Both of these (the public's worship of the military, and the military's disdain for the public) have experienced a clear upward trend over the last 20 years Bu

Both of these (the public's worship of the military, and the military's disdain for the public) have experienced a clear upward trend over the last 20 years But "the public" isn't one thing. The right-wing half of the public respect the military, and the left-wing half despise it while revelling in the freedom it provides, which also includes the freedom to despise it. I mean back in Soviet Russia if you spat on the uniform of a soldier of the Red Army, I imagine you would have been in alot of trouble. Or in China with the PLA.