Peter Morris:
Yes, you have made comments about me and my service over the last few years. You have made comments about Soldiers ever since I been on this board. I get it, you have your opinions. I don’t give a shit, but I have never seen you accuse a Soldier about making up his military service.
SFC Schwartz
It most certainly is the point. You can’t come in here and say things like “you’re talking crap but I’ll still fight to defend you” (paraphrase) and then when people suggest to you that you’re not actually defending them in any meaningful way, say “that’s not the point”.
You’re not defending Americans. You’re furthering the foreign policy goals of the Obama administration. You signed up for it. Own it.
The American military didn’t decide to invade Iraq. That decision was made by the President and Congress. So if we want to avoid future “Iraqs” I guess we need to abolish those two branches of the government and turn the country over to John Roberts.
Remind me. When have I ever conflicted with you personally?
There are not many soldiers I have any time for, but I don’t recall you specifically.
I usually make comments about soldiers in general rather than specific individuals, so I don’t think I’ve insulted you personally.
I think that was kinda what I was saying. Well, except the John Roberts part, I don’t know who that is.
Basically, I realise that the military doesn’t make the choices, but I’d say it’s pretty obvious to anyone who signs up for the US military today that their job will not likely involve defending the US.
I don’t see that any of the three professions automatically confer “social status”. I can understand people’s inclination to “prefer” firefighters and police officers, because in America today one of these two groups is far more likely to protect or rescue you at home than a soldier would be. On the other hand, when the war’s on your home soil that situation would be reversed.
Word has reached me that some women are attracted to firemen, but perhaps it is but a rumor.
How about this.
Feel better now. Get back to your arguement, but no need to attack the poster, K’ Thanks,
SFC Schwartz
dead link
Missing colon, I think. Try this.
Many servicemen and women choose it because its better than doing nothing or working part time at K-mart or whatever. I’m sure that most are better for the experience as people when they come out unless they get PTSD, maimed or killed. I suspect that most join never expecting to fight and I’m pretty sure that many are not jumping up and down with joy at the news they are being sent to Afghanistan.
The educational level of the majority is below average (nationally and internationally). I don’t agree with any form of positive discrimination, so pushing ex-servicemen and women to the front of the job line does more harm than good imho.
Without question the US would be a better place if the same level of respect was afforded to school teachers and the money from the GI Bill re-routed into the pay packets of educators so we can actually forge a competitive education system in this sorry ass country.
This sounds like something that Yogi Berra would say. 
SFC Schwartz
Oh. I vaguely remember that discussion. One of 3,752 that I’ve participated in since joining the SDMB.
So, because you disagree with a post that I made three and a half years ago, you think we are enemies, Schwartz?
You have a high opinion of yourself. We aren’t enemies. I don’t even know you.
Where do you get the idea that I think we are enemies? I guess you have a problem with grandiosity. I think more of the crap I take in the morning than you. The only reason I even remember that post is because I had a parody of it as a game. Being a one trick poster (Soldiers are prostitutes, the world would be better without Soldiers, nobody should fight if they don’t believe in their cause)you are hard to forget. I get that. I don’t seem to recall you getting desperate to doubt a posters service, however. If you have done this before, please post a link, because I must have missed that. If accusing a poster of misrepresenting himself is what you have now become, I can find some less respect for you.
SFC Schwartz
I am, in fact, 28 yrs old, not 13.
As for the person who wants to reroute the gi bill, I’m using mine to become a teacher, so go suck an egg.
The pols are gonna do what the pols do. If I don’t volunteer, you’re gonna get drafted. You don’t need to give me your seat on the bus, but if you ever spit on me for my service, I’ll break every bone you have. I still don’t know why my uncle put up with that. You have problems with the mission, talk to the folks who put the mission out. Oh yeah, that would be the American people! Even if I knew you personally, and you actual DID spit on me, I’d still defend you if called. On a personal level. I would literally pull you from a burning car, or step into a mugging for you, or whatever was needed. Doesn’t mean I’d like you, and I’d still kick your ass for spitting on me, but the oath I took was more than a job, it’s a lifestyle.
How many people do you know who would die to protect you? I would, and I don’t even know you.
see, this is the problem. You claim to be 28, but you use language like “go suck an egg.” Your posting style is more typical of a 13 year old rather than a 28 year old. If you want to be taken seriously, please stop the baby talk.
I also suspect that a real soldier would probably use capital letters for GI.
What colour is the boathouse at Hereford?
Um, because being a soldier, police officer or fireman is badass?
They jump out of airplanes, kick in the doors of burning buildings and punch terrorists and drug dealers in the face while most of us sit around our office cubicles griping about how our boss is mean and how annoying the woman next to us is.
If 30 out of 100 Americans have a bachelor degree and 10 of those have another advanced degree (masters/phd/MD/JD/MBA), what is the average education level? .4 or less than one degree.
70 out of 100 Americans have lower than the average.
Yeah, that’s the point of the statement. You salute a person with higher rank because that is the military custom and courtesy. It doesn’t mean you actually respect them as an officer or a man.
The difference is that our “thugs” have specific laws and rules they have to follow and have people they answer to.
I think the original comment was that most soldiers have a standard of education that below average for America.
But Xanzia seems to have been disappeared, so I can’t be sure that’s what he said.
So do theirs. Or are you claiming that Saddam’s boys didn’t have their own set of rules to follow when they marched into Kuwait?
My age precludes me from using idioms older than my grandparents? What asshattery! Do you know any 13 year olds? They don’t say go suck an egg.
You suspect that a real soldier would use capital letters, but you’re wrong. I’m not a real soldier, I’m just a medic, but capital letters don’t mean shit. Did the point get across? Were your teeny little brain cells strained with the effort to determine if it was an acronym or not? Oh, poor wittle bwain cells. Go. Suck. An. Egg.
This point is definitely something that makes me grateful for all the people who are willing to volunteer for service.
If nobody volunteered for the military, it’s not as if that would be the end of wars and everyone would start holding hands and singing kumbaya under a big rainbow. Even if one disagrees with the government’s decisions on wars, it makes no sense to take it out on those who volunteer to be on the front lines so the rest of us don’t have to do it.
I sometimes wonder if people who volunteer for military service do it for the ‘hero’ status, or because of a true desire to protect their country. There must be some that do it for altruistic reasons, but all of them? I suppose it could be considered a last/only option for many too.