skeith5
Regular Member
At the risk of a time out, you friend are a piece of s h i t.
+100, I served my country proudly!
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At the risk of a time out, you friend are a piece of s h i t.
Theaero,
I am a former US Marine, so I have some standing to comment. I too would advise to look closely before joining the military.
I have edited some of the comments above to removed disrespectful comments about our military. You may discuss public policy issues and leadership failings all you want but you may not insult our men and women in uniform!
John
Thanks for the info. At the moment I'm at BC, whose ROTC program is through Seattle U I believe. I will be talking to a few people next week.
My original plan was to join Marines, but was turned down because of severe food allergies. Natty gaurd seems to be a bit more accepting, less waivers, etc. I would love to be able to serve my country somehow, and going to school during is ideal. Either ROTC, or I just learned they have a plan where you split basic into 4 weeks each, two different summers.
I'm just internally consistent. I'm a strong libertarian and also relatively well read by today's standards. This can be a very painful condition to live with. No living vet has ever "served" my freedom in any way. My views were first introduced to me by my grandfather who "served" in WW2 on a battleship in the Pacific. He is now ashamed of that "service". Standing armies hurt my liberty and enhance the power of the state. Military "service" in this country at this time is no different than serving in the German military in the 30's and 40's. I've tried to warn the OP, and encourage him to do something productive, which admittedly is getting more and more difficult to do because of the growth of the warfare/welfare state.
Peace.
A vital element in keeping the peace is our military establishment. Our arms must be mighty, ready for instant action, so that no potential aggressor may be tempted to risk his own destruction...
This conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry is new in the American experience. The total influence — economic, political, even spiritual — is felt in every city, every statehouse, every office of the federal government. We recognize the imperative need for this development. Yet we must not fail to comprehend its grave implications. Our toil, resources and livelihood are all involved; so is the very structure of our society. In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by the military-industrial complex. The potential for the disastrous rise of misplaced power exists, and will persist.
We must never let the weight of this combination endanger our liberties or democratic processes. We should take nothing for granted. Only an alert and knowledgeable citizenry can compel the proper meshing of the huge industrial and military machinery of defense with our peaceful methods and goals so that security and liberty may prosper together.
-- Dwight D. Eisenhower on January 17, 1961
Have you ever witnessed the anger of the good shopkeeper, James Goodfellow, when his careless son has happened to break a pane of glass? If you have been present at such a scene, you will most assuredly bear witness to the fact that every one of the spectators, were there even thirty of them, by common consent apparently, offered the unfortunate owner this invariable consolation – "It is an ill wind that blows nobody good. Everybody must live, and what would become of the glaziers if panes of glass were never broken?"
Now, this form of condolence contains an entire theory, which it will be well to show up in this simple case, seeing that it is precisely the same as that which, unhappily, regulates the greater part of our economical institutions.
Suppose it cost six francs to repair the damage, and you say that the accident brings six francs to the glazier's trade – that it encourages that trade to the amount of six francs – I grant it; I have not a word to say against it; you reason justly. The glazier comes, performs his task, receives his six francs, rubs his hands, and, in his heart, blesses the careless child. All this is that which is seen.
But if, on the other hand, you come to the conclusion, as is too often the case, that it is a good thing to break windows, that it causes money to circulate, and that the encouragement of industry in general will be the result of it, you will oblige me to call out, "Stop there! Your theory is confined to that which is seen; it takes no account of that which is not seen."
It is not seen that as our shopkeeper has spent six francs upon one thing, he cannot spend them upon another. It is not seen that if he had not had a window to replace, he would, perhaps, have replaced his old shoes, or added another book to his library. In short, he would have employed his six francs in some way, which this accident has prevented.
-- Frédéric Bastiat from "Ce qu'on voit et ce qu'on ne voit pas" aka "That Which Is Seen and That Which Is Unseen" (1850)
You stated reality far better than I could ever have done. If I may ask, how long after you left the "service" and/or what age did you uncover the red, white, and blue Matrix? Did you do it before the internet or after?
Oh, my story starts right here on this forum. Which in a way only makes sense.
Have you considered the local rescue squad, fire or police departments?
Actually yes. I just inquired about volunteer firefighting in Bellevue a few weeks ago. This week I've had midterms, so I haven't followed up, but plan to.
However, I am not looking for a career. There is a lot I don't like about many PD. Do they offer volunteer programs?
I have edited some of the comments above to removed disrespectful comments about our military. You may discuss public policy issues and leadership failings all you want but you may not insult our men and women in uniform!
John
SNIP
Curtis LeMay was willing to risk WWIII during the Cuban Missile crisis. And, he killed vast numbers of German and Japanese civilians with his saturation bombing missions.
United States Coast Guard. More difficult to get in, but definitely worth the effort. In retrospect the USCG would have been the better choice.Does anyone know if I can do a ROTC program prior to joining the National Guard? I have been wanting to join, but school is getting in the way. I take classes typically every quarter at Bellevue College. I've yet to speak to a recruiter, but plan to soon.
How do I find an ROTC program?
I would like to point out that this country is not populated by 330 million "producers", but a number that is likely less than that and shrinking. This country is not chock-full-O-producers and I suspect that you know this.<snip> You can still serve your country. Just realize that your country is the 330 million citizens, rather than the government. The man who goes to work in the morning and produces some new computer code, or rebuilds a transmission, or delivers a UPS package is serving his fellow citizens.
This is a terrible suggestion. Ambulance (rescue squad) and firefighters are usually the first on the budgetary chopping block when a politician is thinking about his future political employment. The "entitled" are a far greater voting block than those who are employed as "first responders." Secondly, the surest path to creating a anti-liberty thug is recommend that a citizen become a police officer. A great many police officers compromise their principles to ensure continued employment.Have you considered the local rescue squad, fire or police departments?
It seems that OCDO has ruled that "bashing" the military and vets is a Rule 9 violation. However, the bashing of politicians and the federal government is not a Rule 9 violation.(9) HATE IS NOT WELCOME HERE: Any posts attacking others based upon race, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender-identity, or anything other than opposition to gun rights is NOT WELCOME HERE! We reserve the right to impose immediate bans for such behavior.
Which paled in comparison to what the imperial japanese did to territories they occupied. furthermore by the time japan was being saturation bombed the Japanese government knew they were going to lose the war without a doubt, but they refused to surrender until the atom bomb. Japan coulda surrended to the United States in 1943 and avoided all that. they knew there were losing anyway and chose to allow their people to be killed. who's fault is that? certainly not LeMay's.
The evil done by Japanese military in now way legitimizes the evil done by our government and military.
Read deeply on LeMay. You'll find he was very destructive personality who seemed to love war and killing. His advices to Kennedy during the Cuban missile crisis was the frosting on the cake--he wanted to risk WWIII, while others in the administration were bending over backward trying to find a solution that avoided his risks.
The government always comes up with good or plausible rationalizations for its games.
When a nation goes to war, it does so with the approval of its citizenry. At the very least that approval is is tacit. If the People don't rise up and remove the leaders, they are approving the war in which death and destruction are being wrought in their name--and risking personal death and destruction as a natural consequence.
This is a terrible suggestion. Ambulance (rescue squad) and firefighters are usually the first on the budgetary chopping block when a politician is thinking about his future political employment. The "entitled" are a far greater voting block than those who are employed as "first responders." Secondly, the surest path to creating a anti-liberty thug is recommend that a citizen become a police officer. A great many police officers compromise their principles to ensure continued employment.