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The military is using e-girls to recruit Gen Z into service
- bitwize 3y agoHailey Lujan... surprised her name wasn't Yvan Eht Nioj.
- ramesh31 3y agoI find it a little disturbing the rising jingoism we are seeing in the states. Military recruitment ads are everywhere all of the sudden. It went away for a solid decade after the catastrophe of Iraq and Afghanistan, but it seems like the war drums are beating once again. The fear mongering over China has reached an absolute fever pitch, and it feels eerily reminiscent of the 2002 media blitz to justify toppling Saddam.
- gumballindie 3y agoThe china spat is _nowhere_ near the prelude to iraq’s invasion.
- vkou 3y agoYeah, unlike Iraq, China actually does have WMDs. A shooting war with it is incredibly dangerous brinksmanship.
- gumballindie 3y agoI have a feeling that should push come to shove china will turn out to be an overrated “power”, much like russia. I have nothing against china to be honest, i admire their determination and capacity to grow, but absolutely dislike their desire to expand militarily. While war is dangerous and undesirable for us, it is worse and even less desirable for china. If anything, their posturing will galvanise the much needed relationship between the us, free europe, and aligned nations even further. Personally i find such outcome good for us, and totally not desirable for china, russia, and other wannabe “powers”.
- sterlind 3y agoUnlike Russia, China actually makes stuff domestically. Like, a majority of the world's stuff, even. So their supply chain is rock solid. Also, China's corruption is a lot more.. functional.. than Russia. It oils the machine, blends with networking, rewards being a little greedy but punishes excess. And leadership is much more calculating and plans long-term. They've built on multi-decade plans successfully, frankly surpassing the West in that regard. And finally, I think war is equally undesirable for us and China, considering we both have nukes, and direct war between nuclear powers is unacceptable. Nuclear wars have no winners.
- gumballindie 3y agoI agree with everything, particularly with: > And finally, I think war is equally undesirable for us and China, considering we both have nukes, and direct war between nuclear powers is unacceptable. Nuclear wars have no winners. It is a shame that china is taking the route of russia in lingering over its “glorious” past. If it would just settle it’s differences with taiwan and accept that taiwan can be like austria is for germany, allow hong kong a special status, and move on from all this petty posturing and warmongering, it would easily double its gdp and most important it would stand a chance at lifting its citizens out of poverty. But it all boils down to the “ambitions” of insecure leaders, as in any country that takes that route. And for me personally that makes china a huge disappointment - i really thought it could do better.
- ramesh31 3y ago>The china spat is _nowhere_ near the prelude to iraq’s invasion. They're just getting warmed up. The way China's legitimate concerns are just completely washed away in the American press at this point is honestly terrifying. We don't stop for even a second to wonder how we'd feel about Chinese warships cruising 12 miles off the coast of Miami, regardless of the "legality" of it. There are concessions to be made on both sides. But if cable news were to be believed, you'd think that China was actively taking over the world. I am not simping for the CCP here. But we're starting to look apoplectic in comparison.
- lostlogin 3y ago> We don't stop for even a second to wonder how we'd feel about Chinese warships cruising off the coast of Miami, regardless of the "legality" of it. Spy balloons in your airspace is in a similar category. They weren’t armed, but could clearly spy.
- gizmo686 3y agoUntil 2020, the US was part of the Open Skys treaty, which was specifically for allowing member states to fly unarmed spy aircraft in each others airspace. China was never a member, so wasn't covered under it, but Russia was until they withdrew in 2021. The only reason the US responded at all was internall politics. Geopolitically, we already assume that anything with line-of-sight to the sky is observable, and that this is probably good for geopolitical stability.
- jjoonathan 3y ago[flagged]
- ecshafer 3y agoLast I checked, Taiwan is not a territory or state of the United States. Why should some kid from Kansas pick up a rifle for Taiwan?
- 3y ago
- pixl97 3y agoI mean Russia did start a war in continental europe, so you tell me?
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- totalZero 3y agoHow do you propose that we maintain an all-volunteer military without recruitment? Returning veterans are going to carry military culture back into civilian life. That's just the reality of the situation after so many years in Iraq and Afghanistan. China is a real threat to American primacy and this time the battle is economic, but there are major military risks and we can't carry a big stick unless we keep the military in shape.
- kotaKat 3y agoI don't know, fix the current active retention problems ranging from straight up moldy barracks to various issues with access to food and DFAC quality to toxic leadership at every level of the chain of command across the organization?
- bllguo 3y agoMajor military risks? Spare me. America is under zero threat of any attack; a child looking at a map could tell you this.
- totalZero 3y agoWhat happens to the price of a laptop if China invades Taiwan?
- krapp 3y agoWhy should I be willing to die for the price of a laptop?
