Quote:
Originally Posted by akv
Is popular culture, like art representative of the values of a society, or a precursor towards likely paths?
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard
My experience and opinion - any American's support of anything is as individual as the person making the determination - same thing applies to the idea of what exactly makes us Americans.
|
FWIW, my view walks the margin between your view and the question posed by AKV.
Mass popular culture (to differentiate from popular culture) can frame how individual Americans shape their views both consciously and unconsciously. IMO, when these views have been in relative harmony with political and strategic discourse, the nation has benefited from strong civil military relations. By contrast, when the views are in disharmony (as they have been since the end of the Cold War), the American people start to lag behind the discussion. (Examples of this "lag" include the media, politicians, and pundits measuring America's success in GWOT by the number of casualties or the length of the war at the expense of listening to the professional judgment of the warriors who are doing the fighting.)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Maytime
Was GEN McChrystal TRYING to commit career suicide when he participated in the interview? With the ROLLING STONE? I didn't expect that from him.
|
There may be no way to know, but it is my guess that the damaging remarks were but a portion of the discussions that the RS reporter observed.