I've been watching a quasi documentary-reality-show on American
PBS channel called "
Carrier" which is essentially about the lives of a handful of navy sailors aboard the
USS Nimitz aircraft carrier during their six month deployment to the Persian gulf. Not sure if non-North American residents access the channel but the DVD of this show is
already available.
Aside from the bias and deep resentment that America's leftist mainstream media have always had for the military service, this show has proved to be an okay one so far. Although it got a bit boring last night... I mean, I am a pro-military person and I can see whether there is a negative bias there or not. This show has had little of that so far, fortunately. Although the above mentioned program just show a very few sailors from really bad backgrounds who came to the military for either the heck of it or basically for the money and a bright spot on their future resumes. Nothing wrong with those but I don't understand what PBS or in general MSM gets from portraying the US military in a negative way. Isn't this the same military that is protecting these guys' freedom to criticize the country and armed forces?
Again, there were couple of other points I have come across watching the show since Sunday night. The attitude of the sailors and airmen shown in the documentary was very interesting. From what I have gathered mostly by
reading books, military blogs or listening to the war vets, it is obvious that those who are actually fighting on the ground, i.e US Marines and Army, can better appreciate the mission they do. Those who stay far from the scene and run the war aboard navy vessels and on air force bases where they don't come in contact with the enemy, do not grasp the reality of the fight and therefore, like ordinary people back home might question the mission. Indeed, it is their right and I am in no way questioning their right, rather I respect them and their service. I have always been. My point here is not to bash the US military for which I have a great deal of respect and gratitude.
Robert Kaplan who has written extensively about the US military is an interesting authority, if you'd like to really know what is going on with the America's armed services.
Again, like I said, the "Carrier" could be an attempt by PBS to warn the PBS audience who happen to be mainly senior high school and college kids about the so-called dangers of military life. I don't know what benefit they could possibly gain by doing this. Other than the vast anti-military agenda of the Leftist media that warn us about the negativity of military service, there's nothing better in this world than serving one's country especially when it is the US armed forces and the values that America represents.
Back to my argument, I sensed that, for instance, the pilots who go on danger close missions supporting the boots on the ground DO really appreciate the whole strategy of being there and since they do understand it profoundly, they don't happen to question it like a petty officer in engine room might do. Again, don't get me wrong. I totally support that petty sailor in the engine room as much as I support the Marines and Army grunts that are risking their lives in the country. It's just interesting for me to see how perspectives change by rank, age and the distance from the actual battlefield.