thoughts on soldiers

[Kulturkampf]

I watched a film a while ago and I remember being a little upset by what an American said...

Remember, we fight for freedom and we die for justice. We're not fighting and dying for some tyrant like they are. We're just.

Fair enough. True enough. In those circumstances it was entirely true.

But isn't it enough to have lived and died as a soldier? But isn't it enough to have stood and to fought and to faced death itself with a weapon in hand?

There is nothing more existential and beautiful than a dying soldier.

It does not matter what side he was on, it only matters that he fought under the banner.

It is a shame that we ever try to distinguish ourselves from the others as if somehow we are more meritorious.

Honestly, I hope that I would have joined the military if I were an Iraqi or if I were a WWII era German or Japanese; I hope that I would have joined the military today if I were a 19 year old Iranian.

It does not matter what the flag is. This isn't about country or ideals. This is only about the act of soldiering. This is about the role you have in society.

It is about a certain adventurous spirit and escapism.

It's about hearing stories of soldiers when you were young, being fascinated with this line of work, wanting that adventure and heroism and wanting the toughness.... You know.

If you joined the military solely for patriotic passions there is something wrong with you.

You're more like a terrorist -- some fanatical nut set on upholding some high standard.

There has to be a certain point where one joins because it is who you are and the way that you want to make money.

Of course, a soldier ought to feel a little moved for his nation the way that any businessman should seek to serve his client, but at the same time... To be fanatical is sinful and disrespectful. It is cruel, even, to go to battle with such patriotic fervor as to disregard the humanity of your enemy at such a cost and forget that he, too, shines his boots and maintains his arms and equipment; to forget that he, too, is doing what the French call le beau travail, the beautiful labor of training to kill and finally, resolutely, killing.

The soldier is a sacred occupation.

But I look at my comrades and I do not really see the understanding of what we are doing.

There are a lot of folks who see the ardent patriotism, and that is half and that is good.

There are a lot of folks who see the militant, murderous and hardcore part of it. That is also a good portion of it and I admire that.

There are still others who see the amazing way that we all come together to accomplish such a unique mission as people from all over the nation, executing such profound national tasks and making history. That is a lot of it, too.

But really... Being a soldier is not something you can describe.

It's like being a Skinhead. The more you talk about what you are and what you do and what it means the more confusing it becomes and the more profound, yet at the same time more simple/

[mburbank]

A.) You are a nutjob.

B.) " There has to be a certain point where one joins because it is who you are and the way that you want to make money."
-Kulturnutjob
Why do you suppose soldier and mercenary are two different words?

C.) " But really... Being a soldier is not something you can describe."
Then you just wasted a few hundred words, your time and mine

D.)" It's like being a Skinhead. The more you talk about what you are and what you do and what it means the more confusing it becomes and the more profound, yet at the same time more simple"
You confuse profundity with addled thinking. If you intention is to celebrate not being able to figure something out, the act of writing about it and posting is completely masturbatory. In addition, you are in a trembling ecstasy of self love over the same level of though commonly experienced by college freshman taking introduction to philosophy during the day and smoking way too much pot at night. If you are very lucky (and since you are posted in Korea and not Iraq, I'd say that's a given) You will leave service on two intact legs and not in a bag and will hopefully live to be embarrassed by these romantic solitary ramblings. Do actual Iraq combat vets ever get over to your part of the world? Maybe one could beat the romance out of you, and you could post it on Youtube.

[Dr. Boogie]

I always knew you were full of yourself, but I never realized the magnitude of your hubris until this thread. You've actually come out and said that you think you're better than everyone else.

And that bit at the end about how sublime Skinheads are, I think you just made that up to tease us. I appreciate you trying to give us good comedy, but you can't make it so obvious that you're faking it.

[FrogRawr]

There is nothing more existential and beautiful than a dying soldier.

It does not matter what side he was on, it only matters that he fought under the banner.

Hooooly shit. whatever you say Conan

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Don't you refer to yourself as kulturkampf? isn't your whole schtick based on the difference between right and wrong values?

Maybe we should call you The Mongolian.

[AlliSabbah]

Man I usually try to ignore you but I fell I must reply to this one.

Just being a soldier is not quite an honor. If your a soldier you are not special just because. Its how you behave in society that makes you special. If you are a soldier who is assisting a tyrant to butcher and torment helpless civilians then you are scum plain and simple.

Also never ever ever compare skinheads to soldiers. Skinheads are not an honored group of people. Most people fall into being a skinhead due to a lack of purpose. Usually movements such as the skinheads etc... look for youths in their younger more confused years and try to pretend to be there to help when actually they just want to use them to further thier goals.

There are so many flaws in your view of this Im half tempted to think you only posted it to try and annoy the people who are always making fun of you here.

[derrida]

Originally Posted by Kulturkampf

I watched a film a while ago and I remember being a little upset by what an American said...

