05-05-2022, 06:33 PM
(This post was last modified: 05-05-2022, 06:40 PM by FlyingClayDisk.)
I also agree that the source of this problem is not as much a military one as a societal one. This doesn't mean that the military (Navy, or other branch) shouldn't rise to the occasion in finding solutions, but I don't believe they are the cause.
It would be interesting to see some statistics on post separation homelessness, drug abuse and suicide among active and former service persons from 1974 to 1978+/-, and compare these statistics to what is happening today, per capita. I'd be willing to bet the trend trajectories look very (very) similar.
And what's the common denominator?
Towards the end of, and following, the Vietnam War there was a tremendous up swell of liberal / socialist social movements in society. The public turned against the military, and there was a huge social gap between service members (active and/or separated) and the public. Rather than receiving public support, military service members were ridiculed and disparaged. It wasn't called "woke" back then, but it was essentially the same thing, a society of peers who thought they could do whatever the hell they wanted to do without repercussions, peers with no accountability and no responsibilities. And, let's face it, a society of peers who acted like a bunch of immature, spoiled rotten little jerks who act much younger than their real age. The culture shock for returning veterans, and even active duty service personnel, was too much for them to deal with and many of them failed to reintegrate to society as a result. Those persons became demoralized (rightfully so) and basically just gave up.
And what do we have today?? Almost the exact same environment. The military didn't change...society did. The military taught their service persons to be responsible and accountable, to be honorable. And these same people are surrounded by a society of their peers who are nothing like them, but worse a society who look down on them because they are not as irresponsible and immature, and because they don't lie, or play the "victim" all the time...and because they have honor.
It makes me want to put a boot in a whole bunch of people's collective asses!!!
It would be interesting to see some statistics on post separation homelessness, drug abuse and suicide among active and former service persons from 1974 to 1978+/-, and compare these statistics to what is happening today, per capita. I'd be willing to bet the trend trajectories look very (very) similar.
And what's the common denominator?
Towards the end of, and following, the Vietnam War there was a tremendous up swell of liberal / socialist social movements in society. The public turned against the military, and there was a huge social gap between service members (active and/or separated) and the public. Rather than receiving public support, military service members were ridiculed and disparaged. It wasn't called "woke" back then, but it was essentially the same thing, a society of peers who thought they could do whatever the hell they wanted to do without repercussions, peers with no accountability and no responsibilities. And, let's face it, a society of peers who acted like a bunch of immature, spoiled rotten little jerks who act much younger than their real age. The culture shock for returning veterans, and even active duty service personnel, was too much for them to deal with and many of them failed to reintegrate to society as a result. Those persons became demoralized (rightfully so) and basically just gave up.
And what do we have today?? Almost the exact same environment. The military didn't change...society did. The military taught their service persons to be responsible and accountable, to be honorable. And these same people are surrounded by a society of their peers who are nothing like them, but worse a society who look down on them because they are not as irresponsible and immature, and because they don't lie, or play the "victim" all the time...and because they have honor.
It makes me want to put a boot in a whole bunch of people's collective asses!!!