Warmonger culture in a nutshell

[Stuart Mackey]

Ah, but the military is only voluntary in principle. In reality, recruiters will essentially try to bribe people into joining, and often times the sort of people who join the military are pretty much boned—financially, legally, whatever the case may be—otherwise.

But they can still make a fine force as one famous commander said about his lot of drunks and thieves.

People talk of their enlisting from their fine military feeling — all stuff — no such thing, some of our men enlist from having got bastard children — some for minor offences — many more for drink; but you can hardly conceive such a set brought together, and it really is wonderful that we should have made them the fine fellows they are.

[Lonestar]

Also, remember that recruiters have been known to lie.

Friend of mine, speaks 5 languages, wanted to get in the Army. She thought she was doing a 2 yr program, and when she read the fine print, it was 7.

Uhm...yeah, Linguist jobs ten to be 6-year active duty...I mean, when your "A" School is close to a year, it doesn't make a whole heck of a lot of sense to have you in for only 4 years.

Allow me to relate a personal anecdote that has little or no bearing on this. I signed up not long after 9/11, and departed for Boot the June after. There was a guy in my Recruit Division who had signed up to be a STS(that is, submarine sonar tech, as opposed to surface sonar tech). Fella bitched and moaned all the damn time, because it didn't occur to him that he would go on deployment at any given point.(He signed up before 9/11)

Of course, he didn't like it when, in an attempt to shut his ass up, I pointed out that (1)the USN are the first responders for Crisis no matter what and (2) He could have bounced out all the way up to the morning he left MEPS(the processing station).

As you might guess, I have very slight contempt for people who join up and act all surprised to find out that they are leaving the country and God is gonna abandon them for 6/12/15months straight while they are in some shithole/staring at the Ocean/staring at the Bulkhead for that time. How this flies over people's heads is beyond me.

[Knife]

Friend of mine, speaks 5 languages, wanted to get in the Army. She thought she was doing a 2 yr program, and when she read the fine print, it was 7.

Well, technically, the first contract you sign for enlisted is always eight years.

[Big Orange]

I'm not surprised that politicians who are the most rabid zealots contribute the less pragmatic help in important situations (like not offering real support to soldiers supporting their idiotic policies and shouting down or smearing people who call them out on their BS).

[Darth Yoshi]

But they can still make a fine force as one famous commander said about his lot of drunks and thieves.

*snip quote*

I don't doubt that, but my point was that since the military isn't really a volunteer one in practice there isn't any justification for running them ragged like the chickenhawks do. Not that there ever is one.

Well, technically, the first contract you sign for enlisted is always eight years.

Aye. However many you sign up for as active, and then the difference in the reserve.

[Knife]

Well, technically, the first contract you sign for enlisted is always eight years.

Aye. However many you sign up for as active, and then the difference in the reserve.

Indeed, however that active/reserve ratio is variable. Most are four and four, while mine was six and two while still others are two and six.

My point being is it's up to you, the signee, to actually read the damn thing and know what your signing.

[SirNitram]

The Republicans, ever too scared to say 'Boo' to George Bush, are proposing a 'Sense Of The Senate'.. A non-binding, non-enforcing, non-anything empty statement of 'Understanding the strain of the Troops' instead of Webb's amendment mentioned here.

And you can bet the Blue Dogs will obediently line up to join in helping Bush.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

And you can bet the Blue Dogs will obediently line up to join in helping Bush.

Fuck the Bush Dogs, we don't need their Quisling filth around these parts if they won't hunt.

Seriously, it's time for Americans to do some research and vote in the most lefty Dems they can find for at least one election cycle.