Does anyone *really* have any respect for the modern day soldier?

[stan1980]

I have to admit, I have none.. or very little.

The peacekeepers perhaps, but 98% of the others, I'm afraid not. And this is coming from someone whose parents were both in the army. I just don't see why anyone would so want to become part of the machinery of the state. Especially not one fighting in the BS wars that Britain and other western countries currently shame themselves in.

Everyone likes to say how we should respect people who are out there fighting for our freedom, but lets face it, all the people I know who joined the army are there because they spent 10 years messing around at school instead of knuckling down. So I guess the thought of playing around with guns and killing innocent people is probably quite appealing to these sorts.

So if someone comes home in a body bag... well that is an occupational hazard I'm afraid. I feel a little bit of sympathy for people who get maimed and lose their legs and stuff, as I would for any human being who ends up like that, but I'm afraid you reap what you sow.

 

[The Nihilist]

Isn't there some other part of the internet you could be stupiding up?

 

[Yusuf Evans]

Stan, let me say a few things and I'll try to keep my temper also.

1) I could care less whether your respect me or other servicemembers. It's not why we joined the military. So you can take that superior arrogance and stick it somewhere.

2) Just because you think you're truly informed about the current global conflicts(which is what your basing your opinion on), you are grossly ignorant. In the broad scheme of things, you have no idea what Soldiering means other than what you have been fed by the media, whose sole purpose is to make money.

That's enough of a rant for now. Have a good day.

 

[keith99]

Nah,

I don't have any resprct for a kid from a lower class background whose chances are limited who sees a way out of that situation and grabs it with both hand even if it puts him (or her) at risk.

 

[karisma]

I don't think soldiers deserve any more respect than anyone else doing their every day job or busting their butts in grad school or staying home and raising kids.

 

[300B]

Well, lets just say I don't raise them to demigod status like some do.

I suppose we should be glad that somebody wants to be in the military, but why they would is beyond me. I don't feel any sympathy because of the conditions they have to live under, poor pay, being away form home for long periods, etc. I do feel a lot of sympathy for the families of those who come back in the body bags or maimed for life (and the maimed). The war in Iraq may be one of the "BS wars" as you put it, but the college aged kid in the desert that is fighting in the "BS war" didn't start it, that fool in Washington did. He also doesn't get to pick and choose where to go, if or when he will fight, or if the cause is right or wrong. Like I said, I don't understand the thought processes of someone who chooses the military as a job or career, but somebody has to do it.

I would imagine that "the thought of playing around with guns and killing innocent people" is actually appealing to very few in the military. And while death and dismemberment may be an occupational hazard, don't be so casual about it. Criminals reap what they sow, soldiers are necessary, like it or not. You should show a little more respect, after all, if the fine people of the Channel Islands invade, your army will defend you, I'm sure.

 

[dlamberth]

I have to admit, I have none.. or very little.

I have total and complete respect for our solders. It's our Governments who sends them into wars based upon lies that I don't have respect for.

.

 

[ArchaicTruth]

Are you alright Stan? Normally you seem like a decent person but these last few topics you've posted seem awfully agitated. Something up? I don't supposing you're pmsing are you?

 

[quatona]

I have problems with thinking in terms of "respect" (or lack thereof) when it comes to anonymous crowds.
That said, I must admit that I personally have little understanding for anyone who thinks of organized state-sponsored mass killing in an alleged "us vs. them" scenario as a legitimate means of problem solving, and even less for those who engage in it or join an organisation that serves this purpose.
I just don´t get it.

 

[PassionFruit]

It's not fair for you to say the reason why people join the army is because they were messing around in school. There are a lot of reasons why people join.

 

[armyman_83]

I have to admit, I have none.. or very little.

The peacekeepers perhaps, but 98% of the others, I'm afraid not. And this is coming from someone whose parents were both in the army. I just don't see why anyone would so want to become part of the machinery of the state. Especially not one fighting in the BS wars that Britain and other western countries currently shame themselves in.

Everyone likes to say how we should respect people who are out there fighting for our freedom, but lets face it, all the people I know who joined the army are there because they spent 10 years messing around at school instead of knuckling down. So I guess the thought of playing around with guns and killing innocent people is probably quite appealing to these sorts.

So if someone comes home in a body bag... well that is an occupational hazard I'm afraid. I feel a little bit of sympathy for people who get maimed and lose their legs and stuff, as I would for any human being who ends up like that, but I'm afraid you reap what you sow.

 

[RangerJoe]

I have to admit, I have none.. or very little.

