@tehwatever
I get that, I get that BUT!!!
Everyone is so focused on one side of what John Walker represents that they ignore the other part; the human part.
John Walker is a PTSD-riddled super-stressed human being who is burdened with an enormous weight that no person, superhuman or otherwise, can carry on their own and received no help, even from those he depended on or expected to get from. As the series progresses, we see this burden slowly kill him inside out and despite his well intentions of wanting to be a good role model and save American lives, the larger-than-life situations he’s been forced into has caused nothing but grief.
And now, he’s completely broken. I’d say that being Captain America, despite it being his dream, was also the worst decision he’s ever made for himself.
You’re right that he represents the horrible nature of what present-day militaristic America is but he also represents
the victim of this state. He is the victim of the government not treating its soldiers well, the victim of survivor’s guilt and lack of support. He is no different than a veteran of the Vietnam War, except now he’s also a matyr.
No one can live up to Steve’s legacy, not even Steve. The difference between Steve Rogers and John Walker isn’t because Steve is a good person and John’s an ass, but because Steve didn’t have that pressure and expectation early on. Steve acclimated to the intensity of his position over time, while John was literally thrown into the sharks. In a sense, Steve had a privilege than John didn’t.
It’s sad as shit, yo.