Nationalism

Military folklore has shaped my views by instilling a unwritten code of values, ethics that bond between members a team and accomplish missions. Yes, these things are taught in manuals but can only be learned in reality from the examples of superiors, interaction with peers, and experience. In addition, Military folklore is steeped with nationalism. For instances, a US soldiers greatest honor is to fight for and defend their country. Have we not all heard the similar line "We are fighting to defend freedom and democracy."(Whether the US uses soldiers to defend democracy or for other reasons is another debate).The point is that the military creates a very United States ethnocentric worldview, a we are the "best" sort of mentality. Hence, the soldier thinks he is fighting for freedom and the good cause. The folklore of a US soldier as a champion for democracy is a very interesting topic and probably can be traced back to the revolution where we fought for our freedom. It is almost a "Do not tread on me" concept. But I believe that breaking down ethnocentric nationalism is a positive step in creating a more intelligent world view.