"Shut up because I'm a soldier!"

[Khada]

Stupidity is stupidity and wrong is wrong. Soldier or no. That said, I would say you're both looking at the problem from the wrong point of view. You see, you're both discussing how to fix an issue using the same system that causes it when the underlying problem is the system itself.

In other (and perhaps more relatable) terms: Sometimes the bug is in the game engine, not the code you wrote for it. It's much harder to fix and you might even have to change to a new engine but it's better to fix the problem properly than to pretend it's somewhere else and let it run rampant.

 

[funguy2121]

snip

Actually thought this was going to be far less thoughtful than it was. It sounds like the (former) soldier in question here also happens to be an old fart. No, his time served in 'Nam and his bravery several decades do not grant him carte blanch to make such statements regarding non-war topics with impunity.

 

[Warforger]

This is going to be a touchy subject since we Americans idolize soldiers as much as we do. So I'm going to establish right off the bat that I respect soldiers for what they done and the sacrifices they've made. This wont stop most of the knee jerk reaction I'm sure this will get but maybe some of it.

I agree with you. The American military is over-idolized, all it is is just the same people you see everyday, there are pedophiles(well not ones CAUGHT anyway) in the military, there are rapists(same) in the military, there are racists in the military, there are gang members in the military, there are people in the military who go back home and become convicted murderers as well as normal every day people. So it's not really a morale or intelligence indicator.

 

[godofallu]

Yeah it's annoying. "Oh I was off in Iraq fighting to protect you!" No see the thing is you weren't fighting for me, I don't even want you there. You did it for whatever reasons, but my opinion certainly wasn't taken into consideration.

 

[ZombieMonkey7]

trolling is still trolling, even if you are a soldier

 

[Felstaff]

Listen, son, I've done three tours of duty of my local Pizza Hut, and sustained two life-threatening injuries serving my country battling the hordes during the seasonal Wal*Mart rush. I know what I'm talking about. You're just an unpatriotic namby-pamby liberal organic latte-sipping tree-humping tea-swilling vegan falafel-muncher who hates America and freedom. You're not a flag-waving all-American American until you've killed someone who's not American for not being American.

But seriously, though. I've known two U.S. soldiers, (and several non-U.S. soldiers, but that's not as relevant) and one of them, bless him, seems to spend his entire life trying to fit his military history into whatever conversation you can possibly have, usually with the most tenuous of links. The other one I have known for several years, and it wasn't until recently that I found out he has done military service, and seen a lot of things that no-one should ever have to see. I respect him all the more for this.

After all, I don't spend my life telling people my opinion automatically invalidates theirs due to my career choice (I'm an underwear model for Sears & Roebuck, specialising in frilly pink lacy numbers) even though, clearly, my history in my profession makes me somewhat of an expert in virtually any subject you care to think of.

 

[DoctorFrankenStein]

If someone tells me that they are/were in the military I usually say the same thing I do if someone tells me they were raised in a strict fundamental household. I.E.
That's terrible! I'm sorry.

Because it means that they were either so poor that they had to join the military because no other jobs were available.
Or because they got tricked by some slick recruiter into signing away most of their rights to go fight in futile jingoistic wars for oil and other resources directed from afar by the 1% of Americans that control most of the money and power.

Either situation is pitiable, and neither of them qualifies an immediate QED in an argument about an unrelated subject.
I love my partner more than anything, and he intentionally washed himself out of the army after a year and a half [before I met him.] He'll never go back if only because I told him I'd leave him if he did. It would break my heart, but he'd be spitting on everything I stand for.
Never again, even if they call for him.

 

[StrixMaxima]

I do not trust the military, of any country, with anything except on how to disassemble fast an assault rifle.

Soldiers are usually barely more than teens given weapons and canned ideology. They suffer unspeakable horrors during a very important time in the development of their character.

The tragedy of a soldier who faces real combat is abhorrent and one of the reasons we should be collectively ashamed. We, the only 'intelligent' beings in this world, cannot solve our problems peacefully. Then, we send other people's sons and daughters to die for __________ (fill the blank).

I pity soldiers. They usually do not deserve what happens to them.

 

[bobmus]

But does it trump the 'I'm a parent so I know' card??

 

[Berethond]

The only time that I see soldiers bring up their service for credibility is when it contains matters relevant to their service. (i.e. "Guns don't work that way and I know this because I was in the military and shot lots of guns.")

Most of the former soldiers I know even avoid this, and only reference their service when it is actually integral to a mis-representation of the military.

 

[Kolby Jack]

If someone tells me that they are/were in the military I usually say the same thing I do if someone tells me they were raised in a strict fundamental household. I.E.
That's terrible! I'm sorry.

Because it means that they were either so poor that they had to join the military because no other jobs were available.
Or because they got tricked by some slick recruiter into signing away most of their rights to go fight in futile jingoistic wars for oil and other resources directed from afar by the 1% of Americans that control most of the money and power.

