I tried to enlist when I was 17...but back then, the Army was picky.Originally Posted by earthJoker
I tried to enlist when I was 17...but back then, the Army was picky.
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I'm not what you would describe as the military type, so no.
Such is Life...
Although I've never been to boot camp, I'm under the impression that serious military training is all about indoctrination and brainwashing. "Break ya down, build ya up ta be a killah" type stuff. Sure, there's the discipline that translates well into a work ethic and what not, but still.... I'd not like to have my kids subjected to that unless there was a need.
The Rules
Copper- behave toward others to elicit treatment you would like (the manipulative rule)
Gold- treat others how you would like them to treat you (the self regard rule)
Platinum - treat others the way they would like to be treated (the PC rule)
Not me.
Guy asked me: "do you want to be in the military", I said "no" and that was the end of that. I had a moral objection speech prepared and everything but just "no" worked fine.
I could have had class. I could have been a contender.
I could have been somebody. Instead of a bum
Which is what I am
I aim at the stars
But sometimes I hit London
Honour, courage, camaraderie, death. It would permanently alter the mind-sets of your children, indeed their very personalities and values, into something you might or might not recognize, let alone understand or empathize. What kind of need would possibly warrant that?
In the future, the Berlin wall will be a mile high, and made of steel. You too will be made to crawl, to lick children's blood from jackboots. There will be no creativity, only productivity. Instead of love there will be fear and distrust, instead of surrender there will be submission. Contact will be replaced with isolation, and joy with shame. Hope will cease to exist as a concept. The Earth will be covered with steel and concrete. There will be an electronic policeman in every head. Your children will be born in chains, live only to serve, and die in anguish and ignorance.
The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.
A fight for our lives, our nation, etc. Like if the Canadian army come streaming across the border in an unprovoked attack... it could happen...
The Rules
Copper- behave toward others to elicit treatment you would like (the manipulative rule)
Gold- treat others how you would like them to treat you (the self regard rule)
Platinum - treat others the way they would like to be treated (the PC rule)
You know what the wise Germans did when the Red Beast was rolling forward? That's certainly preferable to a "life" of inhumane and uncontrollable circumstance
In the future, the Berlin wall will be a mile high, and made of steel. You too will be made to crawl, to lick children's blood from jackboots. There will be no creativity, only productivity. Instead of love there will be fear and distrust, instead of surrender there will be submission. Contact will be replaced with isolation, and joy with shame. Hope will cease to exist as a concept. The Earth will be covered with steel and concrete. There will be an electronic policeman in every head. Your children will be born in chains, live only to serve, and die in anguish and ignorance.
The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.
There is no greater glory than to die in battle defending your home, your fields, your family.
The Rules
Copper- behave toward others to elicit treatment you would like (the manipulative rule)
Gold- treat others how you would like them to treat you (the self regard rule)
Platinum - treat others the way they would like to be treated (the PC rule)
House, car, some savings. Y'know, having equity and a little cushion, never living hand to mouth.
It's a rough definition, but it'll do.
Who said they would all go in the military? National service, not military.
Where's the "lamentation of the women" part?
With taxation, they're already working for the benefit of their nation in addition to their conglomerate-corporation over-lords
In the future, the Berlin wall will be a mile high, and made of steel. You too will be made to crawl, to lick children's blood from jackboots. There will be no creativity, only productivity. Instead of love there will be fear and distrust, instead of surrender there will be submission. Contact will be replaced with isolation, and joy with shame. Hope will cease to exist as a concept. The Earth will be covered with steel and concrete. There will be an electronic policeman in every head. Your children will be born in chains, live only to serve, and die in anguish and ignorance.
The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.
They'll take up arms and FIGHT! This is AMERICA motherfucker. We ALL FIGHT!
The Rules
Copper- behave toward others to elicit treatment you would like (the manipulative rule)
Gold- treat others how you would like them to treat you (the self regard rule)
Platinum - treat others the way they would like to be treated (the PC rule)
Did civil service instead. The army physical (where everyone has to go to) was fun, though, and gave me an insight into the military mind.
I told the first guy I met during this procedure that I don't want to go to the army and that I wanted to do civil service instead. He got angry and yelled at me that I had to undergo the examination like everyone else and then, at the end, I could make my statement again.
So I went through the exams and was met by another guy at the end, who proceeded to tell me: "Well, tank driving or Airforce is out of the question, but you could do Navy or other branches of the Army or ... blah ... blah." When he was done with his speech I told him that I wanted to do civil service instead. He promptly yelled at me why I had not said so right at the beginning!
Right.
When the stars threw down their spears
And watered heaven with their tears:
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the lamb make thee?
I can't be the only one that went/goes to the army.
"Wer Visionen hat, sollte zum Arzt gehen." - Helmut Schmidt
Well, this is a pretty bright community here. In the US, smart kids generally don't go into the military unless they are poor, in which case it's a great road up. There are exceptions, but for most smart kids they're much better off just getting to college and starting their career.
*cough* West Point *cough*
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I wouldn't do it again, but I could go to the medics in the hospital, so my actual duties aren't really hard. But it's the other military stuff that was really stupid.
"Wer Visionen hat, sollte zum Arzt gehen." - Helmut Schmidt
My high school was a public military-brat school. None of the advanced ranked students were in ROTC, and only a few of us were connected to military families. A hand full of us took the ASVAB on a dare, and that was a bloody mistake. Once you own the 4 year ROTCers the guys never get off your back. Our salutatorian signed up right before graduation, but only because he ran into trouble and was denied entrance into FSU (he was a living example of a van wilder).
I wonder about the population at places like West Point, and how many of those attending are because of family tradition, or connections.
Freakin awesome word. It allows one to express valid generalizations without somebody else pointing out the inevitable exceptions.
There are some very bright guys in West Point. There are very bright guys outside of West Point. I'd argue that Cain was one. But generally the sharper tools don't go into the military, because there are much more reliable roads to success in the US. The exception is people who have a particular interest in the military, i.e. the lifestyle or serving the country.
Please understand I'm not disrespecting the military or its personnel. My father and his brothers all served. but like it is a good road for a poor kid to move up, it's not that great a road for a smart kid with opportunities. Those kids are much better off going to college.
One perspective. I have no doubt others would disagree.
That's a myth: http://www.heritage.org/Research/Rep...ment-2003-2005
Military recruits are actually slightly above average when it comes to socio-economic status.
Hope is the denial of reality
Did I mention the word "mean?" No, I talked specifically about the bright ones, and even then was just generalizing.
Also, the military requires a high school diploma and no criminal record (well, those have been waived for a while due to the lack of warm bodies). So that's apples and oranges: there's a strong cutoff of the lower percentiles, which instantly puts them well above the mean. Congrats for trotting out a meaningless statistic!
HUH ? How old are you ?
Congratulations America
I'm not old, I'm 37.
I could have had class. I could have been a contender.
I could have been somebody. Instead of a bum
Which is what I am
I aim at the stars
But sometimes I hit London
Heh, my dad went to work in Africa and didn't get drafted because of that. Seems your way was easier
I read somewhere that the military prefers a draft, partly because it gets the good soldiers in who otherwise would not have joined. People who stay after being drafted apparently are (generally) better than those who volunteer.
OTOH, my uncle wanted to join the navy before he was drafted, but after his service he disliked it so much he did not pursue a career there anymore.
Keep on keepin' the beat alive!
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