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:yes:
Picking a fight thousands of miles away from home is a bit different from defending against a foreign agressor who you know is bent on world domination and is sat on your doorstep, don't you think?
Er, yeah.
There's a bit of a difference between the circumstances of WWII and the circumstances under which people would now (hypothetically) be drafted into fight.
People are perfectly entitled to say they wouldn't fight or aid such a war, without you passing judgement.
I'm sure thats a bit off topic though.
Anyway in the event of a war against Iran if they tried to draft me i would to my best to defect and fight on the Iranian side.
I take that to mean exactly what it says.
The point is not to bash moonrat, since nobody (apart from loonies) wants to fight in a war.
The point is that moral absolutes evaporate quite quickly when your loved ones are under threat or destroyed.
Why? You don't know why the draft would be introduced and people saying to be making blanket statements they wouldn't fight. Given that this is a forum for debate I think others are perfectly entitled to reply and it is up to you to defend your position.
I don't think going to war makes you any braver than refusing to go to war because you are against violence for whatever reason.
Yes, but what you are really saying is that my conscience is more important than the lives of others. The end point of pacifism is not that you won't fight to say your own life, but that you won't fight to save the lives of others.
It may be courageous, but that doesn't make it right.
The other soldier... they are probably fighting for their loved ones too. In your perspective they are the enemy, the killer and what you are doing is just, in their perspective you are probably the one who is endangering their family.
I don't think it's about conscience over family... I don't think anybody wants to go to war, but I'm sure a lot of people would feel guilty if they didn't. They feel it's their duty. If you go to war you are not preventing people from being killed, you are doing the killing, you are just not killing natives. Does that make any sense as I'm trying to explain it?
No I wouldn't actively fight, I wouldn't build weapons or help people kill each other, but there's always plenty to do, people to look after back home. I'm sure at least somebody has to agree with me on this. Life is never as black and white as 'us' and 'them' when you remove nationality, political ideals, skin colour and religion. We are all thinking and feeling creatures, we all have needs and most of us have families who we love very much.
'Right' and 'wrong' as an underlying principle shouldn't come in to it. people's perspective on the world are different.
Yes I'll probably get flamed for this... It's just my opinion is all.
I see -
as fictions, so it's not so surprising I am not in favour of killing for them.
No flaming...but I would ask that you remember that a person's right to express an opinion is not always guaranteed. Our right to do so here in the UK was bought at a heavy, heavy cost.
The picture below linked below sums it up:
http://www.abmc.gov/images/ca2w.jpg
I'm sure that should you ever visit the cemetery (it's in Cambridge) you would not call the sacrifice of those that lie below the crosses a selfish one.
No, you are always able to say what's on your mind, at all times and in all places. No one else controls you but you. Even if I stick a gun in your face you can still choose to ignore me. I cannot control you, you cannot control me.
If you mean the ability to say what you want without getting killed, fair enough but it's a different thing entirely.
Of course it was selfish. They did it for themselves, their families and their families to come. Selfish acts are always the best ones to take, in all circumstances. How intelligent you are decides which acts you will take and that's the only difference.
Why not?
And I didn't say that soldiers are selfish, read my post, look at it in depth, make an attempt to understand it if it's not too much trouble. No offense but you haven't really replied with anything of much substance, you have come across as patronising however.
Not true. In the USSR political dissidents were often prevented from saying what was on their mind by being lobotomised. I can assure you that you would find it very difficult to express your views on anything with certain sections of your brain surgically removed.
There is no need for a gun.
This would be after you had spoken, yes?
So you can say what's on your mind, then get brutal treatment. You still have the ability in the first place.
In fact, you just proved my point. Thanks.
Don't talk shit. Without the weapons, no one would obey any state. I suppose all those dissidents just went "Oh you don't agree...oh well, when shall I pop in to have my frontal lobes removed? Is thursday good for you?"
Are you sure about that? The ramifications are pretty huge...
I am absolutely certain of it.