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12-14-2012, 05:51 PM | #61 |
Doctor Wtf
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Badelaide, Baustralia
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Policing is different.
But yes, I think that "armchair moralist" at least entails "hypocrite", if not being an exact synonym.
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Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl. |
12-14-2012, 06:52 PM | #62 |
I love it when a plan comes together.
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There are always differences, there are differences between US conventional forces and spec. ops. forces. to the extent that they operate under separate chains of command. In order to economize, the US went to the Total Force concept back in the '80s and police like Big Sarge, who would join the National Guard expecting to be called up for domestic humanitarian and police actions are being deployed into foreign conflicts. The differences between police and military are narrowing through overlapping participation which brings the legitimacy of the double standard into question as the domestic and foreign threats become more similar in nature. Just sayin'.
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12-15-2012, 02:13 PM | #63 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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I'm having a hard time imagining a US soldier in Afghanistan, out on patrol, with the imminent threat of being killed/maimed coming from every direction including below, pondering the Geneva Convention rules or the morality/wisdom of the "Big Picture".
Granted I've never been in that situation, but I do know shit happen fast, a be quick or be dead moment. So it seems logical to be pondering survival, not only for self preservation, but because dead/wounded don't achieve objectives.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
12-15-2012, 02:32 PM | #64 |
I love it when a plan comes together.
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Well, you know, the "Kill 'em all, let God sort them out." strategy doesn't work for atheists. Go figure.
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12-15-2012, 05:33 PM | #65 | |
Doctor Wtf
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Badelaide, Baustralia
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I know, I made that sound easy, and it isn't. How a soldier is supposed to tell a friendly village kid trying to mooch some candy, from a hostile village kid pretending to mooch candy so he can scout your position and inform the enemy, is beyond me.
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Shut up and hug. MoreThanPretty, Nov 5, 2008. Just because I'm nominally polite, does not make me a pussy. Sundae Girl. |
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02-17-2013, 11:10 AM | #66 | |||
We have to go back, Kate!
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Yorkshire
Posts: 25,964
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Interesting little comment piece in the Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf...oral-scars-war Quote:
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02-20-2013, 03:40 PM | #67 |
The future is unwritten
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 71,105
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I knew quite a few guys coming home from Vietnam saying what the fuck was that about. I did my tour, my national duty, and nothing changed. Nothing good, nothing bad, nothing but more dead people. For what?
I'm not speaking of draftees either, but guys that were gung ho for god & country, sign me up, volunteers. They came back disgusted and disillusioned. I've had people tell me these guys expected too much, that draftees didn't care as much, but I think that's bullshit. Draftee does not mean dodger they caught, not by a long shot.
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The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump. |
02-20-2013, 10:57 PM | #68 | |
Read? I only know how to write.
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One would think we learned from that mistake. The military intentionally placed key assets in the Reserves and Guard so that future wars would have consequences. And still George Jr massacred more American soldiers in Mission Accomplished for similar self serving reasons. Colin Powell acknowledges that the strategy failed. Moving assets out of active duty units did not avert another foolish crusade. Now we have the decades legacy of so many Americans whose productive future has been harmed for the greater glory of another self serviing president. So many Americans raised to think war is normal and makes a nation stronger. The legacies of that war (not just the so many physically and mentally scarred) taxes everyone's future. Last edited by tw; 02-20-2013 at 11:04 PM. |
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11-25-2016, 08:44 PM | #69 | ||
I love it when a plan comes together.
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