Memorial Day is a strange day here in the 'States. It's a day set aside for the remembrance of the glorious fallen on which many people go to the beach or drink beer with friends. I don't begrudge people their fun- Americans have the least amount of vacation time in the developed world, it's a rare day off for overworked, undercompensated people. Hey, I myself am going to meet some friends I haven't seen in a couple of months for lunch. Duty to friends is even more laudable than patriotism in these strange days, with a strange government in place.
As far as the true message of Memorial Day goes, I typically defer to Eric Bogle, who wrote the definitive song for the fallen soldier. What could I add to his incredible tribute? What could anyone?
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It simply makes no sense. Most US wars were wars of choice, freedom hasn't been seriously threatened by an external force since 1814, and our 'fallen' have oddly all died on foreign soil. And yet we not only tolerate this repeated engagement in endless wars, we sloppily worship all things military even as our democracy crumbles.
It is infuriating, but it is ultimately a self-inflicted wound...
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