Poll: What if you were forced into military?

[Chipperz]

Civvy service here. Learn a decent trade and support people who are far more mentally and physically attuned to killing someone.

 

[Liverandbacon]

And OP, I'm guessing you're Swedish?

Lol, close but oh so wrong. I'm from Finland and we're part of the reason why Sweden can afford to cut their military to ridiculously low numbers.

Sorry about that, but here in Finland most of the people I know consider Swedish military a complete and utter joke, incapable of defending their country from even half-assed invasion attempt.

They base their military (at least partly) on the fact that no one will seriously even think of attacking them and all they need is a token force for peacekeeping mission and such.

Oh, Finland has compulsory military service too? I didn't know that before. Yeah, Sweden's army is pretty weak, but as you said, no one would seriously think of invading Sweden. After all, there's not much point to taking it over. The thing with avoiding the draft in Sweden is that it doesn't show a lack of courage (since Sweden gets in barely any wars), it's more an urge to avoid wasting time. Also, having grown up outside of Sweden, my Swedish is nigh-nonexistant (getting orders yelled at me in a language I barely understand would be miserable).

You seriously didn't understand his argument? He didn't call you a Nazi symapthizer. His argument is this:-
Hypothetically, if you lived in Nazi Germany and were of age to give military service during WWII, would you serve in the army towards the end of the war because it's "better to live a shorter life of meaning"?

Essentially he's saying that if you disagree with your countries motives for a war, would you still be signing up?

Oh, I understand the point the guy was trying to make, but it was unneccesary. The guy he was replying to said nothing about not questioning the government's motives. He was just criticizing what he percieved as a completely self-centered "I'd rather live and let a hundred people die than risk dying trying to defend them" attitude on these forums. asiepshtain's argument had no bearing whatsoever on what he had said, and made sensationalistic Nazi comments.

 

[Skeleon]

Civilian service. Lasts 18 months.

This, because it's actually the thing I did with my military service.
Lasted only 9 months, though, the same amount of time as the military service would've.
I'd never let them draft me into the actual military.

 

[asiepshtain]

Essentially he's saying that if you disagree with your countries motives for a war, would you still be signing up?

See, you can phrase the question without calling me a Nazi. And even then it's irrelevant to the thread at hand as the question was about training and not about an armed conflict. And while a pure pacifist would argue that even training for war is an amoral act I beg to differ.

as for a "better to live a shorter life of meaning", it's an overall philosophy much higher then "obey the government". For example, if I lived in Germany in the WWII era I hope that I would have had the courage to risk my life to smuggle Jews out of the country and join a resistance group, or simply speak openly and honestly against the government in the early 1930s. Thats what I mean by "better to live a shorter life of meaning".

 

[McBurks]

Send me into war.I'd be Terminator 2.0

 

[Twilight_guy]

Well, Everybody needs a cook in the military right? That's me!

 

[Evertw]

"Mankind must wipe out war before it wipes out mankind"-John. F Kennedy.

I would flee the country to mock the army.

The Norwegians still have conscription and it's still voluntary for women to do military service, freaking hypocrites, want equal rights but don't want to have to do military service.

"Brave Sir Robin ran away."

 

[Lightningfires]

I always wanted to be a doctor, so if I can help my country, get the training I need, and save lives while doing it... I would be a medic!

 

[manaman]

Lucky me, I am not draft able. I already served my time.

 

[ffxfriek]

I'd show up, they wouldnt let me pass their psychologic and psysical tests anyway.

same im too small and frail. though id want to go air force or green beret...possibly a sniper as well.

 

[TheRightToArmBears]

I'm a Quaker. Wink wink. If that doesn't work I'll injure myself.

EDIT: Actually, I don't think the military takes people with mental issues. If so, I'm out anyways.

 

[MSG_Klemer]

Well seeing I am in the military, and doing front line....I voted front line. God, Family, Country. In that order.

But most deffo Front Line in the text as posted.

One due to the feeling if I don't do my part I could end up speaking a language I don't want to.

Two someone has to do it, if I feel I can make even the smallest change on how the defense goes, even if I die quickly, I know I did it to protect my closest.

Now if I do my part in one of the "shoot up my own unit, commander, etc" jerks end up shooting me in the back, see you in hell, because someone from my family or the take-over nation will likely kill you, I will get my revenge on you cowardly act.


"Live for something rather than die for nothing." -Patton

"To be born free is an accident. To live free is a privilege. To die free is a responsibility." ? Brig. General James Sehorn

"From time to time, the tree of liberty must be watered with the blood of tyrants and patriots." - Thomas Jefferson

"A young man who does not have what it takes to perform military service is not likely to have what it takes to make a living." - John F. Kennedy

 

[Danzaivar]

Whatever they think I could do the most good in, its what I did when I was drafted for real.

It disappoints me to see such a low level of courage here sometimes, either you fight or someone else has to fight for you. We all die eventually, better to live a shorter life of meaning then twenty more years as a coward which serves nothing but himself.

So you would have served in the Nazi army to protect Germany as the allies pounded down on it? Better to live a short life of meaning right?

Christ it's people like you who don't question the direction of a country which make the world a dangerous place.

WTF?!

How the hell do you go from a talk to conscripting for training in a military in case of a war to me being a Nazi sympathizer?!

I expect an apology.

My point was you flat out expect people to fight for their country, rather than measure the merits of the cause.

I ain't saying you're a Nazi sympathiser, but that train of thought is dangerous.

 

[chronobreak]

It disappoints me to see such a low level of courage here sometimes, either you fight or someone else has to fight for you. We all die eventually, better to live a shorter life of meaning then twenty more years as a coward which serves nothing but himself.

I can't stand cowards, but more than that I can't stand the kids who will sit here saying how they'd carve someone up with a knife, but wouldn't enlist to protect their country. Shit, if guys like 50 or Em want to shoot people up, don't just talk about it, go do it, and do it for America! Really though, I don't do coward speak, I don't do "What has America done for me lately?", and in this scenario I would serve damn well wherever they told me to.

Or, I could just sit at my computer and read updates on how we were losing the war, until the killing came to my doorstep and the people I loved were dying. Then I could be a prisoner of war, and be subjected to humiliating cruelty for the rest of my short days, where my death would be completely on someone else's terms. Nah, don't sound too good, actually.

 

[Nickzilla]

I don't think I'd have too much of a problem doing frontline, but I'd need to be in slightly better shape. I think long range combat is more realistic.

 

[CoziestPigeon]

Frontline. If my country (Canada) was ever in a state that it HAD to recruit people to defend itself, I would want to be actively doing something to defend my homeland.

 

[GodsOneMistake]

i'd like the one with the least amount of pushups for the poor asthmatic kid please lol

 

[orangebandguy]

I'd be a Sniper, I'm not particularly affected by the idea of choosing targets in cold blood and snipers get more freedom because they don't answer to anyone.

 

[Rajin Cajun]

Frontline Combat only if we are kicking it 1914 old school...otherwise I guess still the frontline if I get to fire the main gun of a tank while playing Flight of the Valkyries.

Or I could join the Navy!
http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/18.113508
Yay!