Colleges and universities weren’t actors in the Vietnam War, either, but widespread campus protests occurred nonetheless. I think you’re on to something in labeling the Gaza protestors “LARPers.” It’s as if they’re playing at being Vietnam era protestors. Attending classes isn’t nearly as fun as protesting something, and young people are…
Colleges and universities weren’t actors in the Vietnam War, either, but widespread campus protests occurred nonetheless. I think you’re on to something in labeling the Gaza protestors “LARPers.” It’s as if they’re playing at being Vietnam era protestors. Attending classes isn’t nearly as fun as protesting something, and young people are full of passion that has to find an outlet somewhere. That’s (ironically) also why young people make the best soldiers, especially of the cannon-fodder variety.
All of this makes me simultaneously annoyed at the protesting students and concerned that being so annoyed means I’ve become a hopeless curmudgeon.
If not "involved" I'd argue colleges/universities during the Vietnam war were "adjacent" due to being in the same country as one of the combatants, students' non-college peers being drafted to fight, and ROTC programs on campus promoting US military careers. None of these factors apply to the Gaza war.
And to further this point, the demands from protestors are along the lines of "divest from companies that we (the 19 year olds who have never had a job) have identified as somehow profiting from 'the genocide'".
A more tenuous connection you could not make, and yet....
I think you're right. I think the protesters are also missing the obvious difference between the war in Gaza and the Vietnam War: The US doesn't have troops in Gaza and is certainly is not going to be conscripting any of them into it.
Colleges and universities weren’t actors in the Vietnam War, either, but widespread campus protests occurred nonetheless. I think you’re on to something in labeling the Gaza protestors “LARPers.” It’s as if they’re playing at being Vietnam era protestors. Attending classes isn’t nearly as fun as protesting something, and young people are full of passion that has to find an outlet somewhere. That’s (ironically) also why young people make the best soldiers, especially of the cannon-fodder variety.
All of this makes me simultaneously annoyed at the protesting students and concerned that being so annoyed means I’ve become a hopeless curmudgeon.
If not "involved" I'd argue colleges/universities during the Vietnam war were "adjacent" due to being in the same country as one of the combatants, students' non-college peers being drafted to fight, and ROTC programs on campus promoting US military careers. None of these factors apply to the Gaza war.
And to further this point, the demands from protestors are along the lines of "divest from companies that we (the 19 year olds who have never had a job) have identified as somehow profiting from 'the genocide'".
A more tenuous connection you could not make, and yet....
They could demand the release of American citizens being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas.
... just kidding...
Excellent points all - thank you.
I think you're right. I think the protesters are also missing the obvious difference between the war in Gaza and the Vietnam War: The US doesn't have troops in Gaza and is certainly is not going to be conscripting any of them into it.