Why do people have a low opinion on the Armed Forces?

SFC_Ollie

Being retired from the military and living in a small village of about 1200 people, I find that I have a great deal of respect, and that also goes for those still on active duty today.

Steve

I have a high oppinion of the armed forces. Resentment do to their own lack of courage is the main factor in the low oppinion.

Woo, Orange!

I wish your grammar was better, it would make your argument so much stronger.

However, most people don't understand the true value of the armed forces purely because the armed forces have protected these people's asses for so long.

A lot of people on the planet only see the small picture, and I take pity on them.

Seth

Because some people are unfortunately fed a ration of lies their entire life about how soldiers are convicts, baby-killers, and that other BS. It's mostly because they're ill-informed from the beginning

Fonz

I really never understood why people would spit on guys coming home from Vietnam like they asked to go... They chose to serve our country, right or wrong, rather than avoiding by going to Canada or Mexico.
I think it was the brain washing of the hippies. Make love not war. They weren't thinking about the Soldiers, they were concerned about their political agenda.. If you pay attention, you will see that most of the badmouthing of our BRAVE SOLDIERS comes from the far left. The ones that want to tell everyone else how to live.

Utterly Curious

:) Agreed... regarding having a challenge in life besides stacking shelves in a supermarket..

I think it was in the past that many wrong-doers were drafted into the army? Hopefully it's either not done nowadays, or rare.

Wapiti

People fear what they do not know or understand. Myself, hats off to service personel.

Wesley G

1. Because it is hard to understand what you don't know about.

2. Those with the negative opinions are often those who were kicked out.

Ms AlienSunflower

I agree with you and i too have a high opinion of the armed forces, people need to remember that these soldiers are risking their lives to fight for our country and as for bad people doing national service, well as i see it that would just be an easy way for them to get out of paying for their crimes. I think the government should stop making the prisons like hotels and then maybe people would think twice before re-offending. One thing i will say though is that i don't agree with the family's that protest about the army after their loved ones have been killed in the line of duty, with all due respect they were aware of this when they chose an army career, i'm not saying in any way that the people who lose there lives should not be recognised and honoured. We should be proud of our soldiers.

groovymaude

Our armed forces do not exist to fix a broken society, which is effectively what we have. I have a great deal of respect for them - hubby 26 years service! he's not a social worker or a prison officer!

chuck.mush

I think it's because the Liberal Media has always led the rest of us to believe that the Military is made up of Murderers, Baby Killers, Rapists, etc., by only reporting the very few bad stories.

Good news does not sell newspapers, so we don't hear of all the good the Military does.

God Bless the United States of America, our President and all of our Military Personell stationed around the World

disco

I would say no reasonable person has a low opinion of the armed forces or those who serve in them.

In relation to "Bad People" doing National Service this is so they (the bad ppl) can be beasted physically and mentally into being a relativlely sound person by people who will not take any of their (the bad ppls) sh it.

SmartA$$

Specifically who is saying that the armed forces should be used as a "Jail" to punish criminals?

Shunter

As a Brit and ex-Army, I think that most TRUE British people have a high regard for their fighting forces. Unfortunatley, certain 'piles of rubbish' have been allowed to live in this country and seem intent on doing everything possible to undermine it.

Add to that, the home grown, yoghurt knitting, sandal wearing, arran wooly beardy-wierdy tree hugger Liberal types who hate everyone who disagrees with them, then you have a recipe for disaster. These people will see the armed forces as baby killers but terrorist as misunderstood.

They way it's going, you have to wonder why anyone would want to join the armed forces. Personaly, I'd like to see the 'rubbish' and 'tree huggers' shipped off out of here. It would be a better country without them.

farleyjredfield

My opinion of the Armed Forces is like yours.

Higher because I know freedom is not free.

Higher than the people that think just because they are poor people should give them anything they need to be equal.

Higher because I klnow we can loose this freedom we have if we allow it to shrink and be taxed out of existance.

