Veteran’s Day has been unfortunately hijacked by retailers and bargain shoppers. Its original intent was to celebrate the end of WWI (Armistice Day), the bloodiest war of all time. I’m sure the original intent was to honor vets while at the same time reminding this country, and the world, how truly awful war is.
It hasn’t worked.
Now we honor vets for going to die for anything our government wants to send them to fight for. The expectation is not that the dying is over, but that it will continue. That is an absolutely terrible thought.
This is why I think Veteran’s day this year should really be recognized. In case you’ve forgotten, one of our wars is ending this year. More veterans will come home, and as of right now most of them won’t have to go back somewhere. Less lives will be in danger than have been in close to a decade.
Of course this doesn’t downplay the other wars in history, but the recency effect is strong, especially among us younger generations. Veteran’s Day does honor the bravery and sacrifice of millions. Millions that deserve whatever benefits our government and my tax dollars can throw at them. And whatever appreciation our citizens can show.
But it should also serve its original intent. We should celebrate our veterans, but we should also celebrate the hope that in the future we won’t have any wars, and therefore no veterans.
 By The Weakonomist |
The Weakonomist is the founder of Weakonomics. Clicking the picture of the puppy will tell you more about him. If you like what you're reading consider subscribing to the blog, following him on Twitter, and checking out the related posts below. Please consider a donation if you really enjoy Weakonomics. Also keep in mind that nothing I say can be construed as financial advice. |
