> > Somehow I find this entire thread and replies disturbing. Notably in the fact that not one reply has questioned this idea that "country comes before all, except maybe God in particular circumstances".
>
> I didn't question that idea because I didn't see Gortman's original post as being *about* that. I responded because I couldn't figure out where he was getting the rationale for his "being in the military = patriotism" belief. Whether patriotism itself is good or bad didn't occur to me as being part of that debate.


Hmm. Yeah, I suppose looking at it from that perspective that's true. But in a lot of the threads running from the main one the idea that it is vital to lay down everything for your country but maybe not that way is sometimes stated explicitly, sometimes taken for granted, and that's perhaps more what I'm referring to.