- rainclouds 3y agoLike we make that choice. Drawn in with sex and sent to die for transistors seems Pretty accurate if you look at past utilization for resources.
- hakfoo 3y agoIf that's a fear worth courting WWIII over, shouldn't we have been considering the strategic importance of manufacturing stuff domestically for... IDK, the last forty years? TBH, I wonder if it would be worth tossing off a few political flashpoints in the name of greater global stability. Hand over Taiwan on a silver platter in exchange for long-term friendship and economic concessions. Could we get to a place where the relationships between major powers is more of "a loose partnership of equals with broad leeway for dissent" rather than "the US surrounded by imminent threats to US hegemony"? We're going to need China on our side for the next 50-100-200 years. In fact, the China that's currently being villianized is a more valuable partner than some fantasy "one day they wake up and switch to Western democracy" China, because they expand the tools available to respond to the next grand crisis.
- rm_-rf_slash 3y agoRecruitment is down[0]. America’s military is all volunteer. They’re advertising more to make up the shortfall. [0] https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/04/19/army-navy-and-air-force-predict-recruiting-shortfalls-this-year/ https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2023/04/19/...
- jjoonathan 3y ago[flagged]
- deleted 3y ago[deleted]
- RajT88 3y agoThe drums of war never stop for major world powers. They wax and wane.
- mhuffman 3y ago> Military recruitment ads are everywhere all of the sudden. It is because all branches of the military are struggling to recruit. IMHO it is because there is a mismatch in the mentality of the people at the top of the military and the people they want to enlist.
- scotty79 3y agoWhole world is getting unnervingly militarized. 2022 put the brick on the gas pedal with cheering applause from the media.
- jstarfish 3y ago> I find it a little disturbing the rising jingoism we are seeing in the states. Military recruitment ads are everywhere all of the sudden. It went away for a solid decade after the catastrophe of Iraq and Afghanistan, but it seems like the war drums are beating once again. The fear mongering over China has reached an absolute fever pitch You're not wrong, but not right enough. Iraq was an obvious lie, but China is an actual threat. They're quickly teching up to meet the western world and have 3x as many bodies to throw into a conflict if everything else fails. Besides the recruiting efforts, there's less cutesy factors at play too, like the attack on abortion rights seemingly out of nowhere. Birth rates are down, which does not lend itself well to maintenance and replacement of a functional army should a conflict arise in the next three decades. Undermining abortion establishes a direct-to-military pipeline for young adults to escape desperate situations (yes, it's as ugly as it sounds-- such is war). Nobody's going to do anything about ongoing job displacement so we'll have a lot of desperate men of fighting age with nothing else to do. We're ramping up production capability again, but those jobs will go to robots and women after we hand the men rifles and ship them out to some atoll in the middle of the Pacific. The rest of us will eventually be conscripted out of necessity since this won't be some pointless skirmish in the Falklands, which will solve the retirement and housing crises. Gen Z will dodge the draft, embrace the Communist invaders they romanticize and experience life as subjugated citizens under occupation. Ironically, they don't really have anything to fight for. They've been conditioned to resent their ancestors, each other, and the idea of meritocracy. Let your parents die in war/childbirth and you'll net an early inheritance. Start learning Mandarin. It'll either help you get a job on a red team/intelligence unit or help you assimilate once it's all over.
- ragnot 3y agoGenius except that if China lands in the US then nukes fly. No winners there.
- testacct22 3y agoThis article comes to mind https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/us/jrotc-schools-mandatory-automatic-enrollment.html https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/11/us/jrotc-schools-mandator... Tl;dr they're trying to pressure high schoolers into JROTC with stuff like automatic enrollment
- whalesalad 3y ago> If Lujan feels like a psyop (a psychological operation) it is because, technically, she is.
- justrealist 3y agoA simp who joins the army because of a psyop e-girl is probably better off, in the long run, having joined the army...
- psKama 3y agoI thought the same at first but then I remember all those teenagers out there just stepping into adulthood with noone to guide them in life. They can easily get tricked into this, wasting their potential.
- justrealist 3y agoYeah... but if they can be tricked into joining the military, they're incredibly likely to waste their potential on other internet traps than divert it into something productive. This give them a couple years of (mostly) internet detox before getting sent back into it.
- more_corn 3y agoProductive… not sure the military produces much. More on the blow things up side of the divide if ya ask me. But sure, if they don’t lose a limb, die or become traumatized and kill themselves it’s not a bad life course.
- justizin 3y ago“Anyone who can be fooled by an internet scam should be sent to war” is faulty in two ways, given that it hinges on a young person making poorly informed decisions: - being sent to war should probably not be the result of being young and gullible - if we need to send anyone to war, should we send the dumbest people we can find?
