By guest author Ross Caputi
Veterans enjoy a special status in American culture. By cultural definition alone, they are regarded as heroes. And on Veterans Day we celebrate these heroes without question.
But is this tradition of Veterans Day sensible? Were the wars that our veterans fought truly heroic? Did they “serve” anyone besides the 1%?
Consider my own experience as a veteran of the occupation of Iraq, for example.
Did I defend America? No. There is now ample evidence that Bush lied to America to justify invading Iraq, which was never a threat to us.
Did I help Iraqis? No. I helped destroy the city of Fallujah during Operation Phantom Fury in 2004, in which we killed several thousand civilians, forced 200,000 people to become refugees, and caused a major health crisis.
Was my time in the military a “service” to anyone? Yes. I drove convoys to help government-contracted construction companies make a fortune in Iraq. I helped non-Iraqi oil companies gain access to Iraq’s resources. I tested new weapons in combat situations for weapon manufacturers, which led to large government contracts (paid for with taxpayer dollars), large profits for the weapons manufacturers, and a lot of death and destruction for Iraqis. I “served” the 1%.
Do I deserve free college or free health care because of what I did while I was in the military? No more than any other human being deserves free education and free health care as a right. I certainly did not earn the right to education and health care by participating in an illegal and immoral occupation.
Ross Caputi