Poll: I do not feel more respect or admiration for military personnel than I do for anyone else.

[Undead Dragon King]

So now I guess that patriotism is just another casualty of the post-modern era.

...and nothing of value was lost.

Perhaps to people like you, Grimrider. Perhaps to people like you.

 

[timmytom1]

In fact, I don't really see servicepeople as anything other than hired thugs trained to kill at the command of the government. That's what any military is, including that of the United States, my home country.

I think that soldiers using your metaphor,are closer to hitmen than thugs they`re not just muscle to move people out of the way. They`re there to get jobs done as quickly and as efficiently as they can, and sometimes morals have to be out aside.

on topic,i give soldiers the same respect i would anyone else who hasn`t proven themselves to be a total dickhead,if they behave like a dickhead i would treat them as such but that`s yet to happen

 

[kastanok]

This may apply to certain elements of the United States armed forces but there are plenty of military organisations who perform crucial peacekeeping, infrastructure, construction and humanitarian services across the globe.

I have huge respect for the people who put their lives on the line to help other people and I do not bat an eyelid if they are forced to fire upon those who wish to inflict harm upon them or innocent civilians.

I do however have a problem with 'jarhead' types who are in it for the explosions and big guns with no consideration for impact their actions have upon others. Even worse, perhaps, are those who know that whatever war they may be involved in is wrong or motivated by the worst desires of their commanders but follow orders anyway. If military action (constructive or destructive) is not for the best of everyone involved, people from the very heights of government to the filthiest of front lines have the responsibility to say 'No'.

I seem to have drifted dangerously off-topic. My point is that my respective for military personnel is highly subjective, though I can in most cases respect their skills and dedication.

 

[Hawgh]

Well, I'm quite appreciative of people who are willing to get shot at, so that I don't have to.
That being said, I find the use of footsoldiers now that we have intercontinental nuclear missiles to be somewhat....outdated.
Of course, when they finish up on power armor, that opinion will spin 180 deg.

 

[chimmers]

You may disagree with the war, but the soldiers' motivations remain the same - defend their country's people. Maybe they aren't doing what you like, but their hearts are in the right place

What about all the soldiers who join up just because they want to "kill ragheads?" I know quite a few myself. That particular brand of solider, I can't even view as people.

And the ones who are "defending the homeland," sure, they may all think that, but the reasons why we're in these two particular wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) really don't have anything to do with defense at all. The administration that pulled us into those wars still hasn't actually given us a concrete reason as to why and the current administration isn't doing much other than perpetuating it and trying to look like they're doing the opposite.

To your first point, fair enough. There are arseholes in any orginisation, and sadly the army seems to get more of them due to easy acceptance into it.

Your second point though, it isn't the soldiers who decide which war to fight. If you disagree with the wars and situations that is fair enough. But the soldiers as a whole are not the ones who cause them

 

[clicketycrack]

I respect soldiers for doing a life threatening job but I would also respect a factory worker that pushes his arm into a giant oven everyday because they both have huge balls. I don't claim to know much about the military but I at least hope that its able to filter out the mildly intelligent and give them nice big important ranks from the "kill the raghead" types that stay down in cannon fodder ranks.

 

[Naeo]

I despise war in all its incarnations. But I admire servicemen and women- they risk getting killed, and sometimes (or oftentimes, depending when and where) do, in the name of protecting their country. Whether or not there's a good reason for it, if they truly believe they are protecting their country then that's something I have to admire. Going into the army is something a lot of us could never do, and I admire that some women in the army have bigger balls than I ever will.

Of course, that take can change depending- see Abu Ghraib, where I have negative respect now for the people who ran the whole shebang. Or generally anyone who knowingly kills non-combatants or treats them as combatants or kills/injures/involves them because of ignorance to something they really should have and could have known.

So basically I respect people who go and fight for their countries, but I disrespect those who decide that it's okay to shoot at someone who has nothing to do with the war or torture people for any reason (with, in the latter case, perhaps only the absolute most extreme of cases (under which Guantanamo and Abu Ghriab do not fall)).

 

[Thanatos34]

In fact, I don't really see servicepeople as anything other than hired thugs trained to kill at the command of the government. That's what any military is, including that of the United States, my home country.

This is... offensive, to say the least.

Fine, you can hate the military and think they are hired thugs all you want, and they will continue to protect your right to think of them that way. Be glad they are there, and willing to do their job despite people who think they are thugs, because if they did not, your freedom to think that way would soon be revoked.

 

[Christemo]

my granddad was a soldier sent to Israel in ´63 to ´64. i have some respect for that.

 

[Ophiuchus]

Some soldiers are heroes.
Some heroes are soldiers.
Not all soldiers are heroes.
Not all heroes are soldiers.

Pretty much this.

I'm the son of a Royal Military Police corporal, also having had family members serving in Northern Ireland, Bosnia, Iraq (both recently and in the first Gulf War) and various other trouble spots around the world... it's surprising how many military personnel actually hate to be considered heroes - they're just blokes doing their jobs. One of my family members in the first Gulf War threw his medals in the bin after the ceremony on exactly that principle. But certainly, I respect them as much as I respect anyone who does their job well.

