Realist,
You are such a nut job. I'm following no one "blindly" I follow orders because I know that's how the military works. I disagree with a lot of the orders I get, but I follow them, whether from my military or political leaders. For instance, here at Ft Jackson, security is screwed up. The folks running it have made some bone head mistakes that I can see through. I offer my opinion, then salute smartly and follow orders as to how I'm to conduct security.
yet you would blindly have trusted him if he said lets attack iraq or syria or venezuela or whomever. how come you realize that politicians are lying pricks but at the same time fall for their patriotic bait? no matter how poorly fabricated the allegations are against a chosen target state they just have to use the word "freedom" 3 times in a sentence and you follow their lead blindly it seems.
Realist, you're too much of a cynic, and that blinds you. I'm glad I don't have to live in your world. If you think I and those like me run around talking about how great, honest, and true our political leaders are you're sorely mistaken, quite the opposite is true. The discussion now about Don Rumsfield and the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff is hilarious, but private. Most soldiers aren't idealists, we're a bit more pragmatic. We follow orders because that what makes the Army work. There are things I won't fight for, I will draw the line on things. BUT, we follow orders even when we disagree with our political and military leaders because if we didn't NOTHING would get done, and the freedoms we value so much would never have been won for us. Most of us think that at least occasionally the politicians have a bit more altruism than your cynicism would allow for.
the average soldier does certainly NOT expect to get killed
No one EXPECTS to get killed, but the folks coming into the Army know they may have to lay their ass on the line. They aren't blind to the fact that soldiering means killing, and getting killed during war, and that war is a real possibility.
