Apparently I have missed Memorial Day by being on the road in Guanajuato. I gather I should have thanked Our Boys for their service to the exceptional nation. I will pass. My tolerance for nauseating twaddle has diminished with the years.
To begin with, “Our Boys,” so affectionately denominated, are not our boys but suckers of the ruling rich. Think not? Think again. Ending the draft protected the sons of the well-off from military service and the military from anti-war movements. If you draft the moneyed elegants of Princeton, you get resistance. Instead the oligarchs send the expendable children of the lower orders. Who volunteer.
Further, the soldiers are not heroes but mercenary killers morally indistinguishable from hitmen for the Mafia. A kid joins the military, perhaps never having heard of the Pentagon’s next target country–Iraq, Vietnam, Iran, Afghanistan, wherever. It doesn’t matter. They are just countries.
It is my sincere desire to provide readers of this site with the best unbiased information available, and a forum where it can be discussed openly, as our Founders intended. But it is not easy nor inexpensive to do so, especially when those who wish to prevent us from making the truth known, attack us without mercy on all fronts on a daily basis. So each time you visit the site, I would ask that you consider the value that you receive and have received from The Burning Platform and the community of which you are a vital part. I can't do it all alone, and I need your help and support to keep it alive. Please consider contributing an amount commensurate to the value that you receive from this site and community, or even by becoming a sustaining supporter through periodic contributions. [Burning Platform LLC - PO Box 1520 Kulpsville, PA 19443] or Paypal
-----------------------------------------------------
To donate via Stripe, click here.
-----------------------------------------------------
Use promo code ILMF2, and save up to 66% on all MyPillow purchases. (The Burning Platform benefits when you use this promo code.)
Then one day come orders from Washington to go kill people in the country du jour. The kid does it. He doesn’t know the people he kills, who have done nothing to him and threaten neither him nor the United States. If ordered, he would as readily attack Switzerland–or Americans.
Guido and Vito. You tell me the difference.
“Our Boys” are not patriots. A recruit signs up because he needs a job, or from boredom, or thinks being a soldier might get him laid in Asia, or wants college money, or to prove himself. Patriotism is an aftermarket bolt-on. It can get you free drinks in a lot of bars. Especially if you have a wound. Wounds usually come from bad luck or incompetence, but you can peddle them for drinks.
The public, middle class and up, does not “support the troops.” The majority do not serve, do not know anyone who does, and avoids soldiers as sex-crazed riffraff. Which is not too far off the mark.
I grew up aboard Dahlgren Naval Proving Ground, a naval weapons-development base on the Potomac in Virginia. The daughters of the mathematicians, physicists, and officers were strongly discouraged from dating sailors. They were, though no one quite said it, dirt. Can you imagine Ivanka Trump going out with an enlisted Marine? To Billy Bob’s Rib Pit?
How many of those celebrating Our Boys at Breitbart or National Review have been to a Legion hall recently? Ever? Carried a rifle? Know what one is?
Our Boys are not making sacrifices for America. They are being sacrificed, used to promote the interests of Big Oil, Israel, the Neocons to the extent that there is a difference, the arms industry, and the imperialists. They are certainly not defending America, which is in no danger at all from Iraq, Iran, Somalia, Afghanistan, or the rest. Do you wake up shuddering in fear of attack by Yemen?
Our Boys do not fight because they want to but because we force them to. If they choose not to, they are called “deserters” and “traitors” and face heavy jail time. A few men enjoy war and go back, tour after tour–I know several of these–but most, given the chance to come home without penalty, would be gone yesterday. If you don’t believe me, make them the offer and see what happens.
American soldiers are not good guys, decent people, armed Boy Scouts promoting democracy and policing the world to rid it of evil. They start as normal lower middle class kids, yes, no worse than anyone else, but training soon brings them around. They learn how to place a bayonet in an enemy’s kidneys so that the shock and agony will drop him. At least we did in Parris Island in the summer of ‘66. They learn how to take out a man’s face with a vertical butt stroke. Chiefly they lose the normal aversion to killing. All of this is necessary in soldiers. Our Boys.
The abandonment of all human decency is the soul of military culture, and a needed abandonment. A pilot bombing Baghdad knows that he is splattering people, that they have done nothing to him or his, that he is leaving children screaming at what is left of Mommy with funny things coming out of her middle and gurgling. He knows this because it is impossible not to know what five-hundred-pound bombs do. But he does it anyway. He doesn’t care. If he did, he wouldn’t do it.
