New Year and the military spectacular.

It's New Year's Eve (or it was, until 20 minutes back) and Oz has watched the UK summer Edinburgh Tattoo on ABC TV, Again. Such a strange mix of spectacle, military skite, irony (the British National Anthem in Edinburgh Castle?) colonialism, and soldiers dressed to the nines looking too old and way too far being just back from Helmand Province. What head-space are they in and do these games help, or simply hide that space? All is played out against brass bands, skill, and bravado. Male bravado, mostly. Yet oddly there must be some civic pride involved as well - would really like to hear the view of my Scottish friends. I'm not sure that I'm knocking the Tattoo but every year it provokes such mixed feelings here. With the presence of soldiers who are part of current wars this spectacle takes on different responsibilities. Of course the current war aspect isn't new - soldiers fresh from duty in Northern Ireland have been part of the Tattoo in the past. Was their role made explicit? There's a dissertation in this. Any takers? Any knowledge of existing studies?