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So is your local police force, in that it's an organisation with the capacity and authority to commit violent acts on behalf of the state. But neither the milit

by Maktab 18y ago

So is your local police force, in that it's an organisation with the capacity and authority to commit violent acts on behalf of the state. But neither the military nor the police have violence as their sole objective; it's merely a tool to be used in the attainment of certain goals and policies such as national defence or community safety. But we're arguing semantics here. I wrote my response because the way in which joubert dismissed the possibility of the author's comment being sarcasm strongly implied that he regarded the military as an inherently violent organisation to which only violence-loving terrorist-killing wannabes would aspire. I resent that.

bad_user 18y ago
Not to mention that politicians and the American people sent those soldiers in Irak ;)
jscn 18y ago
"So is your local police force, in that it's an organisation with the capacity and authority to commit violent acts on behalf of the state." We agree so far. I don't think it's just semantics, but my "politics" probably differ radically from most of the crew here (and I don't expect to change anyone's mind), so I'll leave it at that. I get that his list of reasons was largely sarcastic. But that suggests he's (at least somewhat) cynical about the military. Given that, I don't understand why he'd join up. Especially when he implies that he had/has specific knowledge that he'd likely be sent to Iraq and told to kill people. I just don't find it funny. Maybe I missed the point.
- jimbokun 18y ago
  "But that suggests he's (at least somewhat) cynical about the military." He is cynical about the opinions many civilians have about the military.
- anamax 18y ago
  > But that suggests he's (at least somewhat) cynical about the military. If you don't know that everyone in the military is cynical about the military, you know very little about military folks. Projecting seems to be especially common among the "intellectual" class.

by Maktab 18y ago

bad_user 18y ago

Not to mention that politicians and the American people sent those soldiers in Irak ;)

jscn 18y ago

"So is your local police force, in that it's an organisation with the capacity and authority to commit violent acts on behalf of the state." We agree so far. I don't think it's just semantics, but my "politics" probably differ radically from most of the crew here (and I don't expect to change anyone's mind), so I'll leave it at that. I get that his list of reasons was largely sarcastic. But that suggests he's (at least somewhat) cynical about the military. Given that, I don't understand why he'd join up. Especially when he implies that he had/has specific knowledge that he'd likely be sent to Iraq and told to kill people. I just don't find it funny. Maybe I missed the point.

jimbokun 18y ago
"But that suggests he's (at least somewhat) cynical about the military." He is cynical about the opinions many civilians have about the military.
anamax 18y ago
> But that suggests he's (at least somewhat) cynical about the military. If you don't know that everyone in the military is cynical about the military, you know very little about military folks. Projecting seems to be especially common among the "intellectual" class.