Now as for the nuts that think less of the armed forces, WAIT; I dont think we can accuse them of thinking.
These fools are the same bunch that would have the 2nd ammendment overturned. The same fools that choose to remain lame a$$ed and unskilled to do anything but gripe about how much soemone else has and they deserve the same. The same brilliant people that brought us the "war on poverty" and keeping the military under the all knowing and watchful eye of the president and away from stratagy thinking Generals and working out how best to accomplish the end goal then making it happen.

The same lame people that accuse Bush of making this war with intelligence provided and believed by Bill Clinton, and would gripe about him doing nothing if he didn't send in the troops.

The same lame people that dont appreciate any kind of sacrifice anyone makes in their behalf.

These people believe the soilders we have are working for the BIG BUSINESS. And BIG BUSINESS pulles all the strings and has all the money and has all the politicians in washington and is incharge of all the conspieracys.... A lot of nut cakes. But dont confuse nuts and cakes with energy bars. They would want all the energy they feel they deserve out of it before you eat one.

I dont know what these people have been told growing up, unless they still belive in SANTA and the tooth fairy who was suppose to bring them all the goodys and they probably didnt get all the goodys now they want to legally steal from the haves. Guess its ok cause when they are ritch from gov't subisitys they will be rich and then can pay their fair share of taxes... Yea like we all know that will happen.

Ann

I have a high opinion with it and I also think it can be a great career choice.
I ignore people who try and slam it because most of the time they don't even make sense. They really do infuriate me.
I do understand your point, instead of getting into trouble, running around on the streets or having a job that does not pay, no college you can join get the GI Bill, be heroic and proud to serve the United States.
Take care and God Bless

Scandguard

Maybe it's a throw-back to the time during the war in Vietnam. Our servicemen and women took a lot of crap from people who just don't get it. These people were blaming the national policy that this Nation's leaders made on the soldiers. The soldiers were called baby killers, spited on at airports, and were treated like dog crap overall.

CLIVE H

The people of UK have a very high regard for their armed forces. Evidence for this is the massive turnout whenever a regiment marches home after serving in Afghanistan or Iraq.

I have observed this time and again on the TV news.

I also observed it at the 25th Remembrance Parade for the fallen of the Falklands War held here in London on Horseguards - the turnout was massive - even the veterans were dumb struck by it all.

Those of us who think that a return to National Service might help rid out streets of hoodies and slashers, are hopelessly out of date.

Like I always say, the British Army and our armed forces in general, are not responsible for the nation's discipline. They have mure urgent and difficult work to do.

I joined the British Army as a boy soldier aged 15 in 1957 and came out aged 24 in 1965 - there were no 'chavs' in my regiment, only men who wanted to be there.

The Falkland Islands today 2008 - still patrolled by the British Army.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8voq26hlhQ

Big civilian turnout for the Falklands 25th Anniversary Parade
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VkeVP6kzQNw

This Parade gets the biggest turnout of them all - HM Queen's Birthday Parade - Horseguards - June every year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zofhv9KWoec

Rodney H

It is just the few dumb people who dislike the military. The media looks for them as reporting all of the people who like the military are boring.

You can serve America as a member of the armed forces, police force, fireman, paramedic, park ranger, or volunteer service. Do what you are suited for.

Neil T

Because they don`t understand.

one shot

I don't have a low opinion of HM Forces - I spent 15 years there.

My son has done 8 years service so far, now on his fifth tour and lost 4 mates KIA. He's already owed 77 days leave and can't take it due to "operational & training commitments". He managed to get 18 days leave between June 2007 and being deployed again in May 2008. His story is the same for many in the frontline regiments.

What people tend to forget is that those who make up our Armed Forces are not a bottomless pit. There are more resignations than volunteers. In the words of Sir Jock Stirrup - Head of the Armed Forces - "HM Forces are now stretched BEYOND their capability". Those already serving are "war weary"

HM Forces may be a high up career - but this war on terror will not be won with the manpower available. We needed to send 2000 more troops to Afghanistan just to contain the situation - we managed 230.

