4 ms·

I think some don't realize that they should separate the soldiers who fight the wars from those who make the policy and decisions about where and when and what

I think some don't realize that they should separate the soldiers who fight the wars from those who make the policy and decisions about where and when and what to fight. Our service men and women are committed to fighting to better our country and the world. They trust their superiors to make the right decisions. You can disagree with the bad decisions of those superiors, but the service men and women will be there fighting regardless of whether it was right or wrong because the cost of missing the right call is too high. Honor the troops, not the politicians.

prodigal_erik 17y ago
> service men and women will be there fighting regardless of whether it was right or wrong because the cost of missing the right call is too high Thank you, this is the first time I've seen it argued the people enlisting realize and accept the country is likely to squander their time and risk their lives over nothing worthy of them. I could never reconcile their somehow overlooking that with the dedication they bring to the work.
- david 17y ago
  As if the cost of carrying out the wrong call isn't too high either? The worst case isn't that soldiers' time is squandered or that they risk their lives over nothing worthy, it's that they kill and destroy needlessly, but I guess we don't really tend to come to terms with that fact as well as the people we're fighting.
CWuestefeld 17y ago
You can disagree with the bad decisions of those superiors, but the service men and women will be there fighting regardless of whether it was right or wrong Apologies for invoking Godwin's Law, but this is quite precisely where the analogy is applicable. From The Twilight Zone episode "Death's Head Revisited": "They just heard you offer the apology for all the monsters of our time . We did as we were told, we functioned as ordered, we merely carried out directives from our superiors. Familiar, is it, Captain? It was the Nazi theme music at Nuremburg. The new lyrics to the Gotterdammerung. The plaintive litany of the master race as it laid dying. We did not do, others did, or someone else did it. We never even knew it was being done or We did it, but others told us to." I now cringingly await the downvotes.
david 17y ago
The politicians only exist because of the troops. The republican party isn't going to launch an attack against you themselves just because you didn't follow the rules.

prodigal_erik 17y ago

> service men and women will be there fighting regardless of whether it was right or wrong because the cost of missing the right call is too high Thank you, this is the first time I've seen it argued the people enlisting realize and accept the country is likely to squander their time and risk their lives over nothing worthy of them. I could never reconcile their somehow overlooking that with the dedication they bring to the work.

david 17y ago
As if the cost of carrying out the wrong call isn't too high either? The worst case isn't that soldiers' time is squandered or that they risk their lives over nothing worthy, it's that they kill and destroy needlessly, but I guess we don't really tend to come to terms with that fact as well as the people we're fighting.

CWuestefeld 17y ago

You can disagree with the bad decisions of those superiors, but the service men and women will be there fighting regardless of whether it was right or wrong Apologies for invoking Godwin's Law, but this is quite precisely where the analogy is applicable. From The Twilight Zone episode "Death's Head Revisited": "They just heard you offer the apology for all the monsters of our time . We did as we were told, we functioned as ordered, we merely carried out directives from our superiors. Familiar, is it, Captain? It was the Nazi theme music at Nuremburg. The new lyrics to the Gotterdammerung. The plaintive litany of the master race as it laid dying. We did not do, others did, or someone else did it. We never even knew it was being done or We did it, but others told us to." I now cringingly await the downvotes.

david 17y ago

The politicians only exist because of the troops. The republican party isn't going to launch an attack against you themselves just because you didn't follow the rules.