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re: I've often contended
gbaikie — (archived)

"that our move into becoming high tech warriors where we sit in these robotic contraptions often hundreds of miles away from the action and lob our instruments of death into countries that are fighting with WWII style weapons, creates in those societies the impression of cowardly thugs."

I think this something that could be said by the media or can be used in other propaganda. But I don't think it really works very well. Obviously the US military are very brave and honorable and generally in comparison put to shame the average American. And I don't think that the "average" American is viewed as cowards- more likely the impression is more on the side of recklessness. Though there is probably a certain girlish quality- our nanny state and simply having females in the military can't be seen as very macho.
And remember, the West and America has the tradition of lining up soldiers and shooting at each other at close range with muskets. Practically as crazy and beyond brave as one can get. Arabs and most reasonable people would just run from that kind of madness.

Probably the significant negative impression rather cowards is that our nation is stupid and/or insane. A sort of "The gods must be Crazy" sort of thing.
And I think an obvious aspect about our military is it's bureaucratic nature. Few peoples can afford such huge and complicated bureaucracies. And people couldn't help but view that having had to endure all the hoops they have to go through, as some plan to punish them personally and deliberately. And the general quality of having so many systems and procedures for everything tends to convey alienation and in general is de-humanizing.

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