Veteran's Day

[lucaspa]

"The battalion had come back from Blanc-Mont ridge. No, the battalion was still up there. But anyway, oh hell, let me get this straight. A hundred and thirty-four of us had come back from Blanc-Mont ridge. We had gone up a full-strength battalion, a thousand strong." Sgt. Elton E. Mackin, 1st Battalion, 5th Marines.

The attack was Nov. 1, 1918

 

[LifeToTheFullest!]

Respect to all who are, and have, served.

 

[AV1611VET]

And a salute as well --

 

[Freodin]

What kind of respect does stupidity and blind obedience deserve?

My respect goes to all you refused to serve!

 

[AV1611VET]

What kind of respect does stupidity and blind obedience deserve?

What a shame.

If you can't respect the person in the uniform, would it be too much to respect what the person in the uniform died for?

That is, freedom and your right to belittle him or her post mortem?

 

[bps916]

What kind of respect does stupidity and blind obedience deserve?

My respect goes to all you refused to serve!

Thats not cool at all bro-
Ex 11 Bravo

 

[TemperateSeaIsland]

It would be nice if everyone in every nation would refuse to take up arms but unfortunaly that doesnt happen. Anyway...

YouTube - Nimrod Enigma Variations Elgar Remembrance Sunday 2009

 

[Willtor]

What kind of respect does stupidity and blind obedience deserve?

My respect goes to all you refused to serve!

I see from your flag that you are from Germany, and I understand the cultural mentality regarding all things military. My thesis advisor was German, as was the head of the grad department, and both had a few things to say about American militarism. I can appreciate the sentiment.

But many of the people who serve really believe that they are going to help preserve liberty with their lives or well-beings. That is their intention. Even if that is not how the military is used, surely the intent is worthy of praise.

 

[AV1611VET]

YouTube - Military Tribute - Lee Greenwood God Bless The USA

 

[Cabal]

Darn, missed this thread by a day.

Got a poppy in my jacket for you all.

 

[Cabal]

What kind of respect does stupidity and blind obedience deserve?

My respect goes to all you refused to serve!

Really not cool at all.

 

[Freodin]

What a shame.

If you can't respect the person in the uniform, would it be too much to respect what the person in the uniform died for?

That is, freedom and your right to belittle him or her post mortem?

What they died for? You mean, they died fighting for the freedom of every upright American in a glorious fight against... err, a lot of respectable people who fought for the freedom of every upright German / Japanese / Spaniard / whoever the evil enemy of choice in the US is at the moment.

No, sorry, I cannot respect the person in the uniform... I can only pity them. There may be cases where there really is a "just war" against the forces of evil, and WW2 might rightly considered one of these... and no, I don´t just rant against the prevailing US-heroes-who-died-for-freedom slogans because "my team" lost.

But WW1 definitly wasn´t such a war... it was a completely meaningless and useless wholesale slaughter, and regardless of what the participating soldiers were told... they weren´t fighting for freedom or for honour... they were fighting for the stupidity and stubborness of their superiours.

Mourn for the victims... don´t glorify them!

 

[Chesterton]

But WW1 definitly wasn´t such a war... it was a completely meaningless and useless wholesale slaughter, and regardless of what the participating soldiers were told... they weren´t fighting for freedom or for honour... they were fighting for the stupidity and stubborness of their superiours.

WWI wasn't meaningless. There were a lot of Germans who really needed to be killed.

 

[AV1611VET]

What they died for?

I'm not going to dignify this conversation in a thread dedicated to honoring veterans.

Haben Sie einen netten Tag.

 

[Freodin]

I'm not going to dignify this conversation in a thread dedicated to honoring veterans.

Haben Sie einen netten Tag.

So are you willing to honour all the veterans of the opposing forces, even those who killed the 800+ American soldiers that the OP told of?

Why do you think they fought?

Do you people really think that the noble american soldiers went out because "a lot of Germans needed to be killed" while the Germans were all greedy huns who went out because they wanted to loot, rape and plunder?

And if you don´t think so... if you can accept that those who fought against the US did that in the same belief of their own right and cause... where is the honour of a lot of righteous guy killing each other because some high-ups thought that this was a good idea?

 

[jayem]

With all due respect to veterans, what does any of this have to do with science?

 

[Tinker Grey]

With all due respect to veterans, what does any of this have to do with science?

^^This

 

[LifeToTheFullest!]

War is what keeps the world economy stable. Accept it.

 

[Split Rock]

What they died for? You mean, they died fighting for the freedom of every upright American in a glorious fight against... err, a lot of respectable people who fought for the freedom of every upright German / Japanese / Spaniard / whoever the evil enemy of choice in the US is at the moment.

No, sorry, I cannot respect the person in the uniform... I can only pity them. There may be cases where there really is a "just war" against the forces of evil, and WW2 might rightly considered one of these... and no, I don´t just rant against the prevailing US-heroes-who-died-for-freedom slogans because "my team" lost.

But WW1 definitly wasn´t such a war... it was a completely meaningless and useless wholesale slaughter, and regardless of what the participating soldiers were told... they weren´t fighting for freedom or for honour... they were fighting for the stupidity and stubborness of their superiours.

Mourn for the victims... don´t glorify them!

I have a lot of respect for those who died or bled for my country, regardless of the war or conflict. I consider them all heroes. My father was one of those who served in Europe in WWII and received a Purple Heart.

Your sentiments about WWI, however, I agree with. Not only were the political events leading up to the war stupid, arrogant and hard-headed, the political events after the war ensured that it was all to be in vain.

 

[driewerf]

What kind of respect does stupidity and blind obedience deserve?

My respect goes to all you refused to serve!

I agree totally with freodin.
There is a little Greman rhyme my mother told that express exactly how I feel about:

wir kämpfen nicht für Fatherland,
und nicht für deutsche Ehre.
Wir sterben für den Unverstand
und für die Millionäre.

In translation, is says:
we don't fight for the country
and not for German honour.
We die for the stupidity
and for the millionairs.

What were and are (!) wars other things than ruling class that want to extend it's rule even more and make more profit? If needed, at the cost of hundred thousands of death.
The Allied armies in Irak don't went here to bring peace or democracy. They went they to control the oil, to make sure the big oil companies could accumulate more profit.
What was WWI other than a war for colonies, where different world powers tried to establish their rule over the colonial world?

I prefer to honour those two people:


Rosa Luxemburg

Karl Liebknecht

Both went to jail for opposing the war, and were in it end even killed for it.