3507

I am not a veteran. My draft number was high, and I was told that that meant I wouldn't be drafted. Then I just attended college.

1. What do you think about your military service? Did this change from how you thought before or during it?

A comment from me: Lately I've been thinking about "collective action" or "collective responsibility" which typically involves leadership and a large group of people's coordinated response to something (or even, sometimes, just behaving themselves and not doing bad things to other people, or maybe following a rule or rules). I think that military service is an example of collective action or collective responsibility. I did not serve in the military, but there are other collective responsibilities, and some of us do more of one, and others do more of another. Even just following the law is often a kind of collective responsibility.

The way I see things, a person has an obligation or obligations, to a group. So, for example, we behave in civilized ways, not just for our own benefit, but also because we're respecting other people too. More than that, we actually care about what happens to other people, to some degree. I care about what happens to my family. Also I try to behave responsibly because I "should care" about what happens to everybody.

2. There is an idea about "every man for himself". What do you think of that?

3. Are there some forms of service which should be compulsory, and for whom? Back in the early 70's there was a draft. What do you think of it? What is there now: some kind of compulsory registration? And what do you think of how things are done now? (This could be about the military, but it could be about other, non-military things too.)

4. What group, or groups, do you think you have an obligation or obligations to?

5. Aside from military service, what other collective actions or collective responsibilities are there, and what do you think of them?

6. This last item is about respect. More specifically, I am thinking about respect and rules. Like this: Sometimes there is a rule, but I might think it's an unnecessary rule, but I follow it anyway. Or maybe I don't follow it. But sometimes I follow a rule, not because the rule itself seems good, and not even just because I'll be punished for not following it; sometimes I follow a rule just because other people care about it. This is a form of respect. Or, I might think: "What if I'm mistaken, and they're right?" and then I follow their rule, just in case I might be mistaken about it. This is also a form of respect. What do you think?

donrent Loc: SW Florida -Born Texas-Lived Panama & Alaska

God ! You don't know shit do you ?

skyrider

For Christ sake donrent (whatever that means)
Here is a guy "3507" trying to, in the best way he can, come up with ideas to help the country
and you come up with that remark. Get over yourself buster.
Do something good for your country like go get the death shot and a few Bonus Boosters to go with it.

microphor Loc: Home is TN

Your name should be ignorant instead of donrent. The man said he had no military experience and was asking questions thats what open minded people do, they don't attact for asking questions.

Simple Sam Loc: USA

1, I am a vet, volunteered without regret. I knew what to expect before I signed up. So, no surprises.

2, There are times when 'every man for themselves' is appropriate. However it is inappropriate when we are trying to accomplish a mutual goal, as in repairing a nation.

3. Compulsory service is not necessary. There may come a time when we will conscript strong able-bodied people, men and women, to fight off invaders and that may not be in a distant future. Think China, who has threatened sleepy joe with invasion. Or think invasion from the South...if these people combine their strength with those who have already infiltrated our nation, to hold our Republic will take a combined force, meaning fighting men and women of all skin tones.

4. Law enforcement, cops. Contrary to what some think, their job is to make sure laws are followed, not individual protection or protection of personal property. EMT, obligation is preservation of lives. Firemen, obligation to cities and states to extinguish fires, prevent spread of fires, or control fires that are out of control. Doctors, obligation to patients not patient's relatives,

5. Respect of rules is necessary for a well functioning society. If a rule/law appears unnecessary, go through the steps to have it changed. This is not a new concept, courts were established 3,000 years ago to change or 'tweak' antiquated rules.

microphor Loc: Home is TN

Good reply Sam thank you

Milosia2 Loc: Cleveland Ohio

I think compulsory service should absolutely be called. A good whiff of that military patriotism can be quite stunning.
Sobering almost. Compulsory for all .
No Daddy Outs
No Bush special plans.
No chhitting in your panties 2 weeks for an easy out.
2 years for all in one capacity or another.
Everyone that lives in this country should have their ass up for grabs just for the humility of it all. We’ve gotten away from the blood of Patriots mostly because those at the top don’t care and will never understand.
A shrug, means you don’t understand .

Milosia2 Loc: Cleveland Ohio

I think the biggest reason we are in this place is because of the Erosion of Trust.
We had trust here for a long time. You could go to sleep at night trusting you wouldn’t be robbed while asleep, not anymore.
Trust is gone. I can’t trust anyone I do business with anymore. Doing business here in this country is is like trying to get through a wet floor supermarket without slipping and falling in every aisle.
There’s no trust. You take out a loan and th fine print creates a hole for you to fall into that will cost you more money.
It seems everything has these conditional attachments that create a minefield for the consumer to get through.
Trust is gone.
Lies abound. Liars can’t believe other people are capable of telling the truth, so they lie because they are incapable of believing the truth.

skyrider

OMG, You can think.

3507

Thank you for that reply. I look forward to more replies from veterans.

3507

Thank you.

His remark is one of the typical kinds of remarks that I get once in a while. I find it difficult to do anything useful with them, except maybe to analyze them from a distance. He didn't mention whether he was a veteran, nor whether he knows any s**t. So there isn't much to go on.

3507

"one capacity or another" could mean a lot. In my mind there's a _big_ difference between "military service" (as soldiers) and most other kinds of service.

In my town there was a Mennonite church and some of the Mennonites were Conscientious Objectors. And I heard that some Conscientious Objectors did some kind of service, it just wasn't a soldier kind of service, and I don't think it was any kind of military service.

I wish that it were never necessary to do violence. But I think sometimes it is necessary to do violence. And there will always be soldiers.

Did you go through boot camp? What do you think about it?

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

The first question you should ask and answer is, What is the purpose of a nation's armed forces?

Blade_Runner Loc: DARK SIDE OF THE MOON

It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.
Psalm 118:8

moldyoldy

Some type of service should be mandatory. The peace core gives young people a chance to think about someone else for a change.
I had just turned seventeen when I joined the military. I did not know anything about politics then and what we heard was limited.
There is a team spirit just like high school sports they teach you to respond in a certain way to threats. Some people never learn to make their own decisions. Those people wind up as part of mobs of different stripes. Think and examine what you are told.