"I don't think I'm a pathological liar," he lied.
I was thinking the same thing. If he said "yes," would that have been a lie? :lol:
To the first poster's point, while there have been military imposters over the years, there seems to be a huge uptick in poseurism (or at least more publicity surrounding the phenomenon).
My unsubstantiated explanation is that Americans hold the military in the highest regard since WWII. Almost like never before, the military is seen as actively defending the United States and protecting citizens -- made more powerful in that it's entirely volunteer. Even GWoT detractors are quick to say they support the troops.
Culturally, we've seen television shows and films that celebrate the warrior profession (or in lesser iterations, fetishize it); they are societies modern heroes. And for someone with pathologically low self-esteem, identity issues, and next-to-no moral compass, it must be awfully attractive to pretend to be a soldier, a modern American hero to many, and receive whatever accolades, envious looks, pats on the back they crave.
It's clear to me that this guy is sh*thouse rat crazy. And although I appreciate that a MSM outlet such as CNN publicly outs this guy, I believe putting him on the air only stroked his stunted ego. Many poseurs are also con artists; chances are he'll glom onto some other scam.