> the military is glorified by civilians.
> It's almost unpatriotic to criticize it
I think that's because many people are unable to separate the idea of criticizing the decisions the military makes, or the fact that we're at war in ${Country}, from having respect for the courageous men and women willing to be soldiers.
You can see the same divisive narrative in the discussions of Bad Behavior by Police in the US (any criticism is derided as "hating the police", rather than opposing behavior), or in the discussions about Snowden's revelations.
Loving and Supporting someone doesn't mean that you agree with their behavior, nor does it mean that you don't hold them responsible for poor/illegal/destructive choices. I can hold deep respect for our soldiers and the jobs they do, while still feeling that we should not be sending them to kill/die in remote locations, or while criticizing the way we treat our enemies in prisons. For many people, they seem either unable or unwilling to take a nuanced view like that.
Comments
You can see the same divisive narrative in the discussions of Bad Behavior by Police in the US (any criticism is derided as "hating the police", rather than opposing behavior), or in the discussions about Snowden's revelations.
Loving and Supporting someone doesn't mean that you agree with their behavior, nor does it mean that you don't hold them responsible for poor/illegal/destructive choices. I can hold deep respect for our soldiers and the jobs they do, while still feeling that we should not be sending them to kill/die in remote locations, or while criticizing the way we treat our enemies in prisons. For many people, they seem either unable or unwilling to take a nuanced view like that.