Remember, we fight for freedom and we die for justice. We're not fighting and dying for some tyrant like they are. We're just.

Fair enough. True enough. In those circumstances it was entirely true.

But isn't it enough to have lived and died as a soldier? But isn't it enough to have stood and to fought and to faced death itself with a weapon in hand?

There is nothing more existential and beautiful than a dying soldier.

It does not matter what side he was on, it only matters that he fought under the banner.

It is a shame that we ever try to distinguish ourselves from the others as if somehow we are more meritorious.

Honestly, I hope that I would have joined the military if I were an Iraqi or if I were a WWII era German or Japanese; I hope that I would have joined the military today if I were a 19 year old Iranian.

It does not matter what the flag is. This isn't about country or ideals. This is only about the act of soldiering. This is about the role you have in society.

It is about a certain adventurous spirit and escapism.

It's about hearing stories of soldiers when you were young, being fascinated with this line of work, wanting that adventure and heroism and wanting the toughness.... You know.

If you joined the military solely for patriotic passions there is something wrong with you.

You're more like a terrorist -- some fanatical nut set on upholding some high standard.

There has to be a certain point where one joins because it is who you are and the way that you want to make money.

Of course, a soldier ought to feel a little moved for his nation the way that any businessman should seek to serve his client, but at the same time... To be fanatical is sinful and disrespectful. It is cruel, even, to go to battle with such patriotic fervor as to disregard the humanity of your enemy at such a cost and forget that he, too, shines his boots and maintains his arms and equipment; to forget that he, too, is doing what the French call le beau travail, the beautiful labor of training to kill and finally, resolutely, killing.

The soldier is a sacred occupation.

But I look at my comrades and I do not really see the understanding of what we are doing.

There are a lot of folks who see the ardent patriotism, and that is half and that is good.

There are a lot of folks who see the militant, murderous and hardcore part of it. That is also a good portion of it and I admire that.

There are still others who see the amazing way that we all come together to accomplish such a unique mission as people from all over the nation, executing such profound national tasks and making history. That is a lot of it, too.

But really... Being a soldier is not something you can describe.

It's like being a Skinhead. The more you talk about what you are and what you do and what it means the more confusing it becomes and the more profound, yet at the same time more simple/

so you're a nihilist? there are no eternal values but the ones you create? i believe in service to the motherfucker next to you but i'm not gonna call an iranian soldier who defects or joins a resistance movement a traitor, ya dig?

RP3 (FMF), USN

[Kulturkampf]

First: when I said skinhead this was originally intended for a group of punks/skins I know; they are not the inherently racist kind but rather those who date back to hooliganism in the sixties and pre-dub reggae music...

Second: I think that the action of being a soldier embodies sacrifice more than any other occupation, and at a very selfless level: a soldier does not receive a generous payment lest he is an officer (who make up a small part of it); most of the payments a soldier receives are not in monetary form (service and adventure unto themselves are payment).

Third: Hubris is good.

Fourth: Selfless sacrifice is a great value for everyone and I think that i cannot fault anybody for embracing it, evn if it is a cause that is counter to my own. It is inherently noble...

I'd also like to say that in an odd way I can relate to nihilism; I think that humanity needs to hit reset once in a while.

What is an RP3? Nice to see another NCO here.

[AlliSabbah]

We call the kind of skinheads you are referring to Sharps around here. Honestly I used to be a soldier and most of them joined due to all the ads you see on television. See places, make money, get a college education. I was making pretty decent money at my E-6 level not to mention my free room and board, College tuition free health care etc......

[Kulturkampf]

e6 that is good...w hat MOS?

I am not a SHARP, I am just a traditional skin... not racist, not joining SHARP because those crews often become discrediting to themselves.

[Emu]

I hope your frontal lobes kick in some day.

[AlliSabbah]

Storekeep and I can kind of see what you mean about Sharps. When I lived by Detroit the Sharps and the Skins would get into some fierce brawls. I was loosely for lack of a better term ( I hate labels.) A oldschool punk.

Also whenever anyone says they are a skinhead the first thing people think is racist. Therefore we need to come up with a different term for a skinhead thats not completely racist but not quite against it either.

Hmmmmm any ideas?

[Jeanette X]

http://www.i-mockery.com/comics/longbox14/default.php

[mburbank]

Ha, ha, Jeanette! How apropos


KKK, do me a favor, when you write some rambling word soup for a specific audience, instead of cutting and pasting it for an entirely different audience could you make the minimal effort of redrafting it?

See, If I write something for plumbers, I don't just cut it and paste it here. If you write something for an 'audience' of 'skinheads' and 'sharps' and whatever other group of totally non racist folks who just enjoy the trappings of racism, before you post it here, take a moment, throw it all out, and don't bother. Or, if you must, preface it by saying, this was written for an audience with a high incidence of head trauma, so take that into account.