For all who serve or have served .....

[Steel Blue 91]

in the military of their country.......Thank you for you dedication and sacrifice in the defense of freedom.



I did and am a big fan of those who do.

[RobsanX]

Cheers to all the Vets! SnusOn!

[Jason]

^^^Ditto! To all the past, present, and future vets!

[Zero]

Well, I for one marked the event with bitterness and cynicism. Another year, another mindless ritual - nothing changes. Nobody remembers anything. Nobody yet understands.

Still in schools we refuse to admit about WWI that which we refuse to admit publically about the current wars in the Middle East - that it was a war for power, oil, and supremacy. But no, we still cling to the fairy tale that Archduke Ferdinand was such a great guy that an entire continent almost killed each other over the matter of his death.

Nobody remembers that the first British regiment deployed in the war went directly to Basra - to get the oil before the Germans did. Nobody remembers about the Berlin-Baghdad railway the Germans were constructing (and which remained incomplete as of the start of the war - obviously the objective of British to stop them).

And still for year after year, for war after war, the young idealistic (and not) men of so many countries are drawn into their nation's military apparatus where they are subjected to intensive psychological programming and sent to die for the objectives of rich and ambitious men - men who, unlike the leaders of old, no longer even muddy their boots with the soil of the battlefield, nevermind shed even a drop of blood for their oppressive conquests.

Some would thank them for protecting our mythical freedoms - the usual cry of battle and a well-worn excuse for killing one's neighbours - but others of us simply shake our heads and wish for the day that soldiers grow the brains and the balls to say no - to think about what the **** they're doing and to one day extricate themselves from the blind servitude of men who feed them bullets and propaganda.

So while some may praise this blind devotion and suggest that good intentions are enough, I roundly disagree. Having a heart is useful, but without a brain it will just get us all killed. Lest we forget... what a farce. We didn't remember anything in the first place. Let us continue to ignore history at our own peril. Let us continue to give mindless ritualistic thanks to people for things we do not understand at our own peril. Let us continue to operate in the framework dictated to us by tradition and march like automatons to our own doom.

Let us continue to allow powerful people to manipulate our thoughts and control our ideas. Let us never question the infalibility of the leadership or the military.

[Pus]

Seeing I'm Icelandic and I live in Norway when the times come I should "serve" I don't have to because Iceland does not have their own army. Good if I turn out being lazy, but I don't know yet. :^D

[bakerbarber]

oil, power, and supremacy?

What about stopping Hitler and stopping the Holocaust?

What about the Pacific theater?

Would anyone be better off today had the Allies not won?

Seriously if some secretive elite society wanted to dominate the world supremely why let Japan keep it's independence? Why stop short?

War is muddy and complex.

I for one thank every Veteran of the free world who sacrificed everything to defend and protect us.

If you're reading this thank a teacher.
If you're reading this in English, thank a vet.

[holnrew]

WWII is the only truly just war of the 20th century.

[Dead Rabbit]

1. World War I curriculum in nearly every school in America addresses the nationalism, weapons industry, secret alliances etc. etc. etc. for why the war started. You’re utterly wrong.
2. I’m yawning too much to get into the difference between a justifiable war and a non-justifiable war.
3. You’re a classic key board cowboy, bro. You must feel real safe telling every veteran to “grow brains and balls” behind a warm little lap top from the confines of your pretentious and cozy coffee shop or shabby sheik apartment.
4. I swear to God, I will pay for a flight for you to come here next Veterans’ Day, and look at my friends and family in the face, like a real man, and read your trite, pseudo-intellectual rant directed at those who serve and for that matter, those who have died. In fact, I know just the grieving family and the cemetery where you can do it at.

I bet you couldn’t do it. I bet you couldn’t look a mother in her eyes who has lost her son in war and talk about the lack of brains and balls of that slain serviceman.

Veterans Day isn’t a celebration of war, you wordy douche-bag.

I know, I know, this is exactly the rise you’re trying to get out of someone with a post like that. Congratulations, I took the bait. Now take mine: A flight to wonderful Detroit, all expenses paid, Nov 11, 2009.

[bakerbarber]

Wow WWI

I guess my last post begins out of context. Regardless I glanced over, too swiftly, a long flaming opinion before replying.

This thread does no justice to the meaning of Veterns Day, armisatce day, or any other remembrance and display of appreciation to our men and women who do and have served.

[holnrew]

Nevermind.

[RobME]

Is that directed at me?

Umm... No, he's certainly pointing that at zero; A few posts above yours.

[holnrew]

Ah ok. Thanks... I'm not too intelligent at this time of day ops:

[Starcadia]

War is clearly an inevitability of human nature and will continue to be until the last two humans walk the earth. I do not like it, nor do I understand or respect it, but I have to take my hat off to those who, for one reason or another, have found themselves in life-or-death situations in their dealings with other humans. Especially the principled among them, the ones who do not just believe in what they're doing, but know what they're doing and stop because of it, either by choice or by death.

[Zero]

I know, I know, this is exactly the rise you’re trying to get out of someone with a post like that.

Not at all. In fact, I wrote it despite the fact that I expected such reactions from a few.

I’m yawning too much to get into the difference between a justifiable war and a non-justifiable war.

Don't bother.

WWII - barely justifiable (not counting massive US aid to Nazi Germany)
Everything else - not

There's an easy way to tell - When your troops land on enemy land first, you are not justified.

I bet you couldn’t do it.

I lack a fair bit of what one might call "normal" human empathy. People crying for illogical reasons has very little effect on me. It's like the Darwin awards - have you ever read the Darwin awards and felt sad? Or did you just laugh? Same thing. WWI is like a great big Darwin award - only not funny, just stupid.

[Steel Blue 91]

Zero,

Eventhough I dissagree with what you have said (and believe), I and others have put ourselves in harms way to allow you the freedom to say it without fear of a late night knock on your door and days or weeks of questioning and re-education.

Father Dennis Edward O'Brian said it best:

"It is the soldier, not the reporter,
Who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the soldier, not the poet,
Who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the soldier, not the organizer,
Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate.

It is the soldier, Who salutes the flag,
Who serves beneath the flag,
And whose coffin is draped by the flag,
Who allows the protestor to burn the flag."


Have a nice day.