This article caught my eye because it referenced The Sand
Pebbles and I immediately thought of the old Steve McQueen movie. I remember
watching it many years ago and being baffled... why were American troops in
China during the 1920's? It got me to digging.
That's probably the only 'value' in Hollywood's depictions of
history. While they're almost always inaccrurate and wrong in their depictions,
they can help you to catch a mood and drive you to investigate. I say this
realising that most people don't.
The article provides an interesting survey with some
thoughtful comments about the nature of military thinking and the life of the
average soldier.
For some the average soldier is a vindicated figure, a victim
of the higher-ups and their muddled thinking and misplaced agenda. While the
leadership deserves much of the blame, the 'average man' has plenty of
resources available that would tell him how military life is and what it's
really all about... if he would bother to open his eyes or listen. I know I
didn't but I was lost and brainwashed fool.
I cannot fully endorse the views of the author, indeed I'm
not really a fan of Bacevich, but this was one of those articles that made me
pause for a moment. It pulled me in and thus it's something I felt like passing
on.
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