Agrestic

OK, I've been remiss; This insight happened about three weeks ago....

Watching Weeds Season 1, (HBO), I noticed that the military was played strictly as a minor plot point. This accurately reflects the upper middle class setting of the series. Military service is something for other people.


Admittedly, the Andy Botwin character is described (accurately) in a second season episode as an "Irresponsible Morally Bankrupt Degenerate." But that is the point of my complaint, in the alternate universe of Hollywood, only useless shits (The military does teach a more economical use of language) like him are even considered "suitable" for Military service.

I'll admit, this is in accord with the Anglo Saxon military tradition, Wellington's "Scum of the Earth, who enlisted for drink." (Gee, maybe we should try that ;).

But, it represents an important social divide in our supposedly classless society. And an explanation of the apathy and unreality in the upper echelons of both parties.

That is one of my biggest personal issues, the inability of many veterans even recognize how intellectually handicapped and oblivious most Republican apparatchiks are about the military; All those chicken hawks on the White House staff are not any better (or more interested/qualified) on the real issues than your average Democratic staffer. There are exceptions, but they just prove the rules. Even John McCain; Sure, the service academies are an important part of our Military tradition, but that background handicaps people like him who have no real grasp of the issue of immediate concern to National Guard junior enlisted. They literally live in a different world than ANY he has ever experienced.