Triggering the TroopssteemCreated with Sketch.

in #ramblerant5 years ago (edited)

I know many people have invested their lives in the belief that the military is virtuous. Often literally. It thus seems to them like a personal insult when someone questions the merits of their alleged service. The soldier's identity is so tied to the military that many reject even the slightest possibility that they might be in the wrong. I wrote a post a few days ago observing that many veterans who are proud of their service fighting for freedom are also the first in line to celebrate arbitrary authoritarian prohibitions and regulations. I conjectured this is due at least in part to military training and culture. This is no hasty pronouncement. I grew up in a conservative household, and was strongly pro-military and pro-police in my youth. I joined the Young Marines instead of the Boy Scouts, and was proud of that tangential connection to the service. In short, I did not reach my present position on this subject lightly.

Some of you will disagree with my views here in a civil manner. Some will agree wholeheartedly. And some of you are just as psychologically weak as the most easily triggered, snowflakiest SJW, and will denounce this as treason and cowardice. The usual response to criticism from this last group is name-calling, insults, and empty slogans about "protecting and serving," "love it or leave it," and "but men fought and died for your freedom!"

Yes, some soldiers fight and die. People fight and die for a lot of things, and under a lot of flags. That doesn't make it noble. The threats to my freedom aren't in Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Bosnia, the Korean DMZ, Yemen, Iran, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Somalia, Uganda, and who knows where all else the military has been deployed on peacekeeping missions in my lifetime. The threat is in the halls of the capitol, from the people who pay the military and order their deployment. The people who sent troops who killed student protesters at Kent State, disarmed civilians after Hurricane Katrina and are now threatening to forcibly disarm Virginian gun owners.

The denouncement of dissent from military members and their supporters only reinforces my impression that the military operates like a cult. A cult with guns that can, has, and will use jack-booted authoritarianism while they proclaim to defend freedom. Their god is the State, their icon its flag, and their salvation its growth. Their enemy is liberty.

Think that's hyperbole?

Military recruiters tend to pad the truth or outright lie about what the contract entails. Boot camp isolates the recruit, imposes a harsh schedule, and explicitly seeks to break down the individual psychologically through verbal abuse and arbitrary disciplinary actions. He wakes up on command, stands in formation, sings a hymn, and recites a prayer to his sacred emblem. He marches to chow, and then eats a communal meal on someone else's arbitrary, short schedule, or starve. Then drill. Individual failure means group punishment. Horizontal enforcement is encouraged. Obedience is rewarded sometimes, and failure, dissent, or disobedience is punished harshly, sometimes when it hasn't been committed in the first place.

The recruit is trained to worship the rank structure. More bars and rockers? Obey. Shiny metal bits? Obey harder. Shut up and do as you're told without question. Or else. He learns a jargon that is gibberish to the uninitiated. Of course, most specialized fields have jargon, technical terms, and slang, but the military adds to this a symbolism and mythology. Like a secret society, you're jumping through hoops in order to be granted the honor of joining at the lowest official rank instead of being a mere prospect or aspirant. This is classic cult conditioning. "But it's to prepare troops for the battlefield chaos," you say? Bullshit. It's to ensure the conscience can't kick in under any circumstances whatsoever when they receive their orders. They're trained to live their lives on someone else's schedule, follow someone else's rules, obey someone else's orders, and just shut up and do as told.

Do you believe we mundane civilians take our liberty for granted, and you deserve respect because you wore a uniform? Anyone not in the military is presumed inferior, undisciplined and weak, right? How does your obedience to superiors and capacity for violence on command demonstrate virtue? Sure, the military has codes of conduct, military law, and rules of engagement. But orders come from the brass, and the brass gets their orders from the politicians, and the politicians are undeniably corrupt bastards who lie, steal, and cheat their way into power. There hasn't even been a nod toward a congressional declaration of war since World War II, and yet we have been subjected to the Korean war, the Vietnam War, Gulf Wars I & II, and innumerable other military interventions around the world. What happened to the oath to uphold and defend the Constitution against all enemies foreign and domestic? No, soldiers obey the domestic enemies and make excuses when they break the rules that are supposed to restrain them. Because that is who pays them.

