To not understand the point of 'Armed Forces Day'?

[Runny]

I see Jeremy Corbyn is getting attacked by the right wing press yet again for going to Glastonbury (and getting a bigger crowd than Radiohead did last night) instead of attending Armed Forces Day in Liverpool.

Now pardon my ignorance but what is the actual point of 'Armed forces Day'? It sounds like the sort of thing that The Sun newspaper would campaign for, actually I wouldn't be surprised if they did. It's all a bit pointless, and we already have Rememberance Sunday to honour those killed in combat.

I don't know where this over sentimentally for the armed forces has come from over the last 15 years or so? Not saying they don't do a good job, but why are they coming in for special treatment? Why not an emergency services day, or an NHS workers day or a teachers day?

I'm prepared to get flamed for this btw, but I genuinely don't see why we even have it?

The not understanding the point of Armed Forces Day is really one of the things that Armed Forces Day aims to combat. It is really about raising awareness of the Armed Forces and the wider Armed Forces community. Over the past few decades the Armed Forces have really been hidden from public view (mainly as they risked getting blown up by the IRA), and unless you are near the palaces you only saw soldiers at Remembrance Sunday.

Another aspect of it is to show that being in the Armed Forces isn't just about rocking up to some foreign land with a gun and shooting people, it is a job a lot like any other.

I guess it depends how much you'd prefer to be living in Nazi Germany, or perhaps under the Taliban?. I quite like not being in a concentration camp, so I am in favour of celebrating the men and women who have died or lost limbs over the years for our freedom - people who fight for us without questioning whether they fancy getting out of bed or whether they approve of the particular battle in question.

What I never quite understand is why people say those serving currently and in the recent past in the armed forces are protecting us. How does fighting in Iraq or Afghanistan keep us safe? If anything it seems to be having the reverse effect inasmuch as it leads to us being an Isis target. I'd like to emphasise that I fully understand and accept that that is not the fault of the individual soldier, but I don't understand how it protects people in Britain.

Iraq war I disagreed with but it distracted from the important and difficult task of keeping the Taliban out of the Afghan government. We went to Afghanistan as members of NATO because Taliban run Afghanistan attacked a NATO ally -USA on 9/11. We are under a legal obligation to defend a NATO ally that is attacked. This is the only time NATO members have had to do this since the creation of NATO.
We defend each other. That is why affects us directly to be in Afghanistan. But the Iraq war screwed everything up. That was NOT a NATO thing. That was a stupid adventure on a false premise that has messed up further an already messed up situation.

I think things are complicated by the fact the the U.K. armed forces have been involved in some essential and important work. And them they have been involved in some dubious and illegal actions. Not the fault of the individual person but flag waving and celebration implies agreement. I strongly disagree with what they have been asked to do.

And the whole 'saved from the Nazis' hyperbole? My grandfathers who actually saved us from the Nazis, one of whom died doing it, would have thought all this jingoistic stuff was bullshit.

I hesitate to comment but I feel I must. I'm American, from a country that, to me, is over the top on its appreciation of the military.

To me, this appreciation and adoration can hamper efforts to investigate whether they're truly being the best they can be, whether they're doing things legally (torture), equally (unequal treatment of black/minority/women officers), and morally sound (such as invasion of countries due to some threat, but ignoring a significant threat from a different country, destabilising a region without any plan for making this better). I wish the politicians, on both sides in my country, didn't constantly whip up this excitement and exaultion of the military, because its doing more harm than good. I think more people at home are become wise to this, especially after the disaster of the Iraq war.

I remember 9/11. I was 14. I remember asking my mom why we were bombing Afghanistan, considering the people responsible were from Saudi, had been funded by some Saudi based groups, and was part of an overall terrorist organisation that we actually funded and supported in the 1980s to rid Russia (USSR) from the Middle East. When we had the opportunity to stop them before they became a serious problem. Why we were destabilising an entire country (and region), creating a huge refuge problem, for a terrorist attack. This is precisely what the terrorists wanted.

And then we kept calling Saudi Arabia our friends and allies, when they've known to harbour some of the people we're looking for. It seemed ill planned, and just like some strange sense of revenge. And it cost many young men and women their lives.

I remember the propaganda after 9/11. I call it propaganda because it could be compared to the WWII propaganda I've seen in history books. About how they don't like our freedoms (whatever that means), our society, how we need to protect ourselves from them, how this group means to destabilise us, so it makes perfect sense for us to destabilise AN ENTIRE REGION. They're jealous of how great we are, and we need to strike back because no one hurts America on America's soil.

Do I appreciate what they military do? Of course, but it doesn't mean I'm wrong or stupid to be dubious of the AFD, or at home its called Veterans Day. At the end of May we have Memorial Day. I do think its a big recruitment tool, I have friends in all parts of the military. Memorial Day in the US is right when our high school students are graduating, and those who cannot afford to go to Uni are contemplating their choices. Then this big event about how great these people are, how they're heros, etc.. They see a huge boost in recruitment in all parts of the military. The military complex in the US is large. Its our largest output of spending, when we have some of the highest rates of poverty (we're deplorable about child poverty), literacy, and homeless vets. Most of the money in the military is wasted, on these large weapons projects that we never need, or use. Yet, corporations make loads of money, and continue to whip up the appreciation and pride of us having these large weapons.

Long post, but I felt the need to say this. Do I want AFD/Veterans Day to go? Of course not, but I wish society allowed people to be more comfortable to say these things, without being accused of being an ungrateful git. My Uncle served in the First Gulf War, lots of my friends are either military/Air Force wives, or in the force/military themselves. I appreciate it, but I'm going to question it.

My grandfathers who actually saved us from the Nazis, one of whom died doing it, would have thought all this jingoistic stuff was bullshit.

This. My father, who was injured fighting against the Nazis, had no time whatsoever for jingoism or idolising ordinary fallible human beings as Heros.

Great post, Amd

My grandfather had major PTSD from fighting in WW2. As he would put it 'They constantly try to knock us all off and then stick our names up on a memorial'.

My late father was also a WWII veteran who hated jingoism.
But we are now living in a world where membership of the armed forces is sneered upon.
AFD is an attempt to redress the balance. You don't like it? Ok?
Suggest something else. Proper pay and conditions would be a start of course. But where that isn't forthcoming or where there are so many worthy demands on a finite public purse - what else do you suggest? Or should we carry on sneering?