I firmly believe that people who go into the military to be seen as a hero are doing it for the wrong reasons. Serving your country is all well and good for those who are into all that patriotic stuff, for anyone else there's a lot of scope to better yourself and gain incredible life experience, but to go into it thinking "this'll make me a hero in some people's eyes"... I think that's a bit off.

 

[zoozilla]

hired thugs trained to kill

Not everyone in the military is a soldier, one example is medics. Are they thugs? And military is as much about protecting people as killing. Sometimes it goes bad, but I'm pretty happy having something than nothing at all.

Exactly. Obviously the OP has never seen M*A*S*H.

 

[uncle-ellis]

perhaps a better question would be, what's your deffinition of hero?

Quoted for intelligence.

 

[Gashad]

I have no special respect for people who fight for there country. I would say that it is correct for a person to fight for his country if he believes in the reasons his country is at war. Otherwise a person owns no loyalty to such an abstract notion as a nation and rather to his own moral conscience.

A good example of this would be Germans in world war 2. Who would you respect more? A German soldier who believing that the Nazis were evil monsters and hence refused to fight for them, or a German soldier with the same belief who fought for the Nazis in world war 2 because he was a German and hence felt that he owed loyalty to the German government(the nazis).

 

[Thanatos34]

In fact, I don't really see servicepeople as anything other than hired thugs trained to kill at the command of the government. That's what any military is, including that of the United States, my home country.

You may want to look up what the word "defense" means.
Without the military, you'd be worshipping the Japanese Emperor, or speaking German. People like you think war never solves anything. War has solved more things than anything else.
You should be ashamed of yourself. People going off to defend your country so it can keep it's values, and all you do is call them thugs.

100% agreed.

 

[Thanatos34]

What about all the soldiers who join up just because they want to "kill ragheads?" I know quite a few myself. That particular brand of solider, I can't even view as people.

And the ones who are "defending the homeland," sure, they may all think that, but the reasons why we're in these two particular wars (Iraq and Afghanistan) really don't have anything to do with defense at all. The administration that pulled us into those wars still hasn't actually given us a concrete reason as to why and the current administration isn't doing much other than perpetuating it and trying to look like they're doing the opposite.

You're right, the administration is screwed up, but that doesn't mean that the soldiers are, and for every racist halfwit there are countless soldiers who are quite happy to go in and rid a nation of a dictator. Said soldiers then go on to be rather pleasant to the local populace. Believe it or not that crap you see on youtube is either the scum from the bttom of the bucket, not the majority, or just a bunch of guys in a shithole having a good time with the resources available.

As for your little idea about most folk hating the US for its military, where did you get that idea? Most arguments against your nation stem from a butchery of the English language, a happy go lucky attitude towards finite resources and far too many examples of arrogance where WW2's concerned. You know, WW2? That other war which happened less than a century ago? Sure, something of that scale is far less likely to happen now though, right? I'll give ya a hint, look at Africa's nations. Nations where ID cards were used to cull an "Inferior" tribe by the government. It's folk like you who are preventing peace enforcement in nations like that, complaining that we should have simply sat back and leave Saddam to his slaughter. Are things in Iraq going well? Not great, but was it worth it to be rid of a murderer? Yeah, I'd sure as hell think so. It's reached the point where we civilised western nations have to go in and sort things out for these places. Does saying this make me an arrogant supremist? No, it makes me someone who wants to see the world united and the military seems like a great way of doing it when there are, loath to admit it, some folk who simply can't be reasoned with.

Goodness, it's a clone of me! Seriously, though, that sounds exactly what I would say. So, no reason for me to post it, as it would essentially be a double post.

 

[Cowabungaa]

Well, I don't like what the army is used for nowadays, nor is the army the solution for a lot of today's problem (an army like the current one is great in a war ala WW2, but it's inneffective at battling extremist groups, small special forces/police units are more effective) but I can see where the respect is coming from: it's a job where you put your own life on the risk. Ofcourse policemen and firefighters, as well as various other jobs, do the same, though the army seems to get a little more admiration than those other 2. I find that pretty unreasonable. I respect all 3 of them a lot, equally.

some folk who simply can't be reasoned with.

True, very sad, but very true as well. Sometimes there is no other option than putting a bullet through the brain of the other party. That's why the army is, sadly, such a neccesary evil. I don't think anyone really likes having an army, but that doesn't mean you can't respect the individuals inside the army. It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.

 

[Zeke the Freak]

In fact, I don't really see servicepeople as anything other than hired thugs trained to kill at the command of the government. That's what any military is, including that of the United States, my home country.

LOL right, I dont respect them at all. Its not like they defend my country from the hundreds of armies who'd like to see this countries downfall right? I meen, their not really putting their lives at risk so I can sit on my fat ass and type on the computer while not making a single difference to the country, you know? [/sarcasm]
I dont care if your for the war or not, but the men and women who put their lives at risk for people who they dont know or will ever meet deserve my respect. maybe not yours, and I understand, but dont disrespect the people who die for you.