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.
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!"
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
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.
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!"
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 )