US Troops are "Warriors" now?

Two hot topics for the price of one

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DeBunkem
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US Troops are "Warriors" now?

Post #1

Post by DeBunkem »

Yes this is religion, too, IMO. I'm puzzled by the effort of the Pentagon to implant the idea of US troops as "warriors." I find it repulsive. What other advanced nation is doing this? Is "soldier" too tame? "Warrior" connotates bloodthirsty barbarian hordes such as Goths, Huns, and Mongols. "Soldier" connotates the armies os civilized nations with advanced laws, such as Rome, England, and the (former) USA. With reports on how much the US military is becoming infiltrated with militant Fundamentalists, (i.e., the USAF cadet scandals)i would suggest a sinister long-term strategy.
Which sounds better next to "Holy"? Holy Soldiers or Holy Warriors? I'm just sayin'. Holy Moly I hope I'm wrong but it would also fit the direction that AIPAC is pushing us. Obama said their control over our policy is "sacrosanct." :shock:

Here's a picture of Pastor John Hagee (Google 'im) forya:

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Choir Loft
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Post #91

Post by Choir Loft »

Wyvern wrote:
Believe my words or reject them out of hand. All I ask is that the reader do his or her homework. Dig a little.
I'm willing to do some homework, all I need is one bit of info from you and that is what unit were you attached to in '72-'73.
From 1971 to 1973 my unit was attached to the United States Middle East force based in Bahrain. Today the island of Diego Suarez is employed instead.

In early 1972, two incidents with the Soviet Union were initiated and directed by the CIA. The purpose was to purposefully cause damage to US property and loss of American lives in the general vicinity of the horn of Africa. The objective was to justify increased American presence in the middle east which was rather small at the time.

The operations were conducted and observed by several units; one in the Red Sea area, one in the Indian Ocean area, one in Bahrain and one in Japan. I am aware of all four of these units because I was either directly or indirectly in communication with them. I was personally attached to the Indian Ocean area.

It was our good fortune that both operations did not go according to plan. The second operation nearly succeeded and I am alive today because of the skill of the Russian military and the grace of God. No thanks to the CIA who tried to kill us for their own agenda.

I served with men who did their duty with honor. If you have never been exposed to a dangerous situation I do not expect you to understand how we felt about one another in those circumstances. Flag waving and patriotic notions evaporate in those times and all you can think about is your brother in uniform.

Flag waving and patriotism is for civilians who don't know any better. The blood and sweat and fear and love of one's comrades in arms are the only things that are real. We were denied a real reason for our dedication in those days and we are denying our men and women in arms the same things today.

Our soldiers are to be honored. They have earned it.
The Pentagon and corporate CEOs who profit from war are to be despised.
They have earned that as well.

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Post #92

Post by Rathpig »

I don't currently have the time to read this entire thread, so forgive me if I point out something that has been mentioned. I don't say the following to offend anyone specifically. I only say it because it is true.

The term which should be used is "mercenary".

Every member of the U.S. military is exactly that and nothing more.
They work for the corporations who own the government and do so for pay (however limited).

"Warrior" is a mild word compared to the reality of the situation.





(I may return at times to this forum, but I am more of a free speech advocate than the ownership here prefers.)

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Wyvern
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Post #93

Post by Wyvern »

richardP wrote:
Wyvern wrote:
Believe my words or reject them out of hand. All I ask is that the reader do his or her homework. Dig a little.
I'm willing to do some homework, all I need is one bit of info from you and that is what unit were you attached to in '72-'73.
From 1971 to 1973 my unit was attached to the United States Middle East force based in Bahrain. Today the island of Diego Suarez is employed instead.
Yes but I was asking what unit you were attached to not where you served in order to do that homework. For example I was in the navy so we didn't have unit designations like the other services but still I can say I served at Naval Hospital Oakland and was attached to the USHS Mercy. I know its been a long time since you served and if you do not remember that's okay too.

