AZGrizFan wrote:Cluck U wrote:There have been very few times when our military was needed for a Nobel Peace Prize winning effort. More often than not, our military is used for profit in the name of keeping 'Merica strong.
The use of our military has been a sham that has benefited the wealthy while killing the very people that we are supposed to be protecting (the boy next door...ours and theirs).
But in today's world, with the continued consistent misuse of our armed forces, and the wealth of information available to anyone who is willing to read...from Vietnam to...cripes, just about any engagement in the last several decades, no one should be happy about the way our military is used.
Which brings us back to the statement that I question why anyone would choose the military these days knowing that you can be called up at anytime to kill some person (or be killed by that person) half way across the world when that person isn't any threat to us. For most people, there has to be a better decision.
Couldn't be further from the truth, my friend. Our military is used on a DAILY basis for humanitarian missions across the globe. In reality (and I'm kind of making this up) the VAST majority of things our military do/support have very little to nothing to do with actual "military stuff" like fighting bad guys and/or raping and killing innocent women and children.
Now, one could build an argument that the actual MILITARY engagements since Viet Nam could be questioned, but you need to move beyond that to see what the military (as a whole) really does on a day-to-day basis. My career (22 years, NEVER a shot fired in anger, but participated in multiple at-sea rescues, humanitarian and natural disaster relief missions, etc., etc.) is WAAAAAAY more representative of the vast majority of service-members than the "tip of the spear, killing bad guys, raping and pillaging for Haliburton" image you like to portray.
Sorry man, but the reality is, the military is pretty fucking boring but for a select few.
Don't be sorry..this is a good discussion. Thanks.
BTW, not sure if you saw that video 93 posted. Really good video. "Tip of the spear" is what the Marines talked about...not me. Warrior ethos. Many other terms, but the video was clearly meant to portray the Marines as a FIGHTING force...not a humanitarian aid service.
So don't blame me as the messenger of that image....it is what is sold from the Marines in that video (and it is also the main selling point of the advertisements). Again, they aren't pouring money into that commercial, and their, "ethos", for no reason...they've studied their audience and know what works.
Aslo, I realize that most service folks don't see combat these days. Heck, many folks didn't see actual combat during Vietnam, but 50,000 died. And we have added a bunch of names to the list of the dead in conflicts that are ridiculous. Geez, how many times are we going to repeat the old Hamburger Hill tactics? Are Afhgan hills any different than the hills in Vietnam?
That doesn't change the fact that the Marines are sold as a fighting branch...and that the armed services attract what amounts to be a bunch of testosterone filled young, foolish boys (and now girls, eunuchs, and 50 shades of grey area genders) that are either oblivious to our ridiculous foreign policy use of our soldiers, or they like such decisions because they want to be part of that spear, or they accept the roll of spearchucker...wait, that isn't PC...and killing some people that aren't really our enemy, as part of a trade off for skills.
As far as the humanitarian use of the armed services...that's a good thing.
