This breaking news story met many Swedes with sadness over this past weekend. As an American, I feel quite numb to casualties lost in the Middle East simply because I see it so often. The perceptions of what it means to lose a soldier are much different in a country that has declared itself neutral in the war against Iraq. In America, losing your life in battle is a very noble thing to do, and many are seen as heroes that choose to enlist in the military during a war. It is a very self-improving thing to do, and is associated with being emotionless, tough, and stable. I get the idea here that a soldier lost is met with more uncertainty about Sweden's stance in the war, their upcoming vote about keep troops in the Middle East, and feels to them like more of an emotional and personal attack. This is a very touchy subject and met with many feelings, but although each soldier in America is treated with the upmost respect and proper burial, it is not often seen as so much of a person lost as it is one more tally on the list due to the high number of times this has happened by people outside of immediate friends and family. A lot of personal emotions of soldiers are not expected, and their post traumatic stress from being overseas is very dampened, and is not expected to be brought up by returned soldiers. Overall, being a part of the American military is more risky due to our heavy presence in conflicts, causing a much different idea of what it means to represent Sweden vs. represent America abroad in uniform.
No comments:
Post a Comment