Unfortunately it's a byproduct of the US's quasi-deification of those who serve in the military. One really has to be a part of the club to really get it, I gue

Unfortunately it's a byproduct of the US's quasi-deification of those who serve in the military. One really has to be a part of the club to really get it, I guess. For those whose past generations have made it a tradition of serving, yeah, it's a big deal. But those who know no one that's served, obviously not so much. And then there's the angle that you bring up: those who enlist generally are those with fewer skills to offer the marketplace and thus choose the safe government-supported route. Which isn't a bad thing, that's just how it is. Of course you're going to get downvotes from this crowd for not pussyfooting around the issue and saying how it really is. I too see it as absurd to worship the ground that veterans walk on, especially when it was their choice to be put in harm's way. It's not my fault you fell for all the war-is-glorious propaganda and then came home a fractured mess (the ineptitude of the VA is another issue).