Defend What Right?

"I love this country and I'm willing to defend it!"




Yep. That's the average line from the fully-programmable American soldier (available at a third-world city near you, especially if you have lots of stuff we want). But what I want to do here is break it down...let's have a look at it. Don't worry, this is a brief rant. ...On second thought, the whole thing irks me so much, I'm gonna go full-out tirade on the redundant idiocy that is our military, and possibly our national pride. On to the show!

"I love this country."

Sweet. Which part? The inflation, the lack of proper representation, the bypass procedure that allows bills to fly like superman over the heads of every American it concerns, the lobbying that forces politicians to cater to corporations instead of the people they serve, the educational boards that spend more time figuring out ways to graduate students on time than they do adjusting the curriculum to accommodate the fact that in 100 or so years, we will no longer have time to teach both the entire 500 years worth of world history AND the current events in the same classroom, or maybe the landfills and industrial pollution, or possibly the additives and chemicals that are literally poisoning us in the BOTTLED WATER that we are told is HEALTHIER THAN TAP WATER.

Which part of that do you love so much? I bet it's the fact that you get paid craploads because you're stupid enough to walk out into the battlefield armed with a blazing red target on your front because you were "told to". I'm sorry, which country was that again? Iraq? Awesome...and is there a rule in the Iraqi handbook stating that if someone who is armed and NOT an Iraqi official walking on their soil, they are to surrender?

That sounds completely sane, doesn't it? And that brings me to the second half of my rant:

"I'm willing to defend it."

Remember, we're talking about America here. Okay, willing to defend America. Ever since the TSA decided to start doing everything short of wearing eyepatches when it comes to keeping us safe. Like any terrorist coming through wants to get groped in every orifice that isn't bulging with fat, you have to pretend there's a threat outside of our borders as well.

And all the time you're talking about illegal immigrants not having the right to vote in our country, it's suddenly not only our right, but actually MANDATORY, to storm into someone else's country, full armed and ready to shoot anyone, and just camp for over 5 years getting absolutely nowhere.

You know, if I saw that happening down the street, I too would rig myself with some homemade explosive and throw myself into the passenger seat. "Say cheese!" BOOM! And yet, when they do it, you're less than pleased. Hmm, wonder why? You kicked down their front door, walked in armed to the teeth, and demanded that you be given control and free reign or anyone who "resists" will be disciplined.

Yep. That's democracy. At least 90% of those people were innocent. And they still died...protecting their country. But they're still rebels, right?

Yeah, you're a dog on a chain, complete property of the U.S. government, being paid lots of good money because you shoot first and ask questions later. You're a good dog. Maybe, when you get to heaven, you'll have a bowl with a bunch of bullet holes in the name of "Fido"...and then you'll find out it used to belong to a dog that your troop shot while raiding a town off the offskirts of an even more obscure city in God-knows-where.


If this is your version of "the American dream", I think I'll have the nightmares. And as for your American pride...how the hell can you be proud if you're asleep?

/rant

Woah woah.... hold on a second there chief. You are way off I think....

The troops don't get paid squat for what they are told to do.
Other than that, you're pretty dead on.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


Including all of their salary? Which I'm pretty sure is above minimum wage...not to mention the benefits, the privileges, and the retirement bonus.

Yep. Not paid much at all. Just what the rest of us have to work our entire lives achieving...which the military achieves in 4 to 8 years. Quit the service after 8 years, pocket your medals, and you can sit with the other 80 year old retirees.

reply to post by JibbyJedi

Comparatively speaking, a member of the US military makes much more than a peer at the same age and education level. Add in benefits, and it is almost absurd what they get in pay and entitlements.

reply to post by exTAC


Exactly.

And when these 4-8 year vets get out, they can't get any work, because they aren't "certified" in whatever area they worked in within the service. Their pay is definitely not worth it all, time lost with their families, missing their kids growing up, the PTSD, injuries, being used as attack dogs and guinea pigs.... not enough money to get me to do any of that.

Those nice pensions and early retirement require a lot of service. Some of the people I know who earned that sweet retirement have cancers.

reply to post by JibbyJedi


Who said vets need work? I hear that you can go in at 20, come out at 30 and be able to live the rest of your life on the benefits...

Unless they decide that you don't qualify. Do they do that in the military too?

It doesn't matter. Regardless of income, they still march into other countries like they just bought the Prime Minister and all of his land. If they don't get paid that much, it makes them look that much worse. Until the military starts working in my favor instead of the favor of the guy holding the checkbook, I have very little respect for it.

All of the threats in the world lie outside of our borders, and that's only because Obama says. The real threat is inside of our borders, the very system that keeps our borders, but we don't want to acknowledge that, do we? It's so much easier to keep the same old OS, the same motherboard, and insist it's the guys who make the video cards...it's them doing it wrong...

reply to post by JibbyJedi

It is often forgotten the actual tiny percent of troops that will see combat, and that it is an all voluntary, professional force.

Over 50% of the US military claims disability after exiting. I turned my exit physical, and dental down, and at least 99% of the people I know claiming disability and receiving lifetime money from the gov. are blatantly deceiving the government.

I hate patriotism

They start programming children at age 5. You are forced to say the pledge of allegiance everyday until you hit high school. It's rather sickening and something North Korea would and probably does practice.

Yes children, pledge allegiance to a country that openly tortures, engages in imperialistic wars, has creepy tyrannical laws written, has the highest prison population in the world and is controlled by bankers. Oh wait, you're too young to even realize what you're pledging to..

reply to post by RealSpoke


It has literally been years since I've spoken the pledge of allegiance. Until I can see this country working for the betterment of mankind and not just for cash-out, I will continue to scorn the military.

They want to steal all of the best technology? They want to lie to us? They want to send our family and friends off to countries they have no business being in, then get all indignant when those countries do the same to us?

Yeah, don't get me started. I've stopped taking those gun-toting lapdogs seriously.