They died for your right to vote

This is going around a lot today... and it's bugging me.  First things first... Vote.  Vote today and every day you're allowed.  Celebrate your right to vote and remember that indeed perhaps the best thing our Armed Forces can collectively point to as a reason to sacrifice is this all important right to vote.  But...

Let's be honest here.  US Soldier's haven't been dying for our right to vote since perhaps WWI.  They have been dying on the various missions of our Government which have been decided upon by our politicians.  Our politicians have largely been elected by their ability to secure massive campaign funding.  That funding comes from corporate contributions and wealthy donation.  Corporations and the wealthy donate that money in their own self-interest.  It is not much of a leap to say our Armed Forces go out to die for those self-interests.  Now I can't speak for how the world worked in WWI or WWII, but that's how it's working today.

I don't say this to belittle the contribution our more contemporary service men and women make today.  They are amazing, heroic, and nobel in the real definitions of each word.  But the Armed Forces are extentions of Political Will.  The Political Will of Bush to invade Iraq did not further the interests of Americans.  It did not make our right to vote more secure.  It did not foster a spirit of global unity which resulted in an improved view of the American Way of life.  I hate to characterize why those soldiers died.  I am afraid if I really understood why they died I'd be so disgusted I couldn't write about it and I'd be ashamed to call myself an American. 

So, to me, saying our soldiers (today) have died to protect my right to vote feels like an insult to soldiers.  A lie.  A convenient justification to the price of freedom.  I just can't stomach it.  Certainly (hopefully) some of what soldiers do and die for is the protection of freedom and Americans.  But sooo much is not.  It still boils down to political interest and corporate agenda.  Your right to buy cheap socks from Wal-mart might also be something our soldiers are dying for.  The right of ridiculously wealthy oil barons to remain ridiculously wealthy.  Perhaps even worse rights.

None of this is the fault of the soldiers.  None of this reduces the value of your right to vote.  Just be careful what you attribute to a soldier's sacrifice.  Be honest about what we ask them to die for.  Do not allow a politician to convince you that they are dying for your right vote, for your freedom.  Or at least realize there are other reasons far less nobel that they may also be dying for... and Vote.