Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was unnecessary
California national guards troops and marines deployed to Los Angeles to help restore order after days of protest against the Trump administration have told friends and family members they are deeply unhappy about the assignment and worry their only meaningful role will be as pawns in a political battle they do not want to join.
Three different advocacy organisations representing military families said they had heard from dozens of affected service members who expressed discomfort about being drawn into a domestic policing operation outside their normal field of operations. The groups said they have heard no countervailing opinions.
“The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn’t the kind of national security we signed up for,” said Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative, which represents the interests of military spouses, children and veterans.
How about invading a country halfway around the world that didn’t do anything to us?
That should be a great morale booster, historically.
I think the primary difference here is they know the population they’re oppressing so it’s difficult to wholly believe the propaganda.
When being imperialists abroad, they’re fed a steady stream of propaganda about how they’re the hero, that they’re saving democracy, babies, capitalism, and what not. Most of them don’t speak the language and have difficulty relating to the local population. Americans are notoriously ignorant of everything outside the US (fine, in the US too) and the locals they’re defrauding are understandably afraid and/or hostile, so many don’t learn otherwise or don’t want to accept otherwise. Imagine the blow to the psyche of switching gears from “great American saviour” to “brown kid murder machine to make rich people richer”. That’s tough.
Now the lies are much harder to believe. They speak the language, share the culture, and some are at least vaguely familiar with the events leading up to these protests. While 1/3 of the US population are utter numpties, the remaining 2/3 are at least likely redeemable and some of that larger fraction is likely present in the military. They know what they’re doing is wrong and don’t believe the propaganda telling them otherwise.
Now we’ll see if any have the courage to stand against this. I’m not holding my breath.
This is part of why Russian troops faced and still face severe morale dips in Ukraine, because Ukrainians can speak directly to them and ask them what they are doing and why they are killing them.
The main difference there is that they can be unfamiliar with that country and believe what they are told about it.
Hard to be unfamiliar with the country you grew up in, and only 30% of the population is willing to believe what they are being told about it now despite their life experiences not showing that to be the case. I mean since when have those types of people been “scared” of Californians?
If anyone can do it, it’s Americans. I’ve had arguments with Americans who insist that New Mexico is in Mexico despite it being called New Mexico.