You Just Want to Be On the Side That's Winning

William Astore on society's veneration of the modern American warrior.

"Ever since the events of 9/11, there's been an almost religious veneration of U.S. service members as 'Our American Heroes' (as a well-intentioned sign puts it at my local post office). That a snappy uniform or even intense combat in far-off countries don't magically transform troops into heroes seems a simple point to make, but it's one worth making again and again, and not only to impressionable, military-worshipping teenagers."

Astore is ex-military, a history professor, and often willing to cut the military too much slack. He makes some fine arguments in this essay but doesn't deliver the knock out blow. Neo liberals like Astore hold out for miracles and redemption in an agonizing wait for the military mindset to get it right. Eisenhower was the last great general and he had to wait for his sunset to speak the truth.

Astore gets a B minus on this one.


TS