Minor Pet Peeves
On Salute-Happy Civilian Politicians and Flag Pins
Far too often, I find myself writing about war and other atrocities. Today, I’d like to focus on minor pet peeves: saluting politicians and flag pins.
Here’s a photo of a saluting Kamala Harris wearing an obligatory flag pin that I saw today in the Guardian:
I’m sure Kamala Harris has been told both to salute and to wear a flag pin, else her critics would claim she’s disrespecting the troops and the country.
Here’s the thing: A critical founding principle of our nation is civilian control of the military. Yes, presidents serve as commander-in-chief, sitting at the very top of the chain of command, but it’s exactly their status as an elected civilian that they sit there, above it all, separate from the military even as they command it. It’s not for presidents or vice presidents to try to ape the military by saluting, standing at attention, or otherwise rendering military courtesies or wearing military clothing.
Remember George W. Bush? He posed in a “Top Gun” flight suit during a staged landing on an aircraft carrier after the Iraq invasion in 2003. At the time, people gushed how “cool” he looked, how commanding. Except Bush, by further blurring his civilian role with military trappings, undermined both. Mission unaccomplished.
Second, the ubiquitous flag pins, occasionally with an extra twinned flag, most commonly Israel or Ukraine. (Divided loyalties?) I remember reading, decades ago, that only the most cynical politicians wear flag lapel pins as an attempt to win sympathy and votes. Now these pins are everywhere; only the absence of one is noteworthy. Nowadays, a profile in courage is a politician without a flag pin.
Affixing a tiny piece of colored metal to your clothing doesn’t make you a patriot, and returning salutes doesn’t make you a supporter of the troops. If you want to be patriotic, put Americans first, especially the most needy and vulnerable among us. If you want to “salute” the troops, keep them out of needless wars and stop misusing them in morally-compromised roles such as in deployments that enable Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
Readers, I am unaware of civilian leaders in other countries who routinely salute the military and who (almost) always wear flag lapel pins. Are you aware of any?
Not at all sure that we have the type of "civilian control" of the military we are told we have. Sure, people like Elon Musk and other big "defense contractors" are theoretically civilians, but they might as well be part of the military in the sense that they are inseparable from it. Is there one millimeter of difference between Lockheed Martin and Raytheon execs and the military brass when it comes to what our military is doing around the world? It is all one Big planet-killing Blob now. When I watch shows like Face the Nation, it makes my skin crawl. They sound like murderous psychopaths foaming at the mouth to have another war.
First, I agree with the Wombat, the flag pin is just theater, nothing more. Like all the other flag waving, the phony patriotism of these hypocrites is sickening.
Secondly, civilians salute by placing their right hand over their heart, and they only salute the flag - not other people. Raising it to the top of their forehead (actually to the brim of the cap) is for the military and should only be done when wearing a cap. (Also used by police and other uniformed officers).