How the U.S. Military is Paying NFL Teams Millions to “Honor the Troops”

[poncho]

at Sporting Events.

When the Jets paused to honor soldiers of the New Jersey Army National Guard at home games during the past four years, it was more than a heartfelt salute to the military — it was also worth a good stack of taxpayer money, records show.

The Department of Defense and the Jersey Guard paid the Jets a total of $377,000 from 2011 to 2014 for the salutes and other advertising, according to federal contracts. Overall, the Defense Department has paid 14 NFL teams $5.4 million during that time, of which $5.3 million was paid by the National Guard to 11 teams under similar contracts.

The agreement includes the Hometown Hero segment, in which the Jets feature a soldier or two on the big screen, announce their names and ask the crowd to thank them for their service. The soldiers and three friends also get seats in the Coaches Club for the game.

– From the New Jersey Star Ledger article: Jets’ Salutes Honor N.J. National Guard but Cost Taxpayer

Like everything else in America, faux patriotism is also for sale.

Continue . . . http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/05/how-the-u-s-military-is-paying-nfl-teams-millions-to-honor-the-troops-at-sporting-events.html

 

[Revmitchell]

I say good job!:thumbs:

 

[poncho]

I say good job!:thumbs:

To which part, the military funding it's own praise with tax payer money or the veterans who speak out against such shallow displays?

 

[Revmitchell]

The phrase "military buying its own praise" is just false. The people being praised did not put out any personal money. Our vets need to be lifted up and praised as often as possible.

 

[poncho]

The phrase "military buying its own praise" is just false. The people being praised did not put out any personal money.

How do you figure it's false? You just read where "the Defense Department has paid 14 NFL teams $5.4 million during that time, of which $5.3 million was paid by the National Guard to 11 teams under similar contracts."

Sincere praise doesn't need to be purchased.

Our vets need to be lifted up and praised as often as possible.

Why? To encourage more young people to join the military and enter into un-constitutional conflicts based on lies?

"And what about that term “hero”? Many veterans reject it, and not just out of Gary Cooperesque modesty either. Most veterans who have seen combat, watched babies get torn apart, or their comrades die in their arms, or the most powerful army on Earth spend trillions of dollars fighting some of the poorest people in the world for 13 years feel anything but heroic. But that certainly doesn’t stop the use of the term. So why do we use it?

As journalist Cara Hoffman points out at Salon:

“‘[H]ero’ refers to a character, a protagonist, something in fiction, not to a person, and using this word can hurt the very people it’s meant to laud. While meant to create a sense of honor, it can also buy silence, prevent discourse, and benefit those in power more than those navigating the new terrain of home after combat. If you are a hero, part of your character is stoic sacrifice, silence. This makes it difficult for others to see you as flawed, human, vulnerable, or exploited.”

We use the term hero in part because it makes us feel good and in part because it shuts soldiers up (which, believe me, makes the rest of us feel better). Labeled as a hero, it’s also hard to think twice about putting your weapons down. Thank yous to heroes discourage dissent, which is one reason military bureaucrats feed off the term." Rory Fanning

Read More At: http://www.tomdispatch.com/blog/175912/tomgram%3A_rory_fanning%2C_why_do_we_keep_thanking_the_troops

 

[poncho]

Bump . . .

 

[righteousdude2]

Bump . . .

I see no problem with the government advertising for the military. After all, Ponch, this is an ALL volunteer military!

You can't have it both ways. If we draft folks, there is not a big need to spend money to advertise. But if folks, and I am sure you are one of these folks, oppose the draft, then the government has to get folks to join by way of advertising.

And if that advertising happens to shine light (glorify) on the GREAT work of those serving to protect people like you and I, posting our thoughs freely on this board, so be it!

So tell me, Ponch, what is the mountain (problem) you are trying to make of this molehill! :laugh:

 

[Rolfe]

Sounds like recruitment spending to me.

 

[poncho]

I see no problem with the government advertising for the military. After all, Ponch, this is an ALL volunteer military!

It's not advertising. It's propaganda. It's using tax payer money to portray something as being something it is not.

Kind of like you are fond of doing for free.

You can't have it both ways. If we draft folks, there is not a big need to spend money to advertise. But if folks, and I am sure you are one of these folks, oppose the draft, then the government has to get folks to join by way of advertising.

Again it's not advertising. It's propaganda. You can change a word or use a euphemism to make something sound as if it's something else but that's not a very honest thing to do. But you already knew that, or being a Christian you should have already known that.

And if that advertising happens to shine light (glorify) on the GREAT work of those serving to protect people like you and I, posting our thoughs freely on this board, so be it!

How are they protecting us by helping Washington create more enemies? Al Qaeda wasn't in Iraq until "we" invaded and occupied it, ISIS wasn't in Libya, Syria or Iraq until "we" started funding and arming Jihadis and flew air cover for them in Libya. As a result the Jihadis now own Libya and "ISIS" was born. Now "we" are repeating the same "mistake" in Syria. "We" end up fighting the enemies "we" create.

This is all a great success if you're a war crazy neocon or interventionist or weapons manufacturer that needs a big bad enemy to scare Americans into accepting more and bigger wars along with the increased debt and restricted liberties that go along with them.

So what euphemism can you find to make that sound rational and taste like apple pie? Or will you choose to just dismiss the obviousness of it all to protect your feel good patriotic fantasy?

My money is on the later.

So tell me, Ponch, what is the mountain (problem) you are trying to make of this molehill! :laugh:

The "mountain" is being created by the war crazy neocon followers and interventionists that believe the American military should be used to police the world and "make it safe for democracy".

The only thing being protected by the military is the huge profit the military industrial complex is able to enjoy and the complicit politician's careers because we're so busy lying to ourselves about who's hands our military is in and what it's proper role is.

The oath military folks swear is very specific. The military is to protect and defend our constitution not "make the world safe for democracy" by engaging in un - constitutional interventions that create more enemies the war crazy neocons and authoritarian "government officials" can use to scare us into more wars and more debt and giving up our liberties in exchange for a promise of "safety".

Maybe you should spend more time studying German history and propaganda instead of blindly stumbling down the same path they did.

Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. George Santayana

 

[poncho]

Sounds like recruitment spending to me.

Sounds like fascism to me. Merging government and corporate power.

 

[poncho]

How Far Will The Establishment Go

To Prop Up Support For Its Many Wars And Make Average Americans Believe We Are Overseas Fighting For ‘Freedom’?

Here’s the war state in full effect – the repetitive calls to salute flag and “honor veterans” – all part of a larger effort to hide decades of war and foreign policy blunders behind uncritical calls to “support the troops” – no matter what.

This topic has gained scrutiny only through the pressure of budgetary constraints, but the real offense comes from the subtle fascism displayed between mega-corporations, high profile sporting events and the military-industrial complex. Under the guise of recruitment, the Department of Defense and the National Guard paid millions of dollars for professional and college sporting teams to become part of the propaganda. The celebrity athletes beloved by crowd could lend credence to the endeavors of the military.

Meshed into this arrangement are taxpayer funds for new sports stadiums, tax breaks and exemptions for the NFL, NASCAR and other major sporting arenas and a routine housing for propaganda of all kinds. The population has been conditioned to feast at this bread and circuses, and bred to become indifferent and ignorant, and ultimately compliant with the war machine and complex larger military-entertainment empire.

And that’s just the way they’d like to keep it.

Read More At: http://investmentwatchblog.com/how-far-will-the-establishment-go-to-prop-up-support-for-its-many-wars-and-make-average-americans-believe-we-are-overseas-fighting-for-freedom/