Where may I ask, do people expect the manpower to win this war to come from and how do they expect those now serving to keep going without reinforcement????

The choices are clear - National Service/Conscription or bring our troops home and forget the war on terror.

As a footnote I'll give you a little story which was common place during WW2. My old man was a RM Commando, within his section were 2 cat burglars and a professional safe cracker all former inmates at Wormwood Scrubs whose purpose was to covertly enter enemy buildings and crack open the safes therein.

WhiteyBoy

totally agree with you, i think personally that being in the armed forces is the best career possible, health care, good pay, good opportunities, see the world, do things you would never get to do
learn a trade for free, get qualifications for free, get a pension etc, thats why i'm joining up

they do a good job darn well, i get very angry and have hit people when they have said that the the british army is gay, stupid and full of cannon fodder, it really pisses me off when they talk about something they don't know about aspecially when its about our brave men and women risking their lives for our safety

bigseb31213

I also have a high opinion, and want to join when i turn 18

I agree with your last comment. I also agree that good people should join the military

Not too sure what a chav is though...(I'm from USA)

People love to hate the guy who's on top, so they don't like the armed forces because they don't have the courage, commitment, and willpower to join. Instead they will be stacking shelves and working in an office for the rest of their life

Charlie S

Let's get this out of the way first. I don't like war. War is a failure of diplomacy.

But that has nothing to do with my opinion of the military, or the people in it.

The US Military is the finest in the world. It's not the largest, but the people who comprise the military of the US are our best and brightest, capable and willing to handle any task they are assigned. So I agree that criminals and ne'er do wells should be prohibited from joining. And we also have to make absolutely sure that when our heros come home, they are well taken care of.

I hate the way the government has wasted these lives in the current conflict in Iraq. Afghanistan is an entirely different story.

Fed up UK Citizen

I love our forces and feel they get bad press and some people hate them because in my opinion they are being deployed for the wrong reason, they should just tell the government no we are not going to work as the task you give us is wrong we are not you bully boys......... i fail to understand why we have troops on the ground why not just shoot the people that do need killing from the air makes more sence to me............... the troops themselves are cool its just their bosses ie our government, last winge i cannot understand why the British army get trained by us then are hired out to NATO....

IanHarStantoN

Ok well if you dont have an education, then you can say you'd rather serve in the army than stack shelves...with that aside..

I don't think most Americans are against the army, they are just against the recent political decisions that have affected our army directly. People that have yellow ribbons on their cars Support our troops, but that doesn't mean they support the war in Iraq.

mattg

courage or stupidity i've got to give them credit for signing up when they know they'll get shot at. I have the highest respect for those who fought for this country, however the armed forces of today are not fighting for us they're fighting for.....well who knows anymore, to stop terrorism? find bin laden? oil? a george w mental epsiode? they do as they're told (right or wrong) without question, which is something i can't comprehend.

PS. if you're talking about the US army, then how about their well documented abuse of prisoners, and the fact they've killed british troops by "accident" **** we all make mistakes at work but there's a limit surely

johnfarber2000

If stacking shelfs in a supermarket, at least you will not be killing civilians in those countries the US invades and occupy. Or killing civilians in air raids, where you don't even see those you kill. But on the other hand if you work in a supermarket most Americans will not call you hero even if you are not.

Choose ME

Its to do with the bull wars that the government fight, that in turn is then given attention after it has started and destroyed so many lives.

The media then cover it alot and ppl lower their opinions

richard roe

Maybe people have a bad opinion about the military because most people have been taught from childhood that it is wrong to kill other people. It's that simple. Being in the military = being a murderer. Personally, yes, I'd rather stack cans on shelves of supermarket for 40 years then have the blood of innocent people on my hands. At least then I could sleep at night.

Enter Your Message or Comment

User Name:
User Email:
Post a comment: