Rob, I'm a 48-year-old man, who proudly served as an USMC infantryman from 1993-1997. I've been out for 25 years, and that has given me many years to contemplate my service. For starters, I love the fact that I still consider myself combat ready. I am capable and willing to kill for my family's defense, and I have trained my children as well. Of course, they are not as proficient as a USMC trained grunt, but they will be adequate if shit hits the fan. When I joined, I had the ideals of pure Americana. Freedom, oppression, liberty, yadda yadda yadda. My ideals were that if someone threatens our glorious USA, I will kill them without abandon. I don't agree with sending our troops on missions that only benefit us financially. I support rapid deployment for threats, but only if justified. That being said, I don't trust this current administration, and I would not allow my boys to join the service.
Hi Jeff, I'm glad to hear that you are combat ready, and I also hope that your combat skills are unnecessary. I am cetainly not combat ready myself, and though I do consider myself a pacifist and would promote being a pacifist to everyone across the world, I do appreciate that if the life of my loved ones was under immediate or direct threat, I have no doubt that instinct would take over, though I probably wouldn't be much use. The point I was trying to make, that I'm sure you understood, was that without the compliance of our brothers and sisters around the world to shoot on command, there could be no wars, ever. I know this is a utopic, fantastical wish, but If I can make a pledge that I will not fire a weapon at anyone that my government tells me to, then everyone and anyone can make that pledge also. The point that really sold pacifism to me was that by retailliating to an attack you are allowing yourself to be overwhelmed with the evil that already overwhelmed your attacker. This is particularly useful to keep your calm if the attack is not physical. But like a said. As much as I see myself a pacifist, instinct will do what instinct does when the time comes. As much as I look up to Jesus, i'm not certain I could emulate him.
I think the mere fact that there is this conversation, which isn't the first time it's been spoken or on display, as it were, but it's telling that you call this idea about non-compliance being a "utopic, fantastical wish." Well, maybe it is, maybe it isn't, I don't know. All I know is, I long for it to be true. And I long for everyone to long for it to be true.
Thanks for a heart-felt and heart-y post, Rob Dubya.
I'll never forget during the "Cold War" laying in the mud in Germany on the border with Czechoslovakia peering through a rifle scope at soldiers who were peering through a rifle scope back at me. I was terrified and also saddened to think that neither of us ever wanted to kill one another. I didn't understand politics and these ridiculous wars the way I do now. If there's one good thing to say about ancient history and war it's that at least the kings, princes and dukes actually put on the armor and went out to meet their "enemy" face to face. Today these filthy politicians and weapon manufacturers cozy up together and watch the young people get blown to bits while eating popcorn and toasting with champagne. I often say, "I'm a veteran and I'm allowed to be anti-war!"
Thank you Rob. The closest I ever come to war was the beach landing in Saving Private Ryan, which was, frankly, close enough. Nothing quite beats personal accounts of this madness. One of the occurrences that always stood out to me as insane, even as a child, was the Christmas Day truce of 1914. That one day when the war slaves were allowed to play together as brothers and share stories and break bread, only to be told by their masters the very next day to blow the crap out each other again. And yet to this very day we are told about it without a single mention of the insanity of that whole situation.
Very well said. In one of my articles, I suggest that the key to stopping "humans keep signing up to do the dirty work of psychopathic leaders and happily kill and maim their brothers and sisters just because their leader tells them to", is for us humans to begin to identifying them for what they are
Thanks Gary, I always refer to them as psychos and criminals. I think most know this is true even if they wont admit it to themselves. Im slowly getting the hang of bringing this up in polite conversation without being being asked to remove myself. People seem to be thankful that someone else has said it.
Rob, I'm a 48-year-old man, who proudly served as an USMC infantryman from 1993-1997. I've been out for 25 years, and that has given me many years to contemplate my service. For starters, I love the fact that I still consider myself combat ready. I am capable and willing to kill for my family's defense, and I have trained my children as well. Of course, they are not as proficient as a USMC trained grunt, but they will be adequate if shit hits the fan. When I joined, I had the ideals of pure Americana. Freedom, oppression, liberty, yadda yadda yadda. My ideals were that if someone threatens our glorious USA, I will kill them without abandon. I don't agree with sending our troops on missions that only benefit us financially. I support rapid deployment for threats, but only if justified. That being said, I don't trust this current administration, and I would not allow my boys to join the service.
Hi Jeff, I'm glad to hear that you are combat ready, and I also hope that your combat skills are unnecessary. I am cetainly not combat ready myself, and though I do consider myself a pacifist and would promote being a pacifist to everyone across the world, I do appreciate that if the life of my loved ones was under immediate or direct threat, I have no doubt that instinct would take over, though I probably wouldn't be much use. The point I was trying to make, that I'm sure you understood, was that without the compliance of our brothers and sisters around the world to shoot on command, there could be no wars, ever. I know this is a utopic, fantastical wish, but If I can make a pledge that I will not fire a weapon at anyone that my government tells me to, then everyone and anyone can make that pledge also. The point that really sold pacifism to me was that by retailliating to an attack you are allowing yourself to be overwhelmed with the evil that already overwhelmed your attacker. This is particularly useful to keep your calm if the attack is not physical. But like a said. As much as I see myself a pacifist, instinct will do what instinct does when the time comes. As much as I look up to Jesus, i'm not certain I could emulate him.
I think the mere fact that there is this conversation, which isn't the first time it's been spoken or on display, as it were, but it's telling that you call this idea about non-compliance being a "utopic, fantastical wish." Well, maybe it is, maybe it isn't, I don't know. All I know is, I long for it to be true. And I long for everyone to long for it to be true.
Thanks for a heart-felt and heart-y post, Rob Dubya.
I'll never forget during the "Cold War" laying in the mud in Germany on the border with Czechoslovakia peering through a rifle scope at soldiers who were peering through a rifle scope back at me. I was terrified and also saddened to think that neither of us ever wanted to kill one another. I didn't understand politics and these ridiculous wars the way I do now. If there's one good thing to say about ancient history and war it's that at least the kings, princes and dukes actually put on the armor and went out to meet their "enemy" face to face. Today these filthy politicians and weapon manufacturers cozy up together and watch the young people get blown to bits while eating popcorn and toasting with champagne. I often say, "I'm a veteran and I'm allowed to be anti-war!"
Thank you Rob. The closest I ever come to war was the beach landing in Saving Private Ryan, which was, frankly, close enough. Nothing quite beats personal accounts of this madness. One of the occurrences that always stood out to me as insane, even as a child, was the Christmas Day truce of 1914. That one day when the war slaves were allowed to play together as brothers and share stories and break bread, only to be told by their masters the very next day to blow the crap out each other again. And yet to this very day we are told about it without a single mention of the insanity of that whole situation.
Very well said. In one of my articles, I suggest that the key to stopping "humans keep signing up to do the dirty work of psychopathic leaders and happily kill and maim their brothers and sisters just because their leader tells them to", is for us humans to begin to identifying them for what they are
are stop electing them to positions of power, while we still have some semblance of democracy left! ( https://garysharpe.substack.com/p/how-to-avoid-a-hybrid-orwellian-huxleyian )
Thanks Gary, I always refer to them as psychos and criminals. I think most know this is true even if they wont admit it to themselves. Im slowly getting the hang of bringing this up in polite conversation without being being asked to remove myself. People seem to be thankful that someone else has said it.