Do you look down on people who...

[~Di]

I certainly wouldn't look down on anyone who decided against joining the military. The military is hardly for everyone. Nor do I look down on those who do decide to join the military.

[Cantousent]

Forgive me if I'm restating an argument. I came late and I don't want to read everything. If my argument is a rehash of an earlier argument, simply take it as support for the orginal.

 

We have an all-volunteered military. Folks don't try to stay out of the military. They simply don't volunteer. The question is absolutely irrelevant. However, since our local troll asks, the simple answer is: no, I don't look down on people who "try to stay out" of the military.

[LoneWolf16]

I'm avoiding it because screaming doesn't motivate me to action. That, and dieing in a hail of gunfire, burning to death, exploding, bleeding to death, or various other ways the military helps you pass on into the light, somehow don't appeal to me.

 

And the Russian thing...how do they get away with that? Why doesn't the government take action? That goes above and beyond normal hazing. Jesus, people around here think tieing a kid to a pole for a night naked is "a terrible, scarring endeavor". Then again, our country is.......we're not the brightest collection of stars in the sky.

Edited May 6, 2006 by LoneWolf16

[Eddo36]

It went more along the lines of 'lose all respect for me.'  And she probably was right, but I'm getting pissed off at college, and if I enlisted in the Navy I'd be able to get paid for learning the stuff I'm paying to be taught at the college now.  Also the insurance you get after your tour of duty is really kickass. 

 

But yeah, she's right, I know she is, but I still kind of want to.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Just join the Naval Reserves. She wouldn't be mad if you're off 1 weekend a month. Just don't be a corpsman unless you wanna be called up in Iraq with the Marines.

[Fenghuang]

She was more upset about me being a part of the whole war machine. Wouldn't matter to her.

[213374U]

 

"Bunch of slack-jawed faggots around here.

Serving in the Army will make you a god damned sexual Tyrannosaurus, just like me."

[WITHTEETH]

I see the military as just another job opportunity. The working conditions didn't seem pleasant enough for me. Kudos for those people who are in the military, I once was a pen-stroke away, but the officer gave me a reality check a bit too soon and i walked out.

[Krookie]

If I understand the question, then yes. If you are asking if I look down on poeple who avoid the draft purposly (like moving to Canada from the US or something) then yes.

[WITHTEETH]

Diamond, you are from Russia, right?

Yes.

If I would live in Russia, I wouldn't go to army even for 100000 euros :S

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's right.

Looks like you understand the situation pretty well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My friend cut his wrist what looks like 4 times to get out of afganistan, and then booked it to the US where he still lives 17 years later i believe. Is it still mandetory?

[LoneWolf16]

If I understand the question, then yes. If you are asking if I look down on poeple who avoid the draft purposly (like moving to Canada from the US or something) then yes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

So, if I were to be drafted, but it was a war like the current Iraq war...and I left for Canada on "business", I'd be looked down on?

 

Dude, I want to die for a real purpose and not for something I don't believe in.

Edited May 7, 2006 by LoneWolf16

[Lucius]

Diamond, you are from Russia, right?

Yes.

If I would live in Russia, I wouldn't go to army even for 100000 euros :S

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's right.

Looks like you understand the situation pretty well.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

My friend cut his wrist what looks like 4 times to get out of afganistan, and then booked it to the US where he still lives 17 years later i believe. Is it still mandetory?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes it's mandetory in Russia, I think they get several years in the army if I'm not mistaken.

[Visas Marr is hot]

who gives a **** about who joins the army? u americans r so ****ing trigger-happy

[Lucius]

Ban plz. :angry:

[kirottu]

Oh come on. He

[ShadowPaladin V1.0]

Well I wouldnt go out of my way to join. I'd make a great warrior, but a terrible soldier.

 

But I certainly wouldnt dodge the responsibility.

[Diamond]

My friend cut his wrist what looks like 4 times to get out of afganistan, and then booked it to the US where he still lives 17 years later i believe. Is it still mandetory?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yes it's mandetory in Russia, I think they get several years in the army if I'm not mistaken.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

2 years, to be precise. And the numbers decline every year because, more and more young males use all possible legal and illegal ways to avoid it. The government plans on making it 1 year, but at the same time to drastically reduce the number of legal exemption reasons.

[213374U]

Dude, I want to die for a real purpose and not for something I don't believe in.

Yeah. Including (but not limited to) coronary disease, traffic accident, cancer, or stroke. Real meaningful deaths, alright.

 

I know that's not exactly what you meant, but statistics say you'll most likely buy it due to one of those. I'd much rather have my brains make a nice wallpaper than be a cripple for the last years of my life. A matter of preference, I guess. )

[metadigital]

Dude, I want to die for a real purpose and not for something I don't believe in.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

But you're quite happy for someone else to die instead.

Colonel Jessep: Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You? You, [Lonewolf16]? I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for [strategic miscalculations and collateral damage], and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That [the collateral damage e.g. Hiroshima], while tragic, probably saved lives. And my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, and then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to.

[Plano Skywalker]

while I do appreciate what our uniformed men and women are doing, the Founding Fathers would be rolling over in their graves if they knew we were involved in so many foreign entanglements.

 

but then, they could have never envisioned WW II, the Cold War, the Space Race, etc.

 

take a look at Switzerland and I think you will get an idea of what the Founding Fathers envisioned for national defense...the CITIZEN SOLDIER. We do have the National Guard but I don't think the concept of "militia" was limited to just the National Guard. The Framers envisioned the entire country being a militia to protect life, liberty, and pursuit of property (which as later changed to "happiness").

 

The Framers wanted an armed citizenry, not a professional military.

[metadigital]

And that led to the US being delayed entering WW1, while they trained up sufficient recruits for the battle. Hence policy was changed to facilitate a standing army ... then it was thought better to be able to conduct war in two different theatres, simultaneously.

[Baley]

I too am quite happy for someone else to die in my place. I don't think Lovewolf claimed to be altruism personified. I'd say it's quite normal for a human being to put self-preservation before say duty or this new kind of follow your enlightened leaders patriotism. I'm pretty sure that he just wants to die by his own volition, be that as a 90 year old man in ****-stained bedsheets or a 25 year old kid in a war he does believe in against foes he does wish to see dead.

 

I for one freely admit that I am too much of an apathetic yellow-hearted coward to serve in a war, I've always found wars philosophically challenging and interesting in that grotesque little way in which I enjoy gratuitous violence, from a throughly detached point of view obviously.

[Judge Hades]

The point of war is not to die for your country but make the opposing soldier die for his.

[Fenghuang]

Wrong. The point of war is to bring the other country into utter submission to yours by any means neccessary. It's larger than the individual level. Losses are acceptable if they mean a larger success elsewhere. Atrocities sometimes must be commited in the name of stemming larger ones down the line.

[metadigital]

I too am quite happy for someone else to die in my place. I don't think Lovewolf claimed to be altruism personified. I'd say it's quite normal for a human being to put self-preservation before say duty or this new kind of follow your enlightened leaders patriotism. I'm pretty sure that he just wants to die by his own volition, be that as a 90 year old man in ****-stained bedsheets or a 25 year old kid in a war he does believe in against foes he does wish to see dead.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's called living in denial.

[Judge Hades]

Wrong.  The point of war is to bring the other country into utter submission to yours by any means neccessary.  It's larger than the individual level.  Losses are acceptable if they mean a larger success elsewhere.  Atrocities sometimes must be commited in the name of stemming larger ones down the line.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

So you are saying that one of the greatest genrals of US history, Patton, is wrong. Interesting.