Cutting the US military budget could easily pay for the domestic programs we need. Ingrained militaristic thinking works to prevent this.

Thus, we are pressured to endorse the idea that US soldiers are "serving their country" when they spread destruction in other countries, regardless of the circumstances, and that we should thank them.

This is why starting in 2003 I said that Dubya had hijacked the US military and converted it into the Bush Forces. They may have joined with the idea of serving their country, but in fact they were serving Dubya and his oil cronies.