View on soldiers? US and UK troops.

reply to post by EpicKingy


I encourage you to regard the degredations--haughty as some of them are--with a grain of salt. Naysayers have failed to effect foreign policy change (their duty) within their spheres of influence with the result that some have begun to turn their attention toward military servicemembers with hyperbole & degenerative oversimplifications.

I believe their collective heart is in the right place, though there are some who plainly lack the intestinal fortitude to acknowledge with what they have failed & instead liaise with a metaphorically burlesque & sadistic mistress of veiled propriety. What I mean is that some naysayers do not or will not acknowledge fault or failure for their part in foreign policy misadventure, & still some have the impudent boldness to make or imply terrible accussations & generalizations against military servicemembers without qualification. What would merit qualification? One option in this case would be that naysayers patrol the rough patches (e.g. Pech, Panjwai, Baqubah, et cetera) in your boots. Another option would be that they purchase a plane ticket to their region of interest & embed. Provided they survived the ordeal in either case, it would afford them perspective before they run off at the mouth.

Take it easy, dude.

My hats off to you brother.

I have many friends that joined the services.......They are all doing pretty good now.........I look at it as a job.....You could be back here worrying about something else..........

Just stay safe and careful......Who cares what some people say....Life is not a popularity contest, most would think it is, ...........but in all honesty who gives a crap what people think.....Bust your a$$ and do a good job to the best of your ability, and try to do the right thing. But sometimes crap happens and you have to roll with it................That is all that matters.............

You have my support.......

you have my respect and support..

you have the courage to do your job even if it means some people look down on you.
who would seriously leave their job, leave their families unsupported (especially these days whens theres not much work around) just because they dont agree with what they are asked to do.

its not the soldiers that are in the wrong, its the governments.

I support our troops in as much as I have no wish to see any of them harmed in any way. The same goes for the poor buggers they are expected to invade and kill in far off lands.
The alleged eneimies we face are manufactured by bankers, politicians and, in a very big way, the corporate media. Wars are good for buisness, if you happen to be in the business of supplying the arms and equipment to fight them, or reap the benefits of a subdued country flush with natural resources. For those doing the fighting, it's a lottery as to whether you'll come home alive or intact.

The politicians and others waving the patriotism around and telling the rest of us to support the troops, throwing words like "Heroes" around are playing mind games. Nobody wants to be seen as being unpatriotic and unsupportive of those making the "ultimate sacrifice" for their country. Only, they are not making a sacrifice for their country, but for the profiteers, who sacrifice absolutely nothing. This is one reason I refuse to get drawn into this whole "Help for Heroes" BS, another media created flag waving mind control scheme. As a taxpayer, do I not already provide the means of supporting the troops both in and out of theatre?

General Smedley Butler got it, and referred to being nothing more than hired muscle for big business and that war is a racket. It was true when he said it decades ago and is even more true today. The war machine has become a beast that needs feeding, from the squaddie with his boots on the ground to the manufacturer making the ever more efficient killing machines.

If peace broke out, just think of the carnage in the financial markets!

A lot of the decrying remarks here are made by "men" who are cowardly keyboard heroes who are not man enough to wear the uniform and what it means to be a soldier.

They dress up their cowadice and limp wristed manhood with politics etc.

Screw them mate!

You do not need THEIR validation.

The best they can come up in their pathetic lives is call you names or hit you with their manbag or guardian newspaper.

As a former soldier myself who has chewed the dirt, you will always have my support because you are family.

He who has served with me, both past and future is my brother or sister.

As for the rest


Go wear a slogan t-shirt or something, but dont wear it around me.

reply to post by CrankyPantsUK


So, you would use the only thing you have going for you, ie violence, to "sort out" someone who disagrees with your world view? Such a typical british reaction. You wonder why people have so little respect for the likes of you. Unless of course you value fear over respect, which is probably why you joined up in the first place.

If the UK was invaded by a hostile force, then I would fully support the military in their efforts to deal with it. But guess what? The UK has been invaded, and the military not only does nothing to protect the british public, but works for the benefit of the elite. Thats right, big business is the main reason most of those wars in the middle east are happening. The British military are working for the enemy. They have neither my respect or support, and whatever happens to them as a result of their concious decisions is entirely their own fault.

There is a lot of nonsense here.

The people in the military are professionals acting out the will of the British public. They undertake to give their life if necessary to defend the nation, thats worthy of respect. They surrender their right to pick and choose the cause for the duration of their service. It is the job of the public to ensure that that their elected leaders only use the services in worthy causes.

To say you respect the armed forces only when they are engaged in activities you support is the reasoning of a child.

Most soldiers/sailors/airmen are quite aware when they are being sent to risk their lives on fools errands with dodgy equipment. They get through with a camaraderie and a large dose of gallows humour.

If they are in a bad place it is because the majority are content for them to be there. Please direct your ire at the politicians and the people who elect them, not the armed forces.

Originally posted by Firefly_
reply to post by CrankyPantsUK

 

So, you would use the only thing you have going for you, ie violence, to "sort out" someone who disagrees with your world view? Such a typical british reaction. You wonder why people have so little respect for the likes of you. Unless of course you value fear over respect, which is probably why you joined up in the first place.

If the UK was invaded by a hostile force, then I would fully support the military in their efforts to deal with it. But guess what? The UK has been invaded, and the military not only does nothing to protect the british public, but works for the benefit of the elite. Thats right, big business is the main reason most of those wars in the middle east are happening. The British military are working for the enemy. They have neither my respect or support, and whatever happens to them as a result of their concious decisions is entirely their own fault.

So many assumptions

ALL wrong!

