What do you think of US soldiers?
- Thread starter mrhappyface
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Military personnel are very respectable people in general, but there are entirely too many who like to lecture about how they are somehow better than the average joe, and more deserving of my admiration. It's asinine to think you are a better human being because of what you do. Beyond that complaint, soldiers are very good people, and while a few naturally stupid people do things that reflect poorly on the whole (puppies off cliffs, acting like it's all some videogame, etc.), I still hold them in high regard.
There's a difference between murder and killing.Jonesy911 said:
The Government kills to protect. People murder for their own selfish gain.
OT: I won't judge the entire group, but they have my respect and I appriciate what they're doing for their country...
I agree with this. I'm very anti-war, but I know that soldiers are just people. In fact I have great respect for the military. My dad served for 20 years (in some way or another), all 4 of my uncles served, my mum served, and the military put a roof over my head when I was growing up.JZmada said:
You do get dickheads like that guy who threw the puppy off the cliff, but he's just a person. That's like condemning humanity in general because serial killers exist. You get assholes in every profession (as someone has already said). But you also get people who go above and beyond in feats of great courage (risking their life to save others, etc).
Overall, people who serve in the military don't deserve my admiration for being soldiers, nor do they deserve my dislike. I prefer to judge individuals rather than groups.
It's that kinda attitude that made us quit in vietnam. Seriously, if we would have stayed to the finish, vietnam could be looking like south korea right now, instead of one of the poorest, least desirable places to live in the world.x0ny said:
Myself, I was never a soldier, I was a sailor. All I did was operate a nuclear reactor. Never forced to go over to some sandy country. No bullets came close to my submarine. Zero casualties while I was onboard. Hell, I can claim that I was defending americas borders the whole time I was in the Navy. I have no problem with sending soldiers over to pacify a volatile area. As the policemen of the world, it's our duty to ensure that atrocities don't occur while we are on duty. Clinton dropped the ball when he failed to respond in Rwanda. Gotta make sure things like that don't happen ever again.
hehe, ^^;; it's this kinda "Big Brother" attitude which makes the rest of the world despise the USA. The constant need to interfere with everyone else's problems and matters. I say, deal with your own country's issues first before helping others.gim73 said:
True enough. That's why this isn't so clear-cut as many here seem to think. If it were just as easy as not butting into people's business without exception, who knows what horrors could happen? And similarly: what horrors will now be perpetrated because of our action?gim73 said:
Nothing is ever easy.
War is killing with the mandate of the masses, generally to further the nation's economic interests, or the economic interests of the nation's elite. Murder is killing without the mandate of the masses, generally to further an individual's economic interests.Contun said:
Most wars have purely economic motivations which are rationalized to make the people feel better about them.
Being completely honest, I think the notion that soldiers are heroes is a bit of an overstatement. I have friends going into the military simply because they need the money. At the end of the day, for many soldiers it's nothing more then a job. While there have been deaths in the current war in Afghanistan, there are deaths in the majority of professions.
I suppose my opinion may be bent by the current war. I disagree with the ideologies behind it, the notion that America is in danger, and the method of eliminating suspected terrorists. There have been thousands of civilian deaths in this war, and while civilian deaths are inevitable in every war, I don't see them as being justifiable.
The notion recently occurred to me, that when a soldier signs up, they are effectively agreeing with and advocating the war. Maybe that's a stretch, but it makes sense in my mind. Although I sympathize with these men and women going across seas and being away from families and loved ones for long periods of time, I can not genuinely say I support them.
I suppose my opinion may be bent by the current war. I disagree with the ideologies behind it, the notion that America is in danger, and the method of eliminating suspected terrorists. There have been thousands of civilian deaths in this war, and while civilian deaths are inevitable in every war, I don't see them as being justifiable.
The notion recently occurred to me, that when a soldier signs up, they are effectively agreeing with and advocating the war. Maybe that's a stretch, but it makes sense in my mind. Although I sympathize with these men and women going across seas and being away from families and loved ones for long periods of time, I can not genuinely say I support them.
I think they are either greedy little bastards that like to make money while killing people and being jackasses, or poor unsuspecting souls that think that are patriots and are helping their country, but actually they are just some puppets for some power crazed politicians/business men that like to play the Total War series with real live persons, just for their amusement.
Well, in a sense it's a horrible shame. In another sense, if the military always had to stop and take a vote on every level of operations (from hardware mechanics to refuelers to army grunts) about what to do in every given situation, nothing would get done and we'd all be conquered and enslaved by other countries. Not trying to be a fearmonger about this, but you'd best believe there are still plenty of countries who'd take down the US if they could, for the resources if no other reason... Not saying that HAS happened recently, just that it might if our army was worthless.roses_and_flames2.o said:
I guess in this case an all-volunteer army is about the best you can do. That and appointing generals and officers who don't suck. That last point is the real tricky one.
I don't think army personnel are any "better" than anybody else, but they have a tough job. I respect them the same way I would anyone who risks his life so I can continue living in the manner to which I have grown accustomed.
And speaking of war, I recently read what is probably the best, most inspired comic about our current political situation. An excellent little bit of action satire which just seems really relevant right about now.
Having met quite a number of NATO soldiers and US marines, I have tremendous respect for them. I might not always agree with the politicians who send the off to fight, but the common soldier is not to blame for the wars.
Despite their bloody business, US troops are sometimes a guardian angels. Remember Bangladesh?
Despite their bloody business, US troops are sometimes a guardian angels. Remember Bangladesh?