up there behind him smiling. Even if you're a Vet and a member of the GOP, how can you condone the sneaking around to meet with the Russians and Putin at the G20 Summit.

[Baconator]

29. I get tons of use out of this meme on my various vet / military facebook groups...

[Achilleaze]

30. republican Shame

Republican draft dodger in chief needs to shut his chicken hawk Republican mouse

[Stinky The Clown]

31. I, too, and a veteran and I agree with you.

[Skittles]

32. they hate Hillary more than they love America

[UTUSN]

33. I'm one & I get it:

As the previously great Charlie RANGEL used to say, we minority vets enlisted because we didn't have the cash for education/jobs (to get out of it) .

* Heard at (redneck/VFW/booze place) : "We do 'better' under (Rethugs)" - meaning "raking in benefits" (not true). Meaning, war mongering (by chickenhawks) makes more veterans, more demand for benefits.

* Lower income/lower education.