Am I the only one thinking this?!?

[NautilusWolf]

Oh boy, here comes a rant.
I have noticed (my observance. Don't hate.) that oftentimes U.S. Military service members are the most recognized in American society, but very under appreciated (teachers, police officers especially, etc). Why is that? Sure, we have two holidays dedicated to those who served, but how often do we thank them? For F@$K'S sake, some people protest their FUNERALS. My father and his two brothers served in the Navy during the Gulf War, their dad was a Marine about to be deployed to Vietnam (we eft before he could deploy), his dad stormed Omaha beach on D-DAY, and a colonel in the confederate forces during the American Civil War. I just don't understand. Hopefully someone could clarify. If you read this and are a veteran, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!!!!!!!

[Armalite_]

I'm pretty sure its because the government is a corporate business. Military power is the core value of defending American values so military service is deeply rooted into mainstream culture whether some Americans like it or not. Your country was founded on war and has dropped more bombs than any country in the world (which is where a lot of the money is required to continue doing). However, this doesn't mean they don't appreciate veterans only because they don't get PAID more. I think there's A LOT of voiced appreciation in America (and I can see why) but not seen so much in the terms of monetary value.

The government doesn't direct funds into anything that doesn't earn them more money or authority somewhere else. It doesn't go into healthcare, schools, social improvements, or municipal governments let alone military veterans who fight or used to fight for them. It goes into national security, military technology, failing car companies, and oil resources.

Everyone else is paid "enough" to keep their jobs or at least give them a reason to have one. I can't count how many articles and videos I've read and watched of regular working class people in America getting their wages cut IN HALF or losing their jobs during a "recession" while a war is going on somewhere else.

A Javelin missile costs $80 000. The guy shooting it doesn't make that much in a year and he's shooting it a guy who will never make that much in his entire life over political and social unrest. Something seems wrong about that. At least to me. 

[anoni]

  There's many reasons why soldiers aren't idolized as much today. For one, today we live in a society that values peace over war, we want cooperation and less conflict (in general). Soldiers are people that choose to go to war (it's not forced on them) and so to a lot of people who do value peace, the soldiers are directly opposing their belief in a peaceful world, by choosing to aid in the support to war. Now, a lot of soldiers don't actually go to war, but instead participate in international aid, which most people are ok with, but a lot of soldiers do go to war. For them, why should they thank or support someone who has chosen to fight in another country that they didn't want anyone to fight in?

  The latest US wars have been shifty at best, the war on terror in Iraq and Afghanistan broke numerous UN violations that the US initially helped start, it was an illegal war. I dunno if the war has done much to protect the United States from terrorism, but it has created an extremely paranoid atmosphere in the US, where people are willing to have their government observe all their online activities in order to stabilize this supposed threat. It's almost undeniable that a very large reason the US went to war in the first place was for oil, considering the first non-military building they built in Afghanistan was an oil pipe. The whole thing with Syria and so forth, just makes the US unpopular with the global population, these wars aren't for protection, but to increase economic growth and power of the US, which is not really the way to go if you want less conflict.

  The US does thank soldiers a lot though, the two national holidays (TWO national holidays) is a big example of that. The Soldiers do get paid a decent amount, privates are only payed $18,000 a year (but this is only for the first two years), while staff sergeants are payed $35,000. Officers are payed a considerable amount more, around $35,000 - 70,000. This is on top of food, weapons, equipment and so forth that the solider gets. This is only basic pay, but there are a few other things such as bonuses, special pay (for special duty officers), drill pay (for reserve soldiers) and allowances for living expenses.

  So that would be my reason why soldiers aren't absolutely idolized, but I do believe they are thanked somewhat in the US.

  EDIT: As for protesting at funerals, as far as I know that's mostly Westboro church, that's a totally different (and depressing) reason altogether.

[NautilusWolf]

Quite honestly, I think that the highest concentration of verbal thanks is on those holidays, because we are expected to. It doesn't seem to me that the genuine thanks are given on most days other than those within the small timeframe surrounding them, and that's what gets me. Now I don't pay attention to politics and whatnot, but I definitely have noticed that the U.S. Has done some things under question. I for one cannot judge because I am in no place to speak on that matter because I am not in the position as such of our national leaders. My main gripe in the rant was that soldiers are, for example,being paid less to defend a country while we spend millions on the NFL alone. I for one support the country as what is considered a "patriot." My ambition in life is to serve in the Navy as a corpsman. In general, it seems that soldiers are taking the brunt of frustrations towards the government, or as you said, we seek peace and no longer idolize our military as it used to be. As a disclaimer, this rant was purely my own observations in my local settings. I cannot speak for other parts of the U.S. I meant not to challenge anyone's beliefs, or say that the American public is unappreciative, but it seems the sincerity is most counted when there's a holiday saying we should say thanks. Just my own little rant. I love this country, and I intend on serving to continue my family's history of service.  I love the U.S.N.