# .001%? (One servicemember's response to OWS) **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 3, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760 "2011-11-03T17:39:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/21 "2011-11-03T18:50:58Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > I am me. I am unique. There is no one exactly like me on the planet. I am .00000001428% We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own… Anyway this discussion is reminding me of that old joke about how if you’re one-in-a-million, in China there are 1,300 people just like you. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/22 "2011-11-03T18:51:52Z")
I just don’t understand the logic here. How many of America’s top 1% richest people have served in the military? How many of their children? I’d bet that the rates are lower than what you’d see in the general population. ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/23 "2011-11-03T19:02:16Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > \*\*I’m not saying I’ve never played the military card to try and win an argument, \*\*but at what point does simply saying “I served the military and I believe X” stop having a meaningful impact, considering nearly 1 in 12 can make that claim? Other than fact-specific arguments, when does the ‘military card’ _ever_ work? Outside of those with the above-mentioned gene to genuflect at military service, and perhaps experience with particular populations and contexts (which differ from a private contractor militarily/mercenary/or pure private business how?), and a few select sub-topics (e.g. war is hell; see All Quiet on the Western Front) and the like, when is playing the military card not an appeal to emotion but a rational analysis? ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/24 "2011-11-03T19:08:32Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Out of 300,000,000 people in this country, .001% leaves 3,000. Is he saying that only 3,000 people understand sacrifice? Or is the joke that he didn’t sacrifice enough in math class? Edumacation isn’t important to the american dream, just guts. People from ubekibekibekibekistanstan who work in call centers might need to understand math, but not us. ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/25 "2011-11-03T19:14:46Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Yea, we need some fancy latin term for the fallacy of arguing via non-sequiters regarding military service. Argumentum Ad Arma. ---
**Author:** ![CJJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ecc23a/32.png) [@CJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CJJ)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/26 "2011-11-03T19:17:06Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Yea, we need some fancy latin term for the fallacy of arguing via non-sequiters You mean like [non sequitur](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non_sequitur_(logic))? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/27 "2011-11-03T19:21:15Z")
So what happened is the government took a chunk of the money it confiscated from taxpayers, and initiated make-work projects in Iraq/Afghanistan as a justification to pay it to this guy? ---
**Author:** ![shiftless](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9c0ed/32.png) [@shiftless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shiftless)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/28 "2011-11-03T19:26:38Z")
Aren’t there laws, or at least guidelines, about the kinds of speech one can participate in while in uniform? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/29 "2011-11-03T19:31:46Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > Tom Brokaw was on The Daily Show last night talking about his new book, which is about national service. He wrote it before the “99%” protests began, and he refers to military families as… the One Percent. Oops. That number might be accurate if he’s referring to families that currently have at least 1 member serving on active duty. But it would have to be immediate families only, and rounding down. [QUOTE=Rhythmdvl] Other than fact-specific arguments, when does the ‘military card’ ever work? [/QUOTE] Defensively, it works great. I could argue that Iraq was a mistake, and if anyone attacked my character (“You don’t know what it means to serve!”) I could literally pull a trump card from my wallet. It hasn’t happened a lot, but it’s happened. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/30 "2011-11-03T19:46:19Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > That number might be accurate if he’s referring to families that currently have at least 1 member serving on active duty. But it would have to be immediate families only, and rounding down. I think **Marley’s** “Oops” refers to the fact that the rise of OWS has given his books title a political connotation that he didn’t intend, not to Brokaw’s math (which as you say, is at least in the right ballpark). ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/31 "2011-11-03T19:51:26Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > Aren’t there laws, or at least guidelines, about the kinds of speech one can participate in while in uniform? Yes, there are. But I don’t think this is one of those cases. You cannot shill for a particular candidate while in uniform. ---
**Author:** ![Kobal2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kobal2/32/20_2.png) [@Kobal2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kobal2)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/32 "2011-11-03T19:52:02Z")
> [@Simplicio](#): > > Yea, we need some fancy latin term for the fallacy of arguing via non-sequiturs regarding military service. I hereby dub it _Argumentum ad legionem_. Spread it around, people. [QUOTE=Kinthalis] Argumentum Ad Arma. [/QUOTE] Nah, that’s the “I’m right because I’ve got a club and you don’t” fallacy. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/33 "2011-11-03T19:57:28Z")
> [@Ibn\_Warraq](#): > > I’d largely agree, but point out there’s a difference between being a combat veteran and a veteran. George W. Bush and John Kerry were both veterans but Kerry would certainly have objected to the idea that their service was equal. > > Anyway, it’s pure theatrics. It’s similar to the way Occupy Oakland put their uniformed protesters out front. Maybe they did that because of the Iraqi vet the cops beaned and badly injured? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/34 "2011-11-03T20:00:24Z")
> [@shiftless](#): > > Aren’t there laws, or at least guidelines, about the kinds of speech one can participate in while in uniform? Yup, I was wondering about that. I’m not in the military, but this guy, if he really is a soldier(I think it’s really naive to automatically accept at face value any of claims put up by the people holding the handwritten signs on this issue) may very well have violated military regulations. Similarly, if you’re in the military you’re not supposed to attend political rallies in uniform. That said, again, I wouldn’t assume the guy actually is a soldier just because we see a military uniform in the photo. ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/35 "2011-11-03T20:02:27Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Maybe they did that because of the Iraqi vet the cops beaned and badly injured? Er… that occurred beforehand. Anyway, it’s not something I begrudge. I’m just pointing out people on all sides like to play this card. I assume everyone here is old enough to remember John “reporting for duty” Kerry’s run for President. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/36 "2011-11-03T20:02:29Z")
The guy could be a fake, but in terms of the broader issue it doesn’t really matter. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/37 "2011-11-03T20:04:19Z")
[Here come da rules. Here come da rules…](http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/militarylaw1/a/milpolitics.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Kinthalis](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kinthalis/32/16084_2.png) [@Kinthalis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kinthalis)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/38 "2011-11-03T20:07:21Z")
> [@Kobal2](#): > > I hereby dub it _Argumentum ad legionem_. Spread it around, people. > > Nah, that’s the “I’m right because I’ve got a club and you don’t” fallacy. Sadly, very often used. ---
**Author:** ![CurtC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ce73a5/32.png) [@CurtC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CurtC)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/39 "2011-11-03T20:08:14Z")
I had read half this thread before I finally realized what “OWS” stands for. Maybe I’m out of touch, but this “occupy” stuff seems like it’s just an obscure Internet thing. About that guy’s sign - what the hell is trying to say with it? He’s in the military, which is 1% of the US population, but he is one of the .001%, which would be one out of a thousand service members I guess? One out of a thousand that what? ---
**Author:** ![Ibn\_Warraq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/e19b73/32.png) [@Ibn\_Warraq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ibn_Warraq)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2011, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760/40 "2011-11-03T20:17:10Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > [Here come da rules. Here come da rules…](http://usmilitary.about.com/cs/militarylaw1/a/milpolitics.htm) I’m a bit confused by the link since all the rules it refers to apply to active-duty service-members, but it begins by saying that a\* retired\* Major General broke the rules by writing a letter encouraging people to vote for a certain candidate. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/001-one-servicemembers-response-to-ows/601760.md?page=3)