Stolen Valor - Even Pubs See This as Wrong

John Wayne achieved the status of 'symbol'. That's not ppl buying into a lie, but accepting the mythological reference his persona served as, and stood for.

Kinda like Obama was a corrupt political ho bag pile of shit, but the American public bought into the horseshit myth of *unification* he supposedly stood for (as he instead served as impetus to the most divisive era in American history, since the Civil War).

At least the myth John Wayne represented, actually served to unify.

 

You mean in his war movies? Wayne did want to enlist in WWII, but circumstances (first his age and a family deferment, then the power of his studio, which threatened to sue him and blocked his reclassification) prevented it.

 

I feel like 100% of the people stealing valor are like "well I wanted to be in the military but circumstances conspired against me"

 

The Obama presidency was stealing valor from Reagan, thats why conservatives hate him (and he was black too)

 

Nah. Its ot there. And when you have to 'try harder' to get a joke--usually not that funny.

Perhaps you can break it down for us.

Tell us how honor we reserve for young men and women who actually placed themselves in harm's way, amidst actual bombs and bullets--being usurped by ppl who watched shit on TV and can appreciate and relate to such danger as soldiers actually face--though never facing any more threat than getting cheetah stains on their sofas.... is funny.

Seems incredibly crass, cowardly, and disingenuous to me. Definitely not funny, though.

 

Nonsense. Reagan was the real @#%%#&n deal. Inherited a broken economy, and fixed it. Inherited a demoralized country, and motivated it. Inherited a losing position in a global cold war, and won it. Left the nation in a phenomenal state.

Barry fixed nothing, won nothing, and left us royally divided...

...oh, and he left us Doh! Biden, his defacto 3rd term...

...and if you're one of the legions of Trump haters....you can thank Barry for him, too.

 

When I was graduating at UF (an English major) I figured I would join the Army because I didn't know what else to do. But the Peace Corps, which had been on campus recruiting, intervened by accepting my application.

 

The stolen valor videos on YT are some of my favorites. Anyone who doesn't know Don Shipley should check him out. He catches fake Navy Seals, and it's fantastic.

 

I disagree. The moniker works for me and I think it's a horrific practice. There's been some debate on whether stolen valor should be a crime under First Amendment principles. But it is certainly morally condemnable.

I agree with you that it's terrible that this seems to be the only area we think is where the condemnation when there are so many others that should be. But I find stealing valor to be abhorrent.

I mentioned before that I've had some cool shirts given to me by military friends who tell me that it's not considered wrong to wear them as a civilian who never served, that military people know the difference, but that I hesitate to wear because so many other civilians will mistake it and commend me.

 

That happens too, but it seems there at least as many guys who range from having actually served (which is admirable enough) to those who got a dishonorable discharge and later make up fake medals and fake DD214s, lie about having seen combat, claim to have been in special forces, etc. What is most surprising to me is that many of the guys who did actually serve in the military get caught making very obvious and basic lies about their training and purported deployments.

 

Someone should market a T shirt that says "Bone Spurs Kept Me Out."

 

what is it with maga politicians lying about their service?

“A retired Navy medical officer who served for years as a top White House physician has touted himself as a retired rear admiral during his post-service political career.

But after he retired, Rep. Ronny Lynn Jackson, R-Texas, was bumped down to the rank of captain, or O-6, nearly two years ago, according to service records and a defense official.

Jackson’s official service record now lists him as a retired captain.“

Lawmaker who claims to be a retired rear admiral was actually demoted

 

The movie Red Rocket has a great 'stealing valor' subplot. And by 'great' I mean completely grim and sad.

 

Seems a bit different. He was a rear admiral at the time of his retirement, then got demoted, ex post facto.

Without really delving into the grounds for the demotion, you can't really make an assessment, and it looks like the demotion may have been done unilaterally, without much due process vis a vis the alleged basis.

That's a far cry from couch TV warrior, claiming combat honor.

i.e.--

"...bullets whizzing past my ears!"

=/=

*blanks, making noise through my telervision.*

 

When you are officially demoted by the service you were in you can’t honestly take credit for being a rear admiral. It’s so significant it impacts pension payments.

And not sure what Hilary’s lie she made over 15 years ago has to do with these men currently serving as public leaders and lying.

But to Jackson’s credit, I believe he at least took it off his web site.

 

Stealing Valor: no laughing matter, but also its ok in some circumstances when it can advance your career or make you look better. You are kinda sending mixed signals here.

 

The "bullets whizzing..." in this post wasn't intended as exclusive Hillary reference (really not at all; didnt hsve her in mind at all--just a convenient phrasing that happened to echo her words which were intentionally invoked in one if my prior posts--prolly why they were there, fresh n on the ready, front of mind...).

Fwiw.

As for this guy--rear admiral vs csptn-it definitely matters for pay, but it's a far cry from pretending combat experience, where there was none.

He *was* rear admiral when he retired.

A ex post facto demotion renders the claim technically incorrect, but it hardly renders the claim a wholesale fabrication.

Jmho/fwiw.

 

Well, I suppose we send mixed signals with the entire criminal code, as there will always be a huge gap bt crimes prosecuted, vs crimes committed.

Doesn't mean we ought to throw away the baby with the bath water, and stop prosecuting the crimes we can.

 

Just seems like a very weird law. No one is going to put anyone in prison or arrest them for taking home a girl you told you were a war hero at a bar. But if you buy a medal and wear it to get free drinks or visually entice people into business dealings you are guilty of a crime? No one thinks its normal behavior, but it seems like people do versions of this all the time. There are definitely good reasons why you cant dress up as a cop, but those dont have much to do with people getting free donuts.

 

The least we can do is not to approve of it, even tacitly

If all we can do is shame them, let's shame the @#%$& out of them when we bust them, so future douchebags may take note and heed....don't be that guy (ie-check your doucebaggery).