I know a number of males in their 20s who are fervently pro-Iraq-war. They say we must fight them now rather than later, we are fighting them there so we do not have to fight them here, we must stay the course so as not to dishonor those already lost…you know the drill.
So if this cause is so dear, so precious and necessary, JOIN THE FUCKING MARINES AND DO YOUR DUTY! Frickin’ chicken hawks make me ill. It is one thing for the old grey hairs to send our youth into battle, but for someone of military age to continue to be pro-war, but not willing to enlist is unconscienable! (sp?)
New recruits in the US Army must be between the age of 18 and 35 year old. But good news!
So hopefully soon all of you pudgy, balding late thirties hawks can join in the action. Why, Uncle Sam is going to give all of you pro-war 40 year olds a chance to put up or shut up!
Now, I am not sure if we will the enlistments surge, or support for the war in the male 30-45 year old demographic to plummet.
Then you should consider that behind each soldier, pilot, and seaman is a huge logistical tail. Think about that. Who makes the uniforms? Who makes the planes? Who makes the guns? Who pays for it all?
Personally, I think we were entirely justified in toppling Saddam; I also think that we’re making a mistake in staying.
“I’m a white male, age 18 to 35. Everyone listens to my suggestions, no matter how stupid they are.”
(Pulls out a can reading “Nuts and Gum: together at last!”)
Sorry, that’s the first thing I thought of when I read the thread title.
My background is in finance and credit. If I personally wanted to play guns, I would have joined one of the branches of the military (and enjoyed all the nice benefits that go with it) years ago. I didn’t, but why shouldn’t I support the current administration’s decision to wage war?
I also believe in the right to abortion, but I’m not getting one any time soon.
Been there (twice), done that, got the T-shirt. I used to be a “hawk” (as it were) and then I came to the truth of the matter. Nonetheless, I did put my money where my mouth was.
It’s worth noting that in spite of the (alleged) shortfalls in recruiting, the military still turns people away. It’s also worth noting that if everybody did as you said most of them would be rejected simply because the size of the force cannot accomodate everybody in that situation.
The simple fact is that the military gets all the people it needs at any given time. If the Army goes dry they’ll hand some rifles to the Air Force or Navy. It has happened, and it does happen.
Gaudere’s Law cannot be thwarted so easily, kaylasdad, for it is the will of Aslan and his will is done. Expect a day of constant typos tomorrow, and possibly apple cores being pelted at you whenever you lower your car windows.
I think you’re confusing the two issues here. One is a decision made by a select few, a decision that affects a great number of people. The decision is then actioned by the unwashed, who end up doing the dirty work for the elite, who watch the doing thereof safely ensconced in bunkers. This distancing of the elite from the horrors of war is the anger that drives anti-war folk, and paradoxically, ex-soldiers.
The other is a right to undergo a very personal procedure, arguably affecting at best two individuals. The decision is made and the procedure is personally undertaken by the individual, and ultimately the pain is directly experienced by the individual.
Are you joining the police force any time soon? The fire department? I’m assuming you think both of those are necessary.
I imagine that your response will be, “But the Iraq war isn’t necessary.” That’s irrelevant; your argument can be summed up as, “If you think this action is so necessary, why don’t you join it”? It is a completely idiotic argument.
Did you read the part after the semi-colon or what? As I explained, the OP’s argument is that “if you really think this war is necessary, you have an obligation to join it.” Yet, as I have demonstrated, there are many necessary forces that we obviously do not have an obligation to join. Clearly, the OP’s argument, and the idea behind the term “chickenhawk”, is completely bankrupt.
That’s true, but the present reality is that the United States Armed Services is very stretched for folks to wear the uniform, not for those to stitch them.
Polamlau has a point in that it makes no sense to insist that anyone who supports agovernment action must volunteer to perform the action themselves. However, police forces and fire departments, generally speaking, are not short of manpower; they usually have a supply of eager and quaified recruits larger than their budget to hire them. The Armed Services have had some difficulty in this regard in recent times.
Yes, I did read the part after the semi-colon, also the “idiotic argument” part.
Well, here’s a thought from a supposed idiot. Let’s say you and I walk into a bar. You point out a dude and say, let’s kick him in the balls. I say why. You say, because he’s black. I say, that’s a shit reason, you go kick him in the balls if you so badly want to. You say, I’m the boss, do as I say. I say, oh really, and so on and so forth.
Necessary forces? Yes, the police and the fire AND the military are clearly necessary forces. The difference is, I see value in the police and the fire departments protecting me and my property from criminals and fire. I see value in the military when enemy tanks are in my vegetable garden fucking up my tomatoes. But I see no value in the military going to war on another continent, or fighting an enemy just because the current government has decided that all blacks are my enemies.
This is not about obligation. This is about taking an extremely controversial decision involving me, and demonstrating your commitment to the fundamentals of that decision. You want to kick ass? Convince me why. Failing that, do it yourself.
Thanks for the heads up Nava, but my point was general, and specifically includes the Vietnam draft.
Good point RickJay, and perhaps therein lies a tale? Perhaps more and more individuals are realising that the armed services are not as noble as they used to be?
