If it's any consolation, the US military isn't the military for the American people. It's a gun for hire for the biggest political donors. This is the case to such an extent that the military leaders are completely in the dark as to why decisions are made.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNt7s_Wed_4

I’m pretty critical of contemporary US foreign policy along a number of axes: I don’t find there to be anything unpatriotic about acknowledging the shortcomings or decline of a set of institutions. Quite the contrary, reform is effectively impossible absent a recognition of a problem. I love my country, but it’s not in good health at the moment.

With that said, I think most everyone agrees that a chain of command exists, with its apex in duly constituted civilian authority, that authority substantially if not overwhelmingly mandated with the consent of the public.

We do this. We fall for the propaganda, we spend more time concerned with joining a small elite than throwing their worthless asses out in the cold. We vote for these people or fail to vote for others. We fail to speak up a little bit each and shift the entire burden on the few magnificent bastards who do take on city hall.

Anyone doing any “typical” amount of anything (including your humble commenter who is at or near the front of the queue on not doing enough relative to privilege) is at best not helping: the status quo is extremely bad and it exists because we lack either the clarity or courage to so much as boycott a big corporation, let alone an entrenched special interest, soft money capture ratchet.

The armed forces of the United States, with some exceptions notable enough to be scandals, are carrying out our collective agenda.

Let’s at least be honest about where the buck stops on this. I know I’ve failed in my civic and human duty to object effectively enough, often enough, and fearlessly enough. The least I can do is acknowledge that I among many stood by and watched while it all went to hell.

Iran could be our allies overnight if they stopped their nuclear weapons program. The Iraq invasion wouldn't have happened if Saddam opened up the country to UN weapons inspectors, NK could reunify or be an ally if they stopped huffing jenkem. A lot of our enemies could have avoided it, even if they lost a bit of pride in the process. Religious zeal is more dangerous than capitalism, IMO.