[hotpotamus]

While I was never eligible to serve in the military due to a health condition, I can also say that violent video games had the opposite effect on me that many adults feared they might - I learned via first person shooters that other humans were quite skilled at killing me and was smart enough to know that there aren't any re-spawns in real life. As a result, I never wanted to get in a gunfight with anyone.

Also, while I was quite naive to the realities of the geopolitical order as a kid (and probably am now too as an adult), the clear hard sell pitch that George Bush gave the country about how we needed to invade Iraq made me instantly suspicious of his motivations. I think that instinct has proven quite correct in retrospect and is probably one of the happenings you're alluding to over the last few decades.

That's just me as an American Millennial, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's somewhat of a general view.

[rightbyte]

Even your "cynical" view is a bit rosy. Indirect fire is the main killer. Most soldiers won't even see an enemy soldier before they are dead or wounded.