Life.

Editor,

The fundamental flaw in Americans' understanding of self-sacrifice and civic contribution is the assumption that military service is the most virtuous endeavor an American can undertake.

It is not surprising that Americans think this way since 55% of discretionary spending by the U.S. government goes to the military, some $600 billion a year, more than all the other countries on Earth spend on all their militaries combined.

The USA is always at war somewhere on this planet, if not directly then via proxies or attempting clandestinely to destabilize and topple governments. War is glorified interminably in the USA. Debates are always in progress whether country A or country B should be bombed, sold weapons, sanctioned, or embargoed.

Americans address international disputes with war, domestic disputes with guns.

Police deploy tear gas, tasers, rubber bullets, bean bags, audio canons, pepper spray, and other weapons to injure people demonstrating; shoot unarmed black kids who they say shot at them; gang-beat who-knows-whom for who-knows-what; bash in doors in night raids; fly into a rage at the drop of the hat.

Millions of Americans are armed to the teeth with every kind of weapon you can imagine short of rocket launchers and bazookas. Violent ideation is completely out of control in the USA.

Believe it or not there are civilized societies on this planet that value contributions by and thank teachers, nurses, firefighters, park rangers, homeless helpers, drug counselors, mental health professionals, daycare workers, and many others who give of themselves to help individual people live a better life.

Re: "A Cup of G.I. Joe" (11/02/2014)