[Evan Thomas]

I have great respect for those who serve in the military, but I've become more and more disturbed by the way the respect we all have for these individuals has been transformed into a kind of blind worship of the military as an institution. I think it's a dangerous trend, because dissent over military policy is treated as "not supporting the troops." This has made it very hard for people (and for politicians) to oppose wrong-headed uses of the military such as the war in Iraq.

To me, this is just another step toward treating the military as a special class of people who should have more rights than the rest of us -- it's a form of propaganda that indirectly fosters the notion that that the institution can do no wrong.

I'd rather support decent veterans' benefits and adequate pay for active-duty military personnel. In particular, it's a disgrace that when National Guard members are sent overseas, their families often wind up on food stamps, and when they return, they're denied the same services and benefits as regular military.