Either situation is pitiable, and neither of them qualifies an immediate QED in an argument about an unrelated subject.
I love my partner more than anything, and he intentionally washed himself out of the army after a year and a half [before I met him.] He'll never go back if only because I told him I'd leave him if he did. It would break my heart, but he'd be spitting on everything I stand for.
Never again, even if they call for him.

Actually very few military recruits sign up because they are poor. Most are middle-class, in fact. And I don't know where this "signing away most of your rights" thing comes from. My life is not all that different from what it was before I signed up, and my added responsibilities are not so different than they would be if I had a similar-paying civilian job. Granted there are deployments to worry about, but there are hefty benefits from being deployed and the military does not shy away from warning us about the potential dangers. You also neglect to acknowledge those who sign up out of a sense of duty or family tradition long before any "slick" recruiter gets involved. Hell, all my recruiter did was give me an aptitude test and direct me towards jobs where my skills would be the most useful.

Judging by your harsh words, I doubt my testimony will convince you to think differently about the military, but I hope it at least you take what I've said into consideration.

 

[DSK-]

That being said, I don't think being a soldier automatically means their opinions are right. But they bring up their combat history as if that makes all their opinions right.

I don't think I've ever heard a soldier say that sort of thing. I've heard their opinions and beliefs about where they've been and what they've done, but never used such things to justify their opinions on stuff like you mention.

 

[dstryfe]

I have to agree. I posted a comment on Facebook recently as a reply to someone who brought up his military experience in a discussion about Warhammer. He then proceeded to talk about the politics, and the atmosphere, and people lined up to agree with him. While that doesn't sound too unusual (other than 'shooting people => pseudo-political rant,' perhaps), most left inane comments about his combat experience. Some, pointedly, about it making him infallible. Really? He knows what he's talking about because he's been in a war zone?

 

[Rin Little]

I've had to put up with something like this before. The guy was the most basic of infantry in his unit and used that as a standing the he was right in everything. He flat-out insulted an Iraq veteran because she was a woman, and said it was insulting because she was "safe" while some of his friends lost limbs. I screamed at him that he was a self-righteous prick and I don't glorify people in the military like he did because they know what they're in for when they sign up. If they're not willing to take the risk then they should keep out of it... Low-blow I admit but the guy was a douche.

 

[GoldenFish]

In New Zealand where I'm from it's sort of frowned upon to say you any better than anyone else or expect special treatment. Unless it had some relevance to the conversation I bet you'd get some weird looks saying your right because your a soldier.

 

[brainslurper]

In relation to his argument, if we forget inflation and give all the bailout money awarded since 2007 to citizens, each citizen would get a little over 35 bucks each. Its great when someone with combat experience brings it up when the issue has something to do with their experience, just like I would like a janitor to speak up if I had to clean shit off a wall.

 

[LAN MAC]

I totally wanna see a teacher do the same thing and see what happens, they both do important gov't work after all. So who should argue different? I think I'd rather deal with terrorists someone else's shit-head of a child.

 

[Dr Snakeman]

If we heard "The Military: someone has to do it, and joining will allow you to keep thep eace in a highly unstable region of the world. It may be morally and ethically complex, but someone must take this stand and sacrifice a part of themselves by taking the life of another man in the name of protecting innocents, a job very few can do." Then sure, I'd be fine with it.

Well, if it makes you feel any better, that's why I'm heading down that path. But I do think that being willing to take on that moral dilemma is something that can, in fact, be called "noble".

You are right, though, that not everyone in uniform necessarily deserves unquestionable respect. It's a shame that in this country you can be a complete jackass who's never seen a lick of combat, act like you know better than any civilian, and just sit behind a desk all day, and still be treated with the same reverence as a good man in the infantry who knows exactly what he's doing and why he's doing it.

 

[Professor_Page]

their stupidity is their own curse. its the stupid people who dont know how to adjust to the curve balls life throws at you. its the stupid people who dont know how to protect themselves from fraud.

i once had an argument with a guy while playing DDO over why I wasnt using the voice chat system. after i made my point, his response was to tell me that he served in Iraq, and therefore he was right and i was wrong.

at another point, i was talking about the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombs with a member of my family who served in the navy most of their life. i said that i thought it was wrong that so many innocent civilians had to die, and their response was "would you rather that a bunch of military personnel like me died in stead?" I really didnt know how to respond to that. i mean seriously? do most members of the military believe that civilians deserve to die and that the people actually doing the fighting deserve to live?

The whole thing that went on here, and the only reason the US decided it was ok to bomb civilians during WWII was because there was no separating line between the factories and the residential areas. People in japan worked on parts for the factory in the homes then brought them to the factory for final assembly. you couldn't bomb one without the other. yes its sad but it was truly the only way. Also they were meant to send a message, that we no longer needed an army to destroy them, just one plane with one bomb. I'm in the Airforce and currently in the middle east, I'm also a bit of a WWII buff. Anyway i also agree with the OP. just saying you're a soldier is BS. It's not an end all, be all to an argument. i mostly that because there are some really, and I mean REALLY, stupid people in the military. It just cant work that way.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

Fuckin' A, I dropped that *****!
(#1 quote by a random soldier)