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 3y agoJoining the military was the best decision of my life but ymmv
- 3y ago
- xwdv 3y agoIf you join a military because of an e-girl you’re still a simp. Perhaps the ultimate simp, risking your life in an organization that doesn’t care about you on the off chance you might see a TikTok military influencer once at some organized event. Just a simp with a gun.
- bequanna 3y agoWow, not a single ounce of pity in what you wrote. These people are being manipulated because of their loneliness and you’re OK with reducing the situation to: “stupid sex starved simp got what they deserve”.
- autokad 3y agowhile I do not think their comment was helpful, I don't disagree with it.
- bequanna 3y agoSo, because someone is manipulated with sex means they aren’t worth pity? Wanting sex or being lonely isn’t wrong, it’s a human need.
- xwdv 3y agoI don’t even think it’s about sex. E-girls are visually stimulating to the point of uncontrollable ejaculation. These men can’t possibly think they have a shot at having sex or even a genuine conversation with these carefully engineered influencers. They are like moths drawn to a flame. They worship these girls and fantasize about them and show their devotion by doing stupid irrational shit. Simp activities.
- friend_and_foe 3y agoPity is one of the most degrading feelings a person can have. It dehumanizes people by removing their agency. Sympathy, empathy, never pity.
- 3y ago
- moomoo11 3y agoMandatory military might be good for gen z imho. Worst case scenario they can live out some gundam fantasy while having a sense of real purpose and duty.
- phailhaus 3y agoPeople have been complaining about "kids these days" since at least 600 BC. [1] It's interesting that this illusion is so strong that people still do it, completely unironically. [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6795513/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6795513/
- moomoo11 3y agoI just want more productivity. I don’t really care how we achieve it. I learned about “simps” and “e girls” from the article and discussions. I much rather these people were put to use doing research or labor or on some expedition military or exploration. I see them having much more positive things to contribute to society. We should expect more from others. And it should be okay for people to disagree, but their options should be rich enough they naturally make a better decision.
- oh_sigh 3y agoJust because it has been happening for a long time, doesn't mean that any specific instance is wrong. Maybe it does increase the burden of proof though.
- Animats 3y agoThe military has used sex as a recruiting tool for centuries. It's kind of nice seeing that the Army has figured out how to use TikTok and Instagram. The military has tried all sorts of things. Current USMC ad.[1] [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9gTAjbiQEM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9gTAjbiQEM
- explaininjs 3y agoCenturies? Try millennia. Entire religions have been built around the idea that death in battle will give you virgins in the afterlife. In fact, I’d be more interested in an example of any military in history that didn’t use some sort of promise of fornication in recruitment.
- c7DJTLrn 3y agoWow, I almost can't believe that video is real, it's like a parody. Ads for the British Forces are a bit more modest and don't present bombing as some kind of heroic action. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWQafHqfNy0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWQafHqfNy0
- kgwxd 3y agoIt's going to turn out that this who alien craft scenario is just another tool to hype up joining the military.
- lamontcg 3y ago"I'm doing my part"
- realityloop 3y agoI also got Starship Troopers vibes from it
- Gunnerhead 3y agoWow, if I saw that without context I’d be looking forward to this next Battlefield release.
- ryandrake 3y agoArticle needs some proofreading. Three paragraphs are repeated verbatim.
- robotnikman 3y agoThere is a good chance it could be AI generated, that seems to be the new thing now with sites like CNET doing that.
- fourthark 3y agoIt’s been copy pasted from here: https://www.mintpressnews.com/simp-to-soldier-e-girls-military-recuitment-gen-z/284897/ https://www.mintpressnews.com/simp-to-soldier-e-girls-milita... Fair game, it’s Creative Commons.
- dirtyid 3y agoEgirls, anime waifus. From trend of defense forums these days, I expect some recruitment in 5 years to be just tits and spicy memes. Anyone remember ISIS and thier dank nasheeds. Medium is the message or something.
- krapp 3y agoIt'll just be TikToks (or, sorry, the American government equivalent, after they purge the internet of the wokes and commies) remixing memes from Maxor's Metal Gear videos.
- 40yearoldman 3y agoThey missed the best video ever. https://twitter.com/rordonb/status/1653977289049399296/mediaviewer https://twitter.com/rordonb/status/1653977289049399296/media...
- mdrzn 3y ago"The ironyposting is dialed up to 11, however, with Lujan’s own videos about psychological operations. In a video entitled “no one is immune to propaganda”, she even shares content laying out how the U.S. government manipulates public opinion through the media. In true Gen-Z style, she captioned another of her videos “propaganda this propaganda that let me take a propa ganda at them yitties”. Damn 10/10 shitposting, maybe enlisting is not so bad.