Oh, right, some of you think I am the domestic enemy because I question the legitimacy of your system. Those who challenged my prior post have demonstrated that cult trait to a T. That alone should prove my point that the military is no friend of liberty.

Sort:  

If you are only able to call me a troll, you prove my point.

As per the definition:

In Internet slang, a troll is a person who starts quarrels or upsets people on the Internet to distract and sow discord by posting inflammatory and digressive,[1] extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses[2] and normalizing tangential discussion,[3] whether for the troll's amusement or a specific gain.

source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

So, yeah, you are a troll.

However, you do seem to enjoy the freedom and liberty you have, without any respect for those who ensured it for you.

So you are not only a troll, but a very self centered, disrespectful and extremely crude troll at that too.
Your crudity is expressed via your intolerance and outright ignorance and add to that your attempts to twist the facts around so as to suit your ego.

You don't even have an agenda, you are literally wasting our time, time that will never be replaced and as such is not worth wasting on selfish little people who don't even have the decency to show any appreciation or respect for what they have in life.

Out.

Internet troll
In Internet slang, a troll is a person who starts quarrels or upsets people on the Internet to distract and sow discord by posting inflammatory and digressive, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community (such as a newsgroup, forum, chat room, or blog) with the intent of provoking readers into displaying emotional responses and normalizing tangential discussion, whether for the troll's amusement or a specific gain.
Both the noun and the verb forms of "troll" are associated with Internet discourse. However, the word has also been used more widely. Media attention in recent years has equated trolling with online harassment.

Flagged for hate speech.

How specifically is this hate speech? Don't be a snowflake.

Really? I mean really! Did you know that President Richard Nixon (also a Quaker) served in the US Navy (Commander) for 24 years? He served in the South Pacific during WWII.

President Jimmy Carter also served for 18 years in the Navy also serving during WWII.

No, Bad Quaker. It is YOU that are the snowflake.

As a: retired member of the military, a lifetime member of the American Legion and Non-commissioned Officers Association and also a member of Veterans for Peace; I must say your diatribe is very nasty and distasteful.

I have witnessed war first hand. I have seen it up close and hate it more than anyone can imagine. Yet; sad to say it is a necessity. Your attack on those of us that have served in the military hurts us a great deal. Many of us deal with our own guilt and the ghosts that haunt us.

Often when people thank me for my service, I feel very peculiar. I do not feel that I am worthy of that thanks.

I speak for myself and some of those I have known and currently know that are Veterans.

Thank you for your attack on our honor. I believe in free speech, and will defend your right to say what you like. That does not make you any less an ass-hat. That is my freedom of speech. Thank you for hurting my sisters and brothers that have served honorably and have sacrificed physically and mentally.

I do not ask for your respect. I do not ask for you to salute me or even like me. As I said, I hate war more than many could ever imagine, yet; if called upon, I would once again serve. I am being as civil as I can. So continue to attack those that serve, that is your right. Expect those that you insult to respond.

You are a recipient of my infrequent down-vote, because evidently you are just a dick.

You say war is a necessity. However, under what definition of just war has the US deployed troops since WWII? It has all been old men sending young men to fight and die for their political ambitions, not defense of hearth and home.

You believe I attack your honor. I do not. I question your actions and their effects, regardless of your motivations. I question the model of the military. I question the politics behind military adventurism. Especially in a world where the military is not conscripted, it is the duty of the soldier to examine the premises and principles behind his choices and actions. But the military teaches obedience, not critical thought. This is a pitfall if the goal is defending freedom.

Hey I've got a great idea, let's single out a portion of the population and stereotype them! Definitely not for their race, gender, or religious beliefs because that would be hate speech. Let's single them out for prior federal service it's totally different.

