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Slims · 03-15-2009, 06:37 PM

Get over it Will.

The Military is an honorable career, whether or not our politicians use us in the best way possible. Iraq may not have been in our best interest, but Saddam committed several acts of war against us and we were entirely justified in making him go away....despite all the rhetoric about WMD from both sides. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind at all the Afghanistan was justified...you kill several thousand Americans and we are going to come for you (or we would be the biggest bunch of pussies in the world).

The only people I have had to shoot at were shooting at my friends AND would rather kill a woman than allow her to learn how to read. Let me tell you, lots of long sleepless nights with that kind of guilt....

Every single time we had pilots engage targets for us it was because we were outnumbered and in a bad fight...there was no ambiguity AT ALL for the pilots as they were only engaging armed insurgents who were actively shooting at US troops on the ground. They could better discriminate combatants from non-coms due to their overhead view and imagery and often took out targets surgically that we would have had to get with mortars, rockets, etc. in a more general way.

Also the idea that we went to war in Iraq to secure oil is absurd...Sadam was selling it to us at rock bottom prices, he was stable and we knew a war would only jeopardize and destabilize the oil market. Now we have to purchase oil at higher prices and are pumping money into that country...how is that 'hoarding?' It seems to me like we might actually be trying to do good in the middle east. It would have been easy to leave saddam in power and buy cheap oil, or to topple him and install one of his generals with the understanding he would keep the oil flowing...instead we have given them a government that will be able to sell their oil to whomever they want, and to the highest bidder. Any dividends we reap will be due to the spread of democracy into the Middle East.

I know plenty of soldiers who have been to combat, killed and experienced loss. Of the dozens I know personally, only one is showing (or has expressed) any signs of PTSD or emotional problems. It is tiresome hearing how poorly the military prepares it's soldiers from people who have never joined and who have no first hand knowledge.

Edit: I failed to mention this at first, but my family did not support my decision to join the military and were very vocal against it. However, they do support me and continue to do so. After they found out I had signed the paperwork they shifted gears and began to help me succeed in my new career in any way possible. They are not happy I have chosen a career which puts me at risk, but it has not hurt my relationship with them in any way...They recognize that I need to make my my own decisions and they won't always be in line with their desires.

03-15-2009, 06:37 PM	#19 (permalink)
Slims Eccentric insomniac Location: North Carolina	Get over it Will. The Military is an honorable career, whether or not our politicians use us in the best way possible. Iraq may not have been in our best interest, but Saddam committed several acts of war against us and we were entirely justified in making him go away....despite all the rhetoric about WMD from both sides. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind at all the Afghanistan was justified...you kill several thousand Americans and we are going to come for you (or we would be the biggest bunch of pussies in the world). The only people I have had to shoot at were shooting at my friends AND would rather kill a woman than allow her to learn how to read. Let me tell you, lots of long sleepless nights with that kind of guilt.... Every single time we had pilots engage targets for us it was because we were outnumbered and in a bad fight...there was no ambiguity AT ALL for the pilots as they were only engaging armed insurgents who were actively shooting at US troops on the ground. They could better discriminate combatants from non-coms due to their overhead view and imagery and often took out targets surgically that we would have had to get with mortars, rockets, etc. in a more general way. Also the idea that we went to war in Iraq to secure oil is absurd...Sadam was selling it to us at rock bottom prices, he was stable and we knew a war would only jeopardize and destabilize the oil market. Now we have to purchase oil at higher prices and are pumping money into that country...how is that 'hoarding?' It seems to me like we might actually be trying to do good in the middle east. It would have been easy to leave saddam in power and buy cheap oil, or to topple him and install one of his generals with the understanding he would keep the oil flowing...instead we have given them a government that will be able to sell their oil to whomever they want, and to the highest bidder. Any dividends we reap will be due to the spread of democracy into the Middle East. I know plenty of soldiers who have been to combat, killed and experienced loss. Of the dozens I know personally, only one is showing (or has expressed) any signs of PTSD or emotional problems. It is tiresome hearing how poorly the military prepares it's soldiers from people who have never joined and who have no first hand knowledge. Edit: I failed to mention this at first, but my family did not support my decision to join the military and were very vocal against it. However, they do support me and continue to do so. After they found out I had signed the paperwork they shifted gears and began to help me succeed in my new career in any way possible. They are not happy I have chosen a career which puts me at risk, but it has not hurt my relationship with them in any way...They recognize that I need to make my my own decisions and they won't always be in line with their desires. __________________ "Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery." - Winston Churchill "All men dream: but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act out their dream with open eyes, to make it possible." Seven Pillars of Wisdom, T.E. Lawrence Last edited by Slims; 03-15-2009 at 06:56 PM..