In the age of PR, the military will speak of “surgical strikes” and “collateral damage.” Officers, who are liars and politicians, become angry if pressed on what they are really doing. They don’t care, at least don’t care enough, or they wouldn’t do it, but they know that disemboweled kids play badly with the public. That you see no photos of bleeding viscera in the media is a measure of the control of the press by those profiting from war.
Soldiers are evil. They don’t start that way, but the military changes them. If you read military history you will find that, from Joshua to yesterday, armies have butchered whole cities, looted, raped, burned, tortured. It is what armies do. Dresden, Hamburg, Nanjing, Hiroshima. How can you not think this evil?
Having been trained to kill, they do. Seeing their friends die horribly after stepping on the mine, they come to hate the dinks, slopes, sand niggers, Krauts, gooks. Revenge has a powerful appeal. Seeing a lot of mutilated corpses, cartilage glistening white, produces numbness. Another dead gook. So what?
It happens easily. The day I arrived at the Amtrac compound at Danang in 1967, a VC had been killed the night before outside the wire. They brought him in, I don’t know why. He was lying on the ground, apparently having taken a full magazine of 7.62, arm almost cut off with bone sowing and flies crawling on open eyes going cloudy.
Several other Marines were taking turns holding his head up by the hair for trophy photographs. So what, I thought. He was dead. It wasn’t an atrocity. Just guys kidding around.
Our boys. Me included.
But atrocities happen, regularly. Some can’t be argued, such as Lt. Calley’s mass killing at My Lai. Many soldiers deny what they have done, or kid themselves. A pilot bombing a village because sniper rounds came out of it will see no atrocity.
Militaries today have learned to be sensitive about these things. They invariably are called “isolated incidents.” An isolated incident is business as usual that has been detected by the press. Countries insist that their soldiers don’t do the things every other army has done since the first human picked up a pointed stick. Germans will tell you about the “clean Wehrmacht.” Yeah.
Memorial day. Let’s hear it for Our Boys.
Nice work Fred !!! Nothing like praising the pawns, so they will willingly sacriface themselves for the King and Queen.
Sorry- but I could not disagree more. I am one of the “pawns” you refer to, as are my great grandfather, my grandfather, my father, and two of my children, as well as myself. 5 generations of “pawns” by your broad brush definition. We have bled and died so you can spout your drivel. Enjoy. Your lack of appreciation is noted. Stick it!
We did not sacrifice ourselves for some vacuous goal, but for the ideal that men are free and that freedom comes with a cost. The fact that you have the freedom to spew an ignorant and clueless opinion reflected by yourself and many of those posting here saddens me beyond belief. We did not serve to gain honor or pats on the back, but because we felt a need to give back to a nation that had given us so much. That seems, by your comments, to be beyond your comprehension. I pity you. It is so easy to second guess and disparage those who have given their all in service to an ideal that is obviously beyond your comprehension. Still, we continue to defend YOUR right to be an ass.
Is he the dude who confronted Kathy Griffin about her threat to Barron?
“…We have bled and died so you can spout your drivel….”
PURE bullshit after WWII.
NO American in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria is protecting AMERICANS.
You are nothing but a little cog in the imperial war machine.
I’m a Viet Nam vet. Recently, a family member (who never “served”) insisted that we should always “Thank them for their service”. I left the house post haste to avoid a nasty confrontation.
The Navy had a cute commercial a while back: “It’s not just a job, it’s an ADVENTURE!” Nah, it’s a job.
As a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan I agree and despise being thanked. Most of the time I simply reply by saying “please do not thank me” but depending on my mood I may be more confrontational and ask why they are grateful for the destruction of third world nations and the murder of millions of innocent people? It doesn’t always go over well but I hope I can at least make them think.
I just tell them to thank the corporations!
Why thank the corporations? They don’t pay the bill.
Good luck on making anyone think, Sara E. Welcome to the monkey pit of TBP.
I’m going to start thanking cashiers and other counter people in person or on the phone: Thank you for your service.
Shithead. And I mean that from the bottom of my double D cups. (I should have never posted that Tea Party photo. Dammit.)
Our Boys? You forgot to mention our Girls! Don’t you remember? Women can do anything a 220 pound, muscle bound man can do!!!! I’m so Triggered right now.
Sounds about right post draft.
I took the evil and the evil took me.