Suggesting that someone's chosen actions are destructive violations of liberty is not "stereotyping."

To judge a person by their actions is the exact opposite of stereotyping. Otherwise it would be "stereotyping" to say rapists are bad guys for committing rape.

You seem to be the triggered one since you can't stop posting your hatred for everything military. Did someone touch you in the naughty spot while you were in the Young Marines? Or do you just hate yourself for being a librarian?

Can you comment without resorting to pathetic fallacies?

I have been critical of government since I started here. You're just mad because you think government enforcers should be exempt from criticism.

I also disagree with our leaders in many ways, yet I do not look to overthrow our form of government no matter how imperfect it may be.

Not only a military Veteran, but I am also an activist. I take exception to you attacking the men and women who have served honorably in our Nations. I am not a Nationalist, but consider myself a Patriot. I defend the Constitution and the rule of law.

Your attacking honorable people who have served their Nations makes me want to puke.

If you defend the Constitution, what is your response when the government routinely violates the very rules designed to restrain it? "Rule of law" protected slavery, Jim Crow, prohibition, and innumerable other injustices. What is your standard to weigh legality?

If you are indeed honorable, you will recognize that I have struggled with these questions before arriving at my current conclusions instead of dismissing me as a cranky troll.

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Oh, and by the way?

You want attention? You got it.

Calling someone a coward because they question your beliefs is such a superb rebuttal. And there is so much courage in blind obedience.

General Mattis, General Kelly, General McMaster? Tell me again about blind obedience.

I wonder sir, in what unit did you serve...I mean other than the boy scouts, I mean Young Marines?

Tell me, how is that relevant to my observations? If I am in error, enighten me. Address the arguments, not the individual making them.

I was wondering about it, prior to making any comment, so I could do so with perspective; It was going to be pertinent to my comment one way or another and ergo relevant to your observations. I didn't want to antagonise the situation by commenting without that knowledge. However, in hindsight, maybe it would be best that I don't comment or engage further as it seems you aren't really interested in a dialogue on this topic, or from me in general.

That's ok of course, it's your prerogative, just as your opinions are yours to have and promote.

I shouldn't have engaged with you I guess, considering the following statement which doesn't really invite a conversation anyway. I regret it, as I regret some of the other things I have done in my life based on not having the full-picture prior to acting.

And some of you are just as psychologically weak as the most easily triggered, snowflakiest SJW

I wish you all the best in your future endeavours.

I made that statement based on my observation that many cannot handle dissenting views, as evidenced by the irrational, angry comments I have received here and elsewhere for criticising the police and military. If you're willing to engage in civil discourse, so am I.

You know, I almost downvoted your post to make it disappear. after your response to my comment. I didn't because that would have been wrong, a knee-jerk reaction and against my beliefs. I wanted to communicate with you. I've sent several of your posts to curangel as one of their curators you know, and have to say I've always found something interesting in them. I believe we've also conversed back and forth a little too.

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We are human, and don't always agree, and whilst in the past I've thoughts differently, as I get older I tend to behave in a more balanced and calculated manner. Wisdom? Maybe. I don't know.The old me is still there, just waiting to go to war with someone - I've lost none of my ability to do so, I just stifle it now and am better for it. I have better relationships and conversations here and in the real world.

We are all entitled to our opinions and in my opinion should be able to show respect for others and theirs, whilst getting our own message across. As I gun owner, (so many guns) I am faced with this conundrum all the time...Just for example. Argue my point, or just agree that an anti-gun person is entitled to theirs. I simply go shooting and leave them to their own opinions. They won't change mine, and I won't theirs. No point arguing. Let's all just have a beer and live our best life huh?

I'm not going to say more on the topic you raised in this post. My opinion doesn't matter. Don't worry, I have one for sure, but would rather just have beers and burgers, sit around and tell lies. Ya know?

All the best.

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