DeBunkem
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Post #94

Post by DeBunkem »

Our soldiers are to be honored. They have earned it.
The Pentagon and corporate CEOs who profit from war are to be despised.
They have earned that as well.
It is an abuse of our fellow citizens in uniform to put them in the role of a Roman Legionnaire, whose mission is offensive conquest to protect the "vital interests" (oil flow) of a corporate Empire. At least the Roman soldiers got land to farm as a reward for service. The massive shedding of US middle class jobs that started during the Bush occupancy has become a de facto draft.
" The corporate grip on opinion in the United States
is one of the wonders of the Western world. No First
World country has ever managed to eliminate so
entirely from its media all objectivity - much less
dissent."
Gore Vidal

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East of Eden
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Post #95

Post by East of Eden »

DeBunkem wrote:
Our soldiers are to be honored. They have earned it.
The Pentagon and corporate CEOs who profit from war are to be despised.
They have earned that as well.
It is an abuse of our fellow citizens in uniform to put them in the role of a Roman Legionnaire, whose mission is offensive conquest to protect the "vital interests" (oil flow) of a corporate Empire. At least the Roman soldiers got land to farm as a reward for service. The massive shedding of US middle class jobs that started during the Bush occupancy has become a de facto draft.
Employment increased during much of Bush's term, and has spiked sharply upward during Obama's: http://perotcharts.com/2009/02/unemploy ... uary-2009/

Do you think the price and availability of oil is unrelated to employment?
"We are fooling ourselves if we imagine that we can ever make the authentic Gospel popular......it is too simple in an age of rationalism; too narrow in an age of pluralism; too humiliating in an age of self-confidence; too demanding in an age of permissiveness; and too unpatriotic in an age of blind nationalism." Rev. John R.W. Stott, CBE

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Wyvern
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Post #96

Post by Wyvern »

East of Eden wrote:
DeBunkem wrote:
Our soldiers are to be honored. They have earned it.
The Pentagon and corporate CEOs who profit from war are to be despised.
They have earned that as well.
It is an abuse of our fellow citizens in uniform to put them in the role of a Roman Legionnaire, whose mission is offensive conquest to protect the "vital interests" (oil flow) of a corporate Empire. At least the Roman soldiers got land to farm as a reward for service. The massive shedding of US middle class jobs that started during the Bush occupancy has become a de facto draft.
Employment increased during much of Bush's term, and has spiked sharply upward during Obama's: http://perotcharts.com/2009/02/unemploy ... uary-2009/

Do you think the price and availability of oil is unrelated to employment?
Correct me if I am wrong but I think you meant to say unemployment.

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East of Eden
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Post #97

Post by East of Eden »

Wyvern wrote:
East of Eden wrote:
DeBunkem wrote:
Our soldiers are to be honored. They have earned it.
The Pentagon and corporate CEOs who profit from war are to be despised.
They have earned that as well.
It is an abuse of our fellow citizens in uniform to put them in the role of a Roman Legionnaire, whose mission is offensive conquest to protect the "vital interests" (oil flow) of a corporate Empire. At least the Roman soldiers got land to farm as a reward for service. The massive shedding of US middle class jobs that started during the Bush occupancy has become a de facto draft.
Employment increased during much of Bush's term, and has spiked sharply upward during Obama's: http://perotcharts.com/2009/02/unemploy ... uary-2009/

Do you think the price and availability of oil is unrelated to employment?
Correct me if I am wrong but I think you meant to say unemployment.
Yes, it would have been better put with 'unemployment'.
"We are fooling ourselves if we imagine that we can ever make the authentic Gospel popular......it is too simple in an age of rationalism; too narrow in an age of pluralism; too humiliating in an age of self-confidence; too demanding in an age of permissiveness; and too unpatriotic in an age of blind nationalism." Rev. John R.W. Stott, CBE

DeBunkem
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Post #98

Post by DeBunkem »

There are currently more mercenaries in Afghanistan than soldiers. I'm not sure about US troops, but I would think that commercial mercenaries are counted in the employment figures.

http://afpakwar.com/blog/archives/910

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Post #99

Post by Wyvern »

DeBunkem wrote:There are currently more mercenaries in Afghanistan than soldiers. I'm not sure about US troops, but I would think that commercial mercenaries are counted in the employment figures.
This is entirely dependant on how you define what a mercenary is. The articles sources cite numbers from 70,000 to the authors own number of 250,000. To get that high number the author considers every civilian contractor in the country to be a mercenary. In general a mercenary is a soldier for hire, but the majority of contractors in Afghanistan provide services for the american military and are not combatants.

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Post #100

Post by Rathpig »

Examined objectively, all paid members of the invading military are "mercenaries".
Be they guns for hire or the support for guns for hire, no exception absolves the blood on their hands.

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