I have always concluded that it was no coincidence that the living-wage blue collar jobs started going away when the draft ended. When the small town boys are looking at an $8/hr future, that’s a lot of incentive to “volunteer”. Fucking sad.
not only that but the narrative changed to push and promote war. The backlash for returning vietnam vets seems to have been terrible even though it was a drafted no-choice situation… but in the first Iraq war there was a concerted effort by gov and corp to not let that happen again and was when I noticed the change in the narrative to be pro-war for patriotism and liberators.
Digit.
I remember that. It wasn’t long after that when VA health care was somewhat safe to use and people started trying to thank us. I’m with Capn Mike. No thanks I liked it better when I was hated.
Your exactly right and I am a perfect example. Served in the Army to pay for college. Went to a nice big state university with the expectation that service, paying your way through school and hard work and good manners would pay off. Boy was I wrong. Couldn’t get a job and worked many, many temp jobs trying to get in somewhere and thinking my hard work ethic would get me hired. I was naieve, just used and abused and tossed to the next $8 hour job. Eventually, your degree becomes somewhat worthless. Blue and most white collar jobs pay peanuts unless your part of the in crowd. I never met a more undeserving bunch than this in the college frats, though I am sure many went on to do much better than I.
Eventually, I went back to the military because the pay was soooo much better. In the end, though a Captain, I was screwed by fellow officers who were liars and politicians. I did retire as a reserve officer but I miss “nothing” about the military at this point. I hate, hate the ones, and the many others like them, that completely bent me over. I still carry around a lot of hatred.
Festering Boil……look at all the women who are now being forced into the line based on civilian direction from above. It was much better under Reagan……
Exactly. I can’t put my finger on it but have the same feeling that the schools are dumbed down and the economy is manipulated to supply cannon fodder.
If we were honest, we would admit that our country is based on past illusions, that shield us from the painful reality of who we really are. A path we’ve been on so long that I fear we may never be able to recover from. These illusions are now just useful tools to the establishment to achieve a purpose. Do you remember when Obama said of course our elections cannot be hacked? He was mostly right, but how quickly the story changed when the democrats lost the election; now it was the Russians that hacked an election that was a few weeks before, unhackable. Go figure.
The establishment uses the military in the same way, as so clearly detailed in the article; “Our Boys” are spread over the world, ready to fight and die for an illusion, or in reality; profits for the military industrial complex. Unfortunately, believing the illusion has been so ingrained into the American psyche, there is little that can be done. If you try to enlighten people of their plight, as Neo tried in the movie The Matrix, your are labeled a conspiracy nut job by the very people you are trying to help. So don’t be a martyr, or try to change the world, but maybe you can speak to one potential high school recruit who is ready to die for his country and gently persuade him maybe it is better to live for his country, in some other pursuit.
Not Sure.
You are absolutely right on all points. Maybe most especially trying to wake up the populace and having them hate you for it.
I believe the reason is guilt because they know they have made selfish decisions that are coming home to roost and don’t want to own up to the fact that they have made it easy for TPTB to take over.
Flea, I’m 65. When I was born TPTB had already taken over. I don’t remember ever having any means of making it hard for them to take over what they had already had control of for 100+ years before I came along.
Nobody alive today ever had the chance to stop the ones who rule us. This shit is done to us, not by us.
ED.
We’ll just have to disagree on this one. We did have the means or choices but they were hard as hell to make. The Vietnamese made those hard choices and threw us out in spite of incredible suffering then and for a decade after. I mentioned these bad choices go way back and they would have been easier then compared to now.
In the early 90’s I was committing blasphemy by calling for primary challenges and recall elections by getting involved directly and forcefully from the smallest township election all the way up. Waco hadn’t happened yet but afterward we got a little bump of activism that fizzled after Billary sent his bureaucrat enforcers around to scare people. The militia and 2nd amendment movements became a shadow of what they were shaping up as. The guys we did get elected sold us out right away and no one wanted to pursue it beyond a few token protests. That is just one example of many.
Flea, you proved to yourself that you have no way of influencing what happens. What are you saying, that we allowed this shit by not killing the enforcers who ride herd on us?
Blame yourself if you need to, but you can’t blame anyone who was born into the way things are. You are not at fault and neither is anyone else who ain’t part of the ruling class. Saying that we allowed this shit to happen is like saying we let it snow in the wintertime.
ED.
I said it goes way back when it could have been turned around and the people before us weren’t willing to do it. Now the mess is going to cost us dearly.
In the 90’s we just proved voting in alleged conservatives was not enough but we could have taken the activism full boar by throwing all the bums out in every red county in the