The peacekeepers perhaps, but 98% of the others, I'm afraid not. And this is coming from someone whose parents were both in the army. I just don't see why anyone would so want to become part of the machinery of the state. Especially not one fighting in the BS wars that Britain and other western countries currently shame themselves in.

Everyone likes to say how we should respect people who are out there fighting for our freedom, but lets face it, all the people I know who joined the army are there because they spent 10 years messing around at school instead of knuckling down. So I guess the thought of playing around with guns and killing innocent people is probably quite appealing to these sorts.

So if someone comes home in a body bag... well that is an occupational hazard I'm afraid. I feel a little bit of sympathy for people who get maimed and lose their legs and stuff, as I would for any human being who ends up like that, but I'm afraid you reap what you sow.

Wow Stan! I thought KarateCowboy was the biggest failure on CF when he posted that homosexuals were equivalent to pedophiles and those who practice beastiality. It's nice to see we have a heir to the throne, however.

As far as your comments go...I will try, also, to take this without losing my temper.

I joined the military and scored a 99 on the ASVAB with a 155 GT score. I achieved a 1575 on the SATs and could have gone to any college of my choosing. To imply that I just "messed around" during school is a slap in the face. I joined the military because I didn't want to walk the same path as every other citizen in this nation. I value the rights I do have and was willing to sacrifice a few for everyone else. But it also means I have the right to blast idiocy right out of the water.

I enlisted before the war in the middle east began. I was ranger qualified with the 82nd airborne. I do not agree with the war but I signed a contract. It's not about whether you bloody well agree with it or not..It's about whether or not your willing to uphold your end of the bargain. I didn't say, "I'll obey the orders of the President of the United States and all the officers below him, unless I think he's an idiot." I swore to do it regardless.

I went in..I watched over my squad brothers as best I could..I accomplished my missions and I went home. It comes down to personal courage. But hey, by all means, keep working at that office and having your lagers and lattes because quite frankly, it's pretty easy to see who can stand up to the true challenges in life. Your average solider has no say in what happens. They just follow orders. If you want to lose your respect for someone, lose respect for the ones who make the decisions to pursue needless aggression in the first place.

For the love of franks and beans...the fail is just too thick to wade through.

 

[Ryal Kane]

I have quite a lot of respect for the military. Most of ours are involved in peacekeeping duties or disaster relief. They train hard, sacrifice a lot and do their job. Many of them study and gain degrees. (I think the NZ army pays a year of study for a year of work)

You can disagree with the wars they get sent to and there are situation in which one or more do criminal things but this i seldom more than any other sector of the population.

War atrocities are usually the result of a culture of dehumanization, both of self and enemy and it is arrogant and ignorant to think that any one of us would be immune to such change were we in the same situation.

 

[quatona]

War atrocities are usually the result of a culture of dehumanization, both of self and enemy and it is arrogant and ignorant to think that any one of us would be immune to such change were we in the same situation.

Agreeing with you in that we are likely not be immune to such change were we in the same situation, I see the solution in refusing to do anything that might get me into such a situation, in the first place.

 

[Jane_the_Bane]

I find people who venerate the military perfectly odd. What's there to venerate? Okay, it's a tough job. But so is working in a steel mill or as an E.R. surgeon. And I don't see the same veneration going their way.

All that nonsense about "fighting for freedom" strikes me as quite asinine propaganda - at least as far as the latest wars of the sole remaining superpower are concerned.
Iraq didn't pose a threat to American civil rights - the Bush administration, however, did.

 

[flicka]

I don't hold an across the board respect for any group or occupation. Like everything else in life, it depends.

 

[Domenico]

I dont know about the whole military, but I certainly have respect for my friends and family in the armed forces.

 

[Foolish_Fool]

When used for it's proper job, defense, an army is a beautiful and noble thing. However, over the past half century ours has lost it's way and been relegated to being the governments henchman. Many people join up for the right reasons, but they get ordered to fight the wrong battles.

 

[StarCannon]

Stan, what's wrong? Why are you ranting? People usually don't rant if they don't have a reason.

My two cents...
I know some peeps who were in the military. I look at them and go: wow. And I respect those peeps I know for their wisdom and integrity.
Y' know what? there's nothing wrong the soldiers. They're doing their jobs. Congress and president and the generals aren't. Lets fix THAT problem first.

 

[SallyNow]

I don't put soldiers on a pedestal, but I do think they are doing a necessary job.

Do I respect them more than, say, doctors, nurses, social workers, teachers, professors, police officers, firefighters? No. Why would I?

Of course, I do not respect soldiers who abuse their power and abuse or terrorize civilians. But I do not respect anyone who does that.

I do have trouble respecting a government that had people joining up for the military only to throw them in to an unjust war.