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The pictures you don't see

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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Maybe true in the British army, debateable in the US - see Abu Ghraib etc. However the fact remains that the army are there to do the bidding of the government which ultimately means the serving the needs of international capital.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The british army is the best in the world, it's not for nothing their tag-line is "be the best". That's what I wanted, I wanted to be the best, part of the best, I wanted to be an engineer and fix tanks and be stupidly fit and all of that, unfortunatly that meant that I would also sooner or later send a tank in to shoot at some people, or shoot some people myself. But I'm not a bad person, or less of a person because the first thing I think about is, or thought about was, wow I'd have some awesome mates, and get a great job after I've served a few years, oo shiney uniform, or dude basic training is hard.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Thing is, you've had a good education, you're from a relatively comfortable family. You could do all that without joining the army. I don't think you're a bad person because of it though. I just think you maybe haven't thought through the moral consequences of your decision.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    tbh, I have far less time for privilidged people who go into the armed forces. Young lads from areas of high unemployment and not many educational opportunities I can understand. Middle class kids or upper class kids going into the armed forces I have far less understanding.

    Interesting job, sport, patriotism, wanting to make a difference, experience of meeting different people. Dozens of reasons really...
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Maybe I hadn't at the time, certainly. I don't think you always do when you're 17/18 and have been offered such a great oppurtunity, especially with 3/4 years of expensive education to look at and then maybe thinking, where am I going to work?

    I am doing it all without the army, which is nice.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    NQA wrote:
    Interesting job, sport, patriotism, wanting to make a difference, experience of meeting different people. Dozens of reasons really...

    ...all of which you could do without joining the army.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote:
    Maybe I hadn't at the time, certainly. I don't think you always do when you're 17/18 and have been offered such a great oppurtunity, especially with 3/4 years of expensive education to look at and then maybe thinking, where am I going to work?

    True dat.
    Fiend_85 wrote:
    I am doing it all without the army, which is nice.

    I though you'd joined up? :confused:
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    No, I didn't initially I was rejected because of an injury, now I'm not sure I want to join.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    ...all of which you could do without joining the army.

    Possibly, but then I'd wouldn't have met some of the greatest people I've ever known. I certainly wouldn't have been able to paly nearly as much rugby as I did on work time, I wouldn't have lived in Germany, travelled to the Middle East, Canada, Kenya etc (or at least without being broke). And my active service included escoring food supplies and protecting people in Bosnia.


    TBH I'm not looking for people to jump up and down and say the army's great. I am looking for some understanding that those who join the army, at all ranks, are not some bunch of psychos.
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    Teh_GerbilTeh_Gerbil Posts: 13,332 Born on Earth, Raised by The Mix
    Disillusioned wrote:
    Fascinating. I'm not classist, whatever class someone who joins the armed forces is they have my respect and support.

    I respect them all myself - but less those the middle and upper classes. Often, they join straight in at officer rank. Which does take the piss a bit. Or, if not, they'll get the cushy deals, the "safer" jobs (Although in Iraq, no-one is safe.).

    And to take the piss a bit more, a mate of mine just joined Mechanised Infantry. Yup, he's the cannon fodder. Out to Afghanistan next year... I wish him the best of luck!

    I don't get these people who hate our own Military though... they're only doing their job at the end of the day. Someone has to do it. I respect them for what they do.

    I'd still rather join the RAF, mind.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    NQA wrote:
    Possibly, but then I'd wouldn't have met some of the greatest people I've ever known. I certainly wouldn't have been able to paly nearly as much rugby as I did on work time, I wouldn't have lived in Germany, travelled to the Middle East, Canada, Kenya etc (or at least without being broke). And my active service included escoring food supplies and protecting people in Bosnia.

    You could have done all that without joining the army...
    NQA wrote:
    TBH I'm not looking for people to jump up and down and say the army's great. I am looking for some understanding that those who join the army, at all ranks, are not some bunch of psychos.

    I know that. I do however think that you don't think for yourself as much as you could.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Fiend_85 wrote:
    No, I didn't initially I was rejected because of an injury, now I'm not sure I want to join.

    Ahhhh, I see.
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    Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Blagsta wrote:
    You could have done all that without joining the army...

    Not sure how. Ok theoretically I could have become a professional rugby player (though in practice I was good, but not that good). I could have travelled and skiied etc, but at a much greater financial cost. I certainly wouldn't have met the people I did or had such great camraderie outside.

    Nor can I see who else would have done peacekeeping in Bos apart from the armed forces.
    I know that. I do however think that you don't think for yourself as much as you could

    Personally I think I think a lot about the ethics of soldiering. However I have come to a radically different conclusion that you. Now that's probably for a number of reasons, such as background and are philosophy on how the world works.

    Also its possible to have views on things and also accept that I joined an organisation which limits my freedom to do or say certain things. But then as I've stated on an earlier thread each soldier has to have a moral line which they cannot cross, with on one side blind obedience to immoral orders (such as the rounding up and murder of Jews) and on the other the refusal of state servants to act in accordance with the wishes of the democratically elected government, and the risk that has of having democracy replaced by the will of the armed forces.
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