I would only ever be violent in self defense or to defend my family.

But do not think old Tommy is stupid either!

Most of the soldiers in theatre are young men without the benifit of a liberal education.

However it does not take them long to learn how stupid they have been after a tour or two!

They have REAL knowledge that did not come through internet chatrooms and books.

Experience!

You know how many ex soldiers are out there who are suffering beyond your tiny minds imagination with PTSD, combat stress and GUILT for being duped and their actions??!

YOU may want to check that out!

These guys would DIE for YOU in your defense.

Do NOT rope them in with the Elites!

As I said, Tommy isnt stupid, Tommy see's, and all of this will blow up in the elites faces soon enough, with the duped, battle hardened boots on their necks!

The way of life and freedom we enjoy now is soley due to those who have served their country over the past 200 years and more over the past 70 years. What would this world be now had Germany won WW2. And that list is long. People who serve their country put all their own wants and lives on hold along with giving an oath to die if needed following orders. It takes alot. Salute to each and every one past and present.

And if you haven't served and want to complain or bad mouth them or the system, please feel FREE to do so.
Because of those who have served before you, you can still speak your mind and do pretty much what you want. Just stop and spend a moment and thank those who died so you can protest, burn flags, or be otherwise disrespectful.

Those who serve by their own choice are a step above those who do not IMHO.

reply to post by StayAlert1


Thank you very much sir.

Very well said

Yes the soldiers picked their profession. But they still have to follow the orders that our "elected officials" give them.
If they do not then they get tried for treason and hung.

My only brother just landed in Afghanistan yesterday for his first Tour of Duty that will last a year. I now know how the families feel when their loved ones are sent into a war zone. All of our troops deserve our respect and support and they have mine, even though I do not agree with the war in Afghanistan.

My brother enlisted in the Army when he was young, did 4 years during peace time, got out and taught school. He re-enlisted a couple of years ago to further his education. He rolled the dice and believed Obama when he said that if he were president, he would bring all the troops home.

He doesnt want to be over there, but he will do what the leaders want him to do because of the oath that he took, and he will do it with the best of his ability. Whether the war is right or not, the soldiers are still serving their countries and will continue to do so with honor. We as a people need to get all the nuts out of DC who want to fight these ridiculous wars in the first place.

Take your frustrations and anger out on the leaders, not our soldiers. Our soldiers are just trying to stay alive and come back in one piece to their families...

You have my support and respect as do all our forces ! But to suggest that they are not been supported by our nation is far from true !!! I can think of at least three big charities set up in the last few years that have recieved a phenomenal amount of money !

I served starting back in 97 and wanted to do something fullfilling with my life, and left in 2005 when i realised i was fullfilling nothing but becoming something i never wanted to be.

When i left there was no way near enough support and had there been then i may have not have suffered for two years with depression and ptsd, and may not have gone into self destruct mode and tried not to completely **** my life up !! but hey i have moved and and learnt now.

Respect to all our forces! but just remember to look at the bigger picture and ask yourself are you conciously clear with the choices you make? and if you are then good luck, i never was!

Originally posted by BrianC
reply to post by EpicKingy

 

Where did you get that from? I know plenty about the wars, I just disagree with you personally so you are blinded with anger and refuse to argue on the issues merits.

Until you yourself have been in a war you don't know jack just what you've been told.

reply to post by BrianC


how ignorant can some one get, what country are you from pal

my friend is in the paras and got blown up a few months back luckly he wasnt badly injured but one died and a few others lost limbs, you should think of these blokes when your sat slagging um off behind a pc screen

reply to post by Exforcesuk


I think you have sum'd it up in one.

As you said "we are just trying to survive"

reply to post by CrankyPantsUK


Yes, they may die in my defence and I respect every single one of them for that. Truly I do, but what are they defending at the moment with these pointless and endless wars? Money. Anyway, no sympathy like many have stated every one of them put themselves in the situation they are currently in. They have my respect but definatly not sympathy upon signing up for that "career" they should of known what might come.

End of the day, many of these soldiers do carry out unlawful acts and many do not.

reply to post by EpicKingy


you're a puppet of your own choice, no? or were you drafted? stateside there is no draft. people join voluntarily. they do it for pay. i would much rather every one of you go to school or work somewhere else. if people such as yourself didn't willingly become muscle for the powers that be it would be a much nicer world. same thing applies for the mentally maladjusted who become law enforcement. there is something very wrong with someone who wants to run around armed with weapons for a paycheck.

reply to post by EpicKingy


I can't say I'd show compassion to any soldier who has to obey retarded/never ending orders because YOU chose that occupation, not me, so why should I feel sorry for you? Should you be seriously injured or killed in the line of duty....then thats a whole different matter.

Yes, some troops have done wrong and deserve to be confronted by the War Crimes Court but I don't throw all soldiers in the same basket. There are big corporations, banks, Police officers, politicians, priests, doctors, teachers etc also committing crimes against humanity and their fellow human beings. By saying that, a soldier has the moral right to reject any order to commit murder and crimes against humanity. You are trained to shoot and kill, not shoot and murder. There's a big difference.

Troops don't choose war....you are puppets? Then you need to be a united front and take it up with those in authority who sent you to war in the first place.

I respect those who desrve the respect although I'm not supporting foreign invasions in to other nations that are not a threat to your homeland.

Would be nice if a fellow soldier would comment instead of (many) people ASUMING what it is like to be in that situation.

Easy to judge when your not thrown into a unknown,inappropriate and scary situation.

Being in the military isnt a normal job,you cant just pick up and quit.

If you actually have some insite into military ways of life then put constructive comments..

I didnt make this thread for anti-war bashers.