The Association of the US Army (AUSA) featured this tidbit recently:

Congress is considering legislation that would get the Defense Department and service recruiting commands involved in public expressions of gratitude to high school graduates who volunteer to enter the military. What to Watch: A formal ceremony is envisioned, involving the recruits, senior military officers and a military band. Lawmakers want the services to make a presentation on the idea by late March.

Today Congress of course pretends to be worried about the All-Volunteer Army and recruiting which has crashed in the last few years. (Reportedly, the Army is short 15,000 enlistments in the current fiscal year (starting October 2022).

The idiots under the Dome (both GOP and Dem) are worried that Americans no longer have the confidence in the military that they did. A recent Gallup poll says that confidence in the military is lower than it has been since 1997. (Not sure what happened in 1997. Anyone got an idea?)

But neither of the old parties can understand the difference between causes and symptoms. And fail to see the real causes when they look into a mirror. Congress not only controls the purse strings (which generally means they hold them wide open as they turn the purse upside down and shower FRNs on the Pentagon and the vast constellation of military contractors). They also make the laws, approve appointments (including commissions) and in general order the military around.

The loss of confidence in military institutions, DoD (the Pentagon) and the entire establishment has been growing for decades, despite the propaganda bonanza provided by Bloody Tuesday (9-11). There have been ups and downs, but generally, since the hype after 9-11 the confidence has slipped, and slipped badly. The fiascos in Mesopotamia and Afghanistan had nothing to do with that, of course. Anymore than events in Libya, Syria, and now Ukraine did. Right? (Sarcasm here, folks!)

Too many pundits and people in general want to blame the military itself, but the reality is the blame is squarely on Congress and the civilian leadership: POTUS after POTUS and their political appointees AND the career bureaucrats. All of whom benefit from and support the military-industrial complex (and conspiracy) which wastes trillions of dollars. And all of whom seem to conspire to hamstring and (now almost literally) castigate the military forces.

Now, this is added to the continued exploitation of the military forces for social experimentation and environist gaea-worship. All military ground vehicles must be electric by 2030, or so Uncle Joe’s caregivers/shills have decided. Global warming (manmade or not) is a greater enemy than any possible threat from inside or outside the united States. DIE (Diversity Inclusion and Equity) is more important than training how to conduct combat operations or maintain equipment. All of this is pushed by the White House, agreed to at least tacitly (if not pushed) by Congress, and done by a truly incredibly sickening collection of political appointments to provide civilian leadership to the military.

But Congress wants us to worship the military.

However… It ain’t working. Because it is Congress that needs to be held in contempt and disrespect.

The worst thing that we can (and must) say about the military is that they accept the orders of their civilian masters and do not stand up for their sacred obligations to defend the Constitution and the principles (as well as the people as a whole) – yet military obedience to civilian authority is demanded.

Of course, it is stupid actions like this next one that counter the push of Congress (and the White House) to even respect, much less worship the military.

From the Lakota Times of South Dakota, we see this story:

The military itself demeans the idea of rank and makes a mockery of itself. Yes, the United States Public Health Service, which includes the Indian Health Service, is a branch of the US military forces, together with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and even the United States Coast Guard. PHS and IHS and NOAA all have a commissioned corps – officers (they use, like the USCG, Naval ranks) who are sworn to uphold the Constitution and who are approved by Congress to serve in those ranks. Now, Abigail is a nice-looking mutt, but did Congress approve her commissioning or promotion? And how is this not a joke and demeaning to the men and women who attempt to carry out their duties as officers?

I seriously doubt it is the men and women in uniform in the PHS who came up with this idea. Again, it is the politicians and their appointees that are willing and so often do such stupid things.

But we all pay for it, not just in cash, not just in loss of confidence, but in the end result of military forces that are unable to defend us, the Constitution (flawed though it is) or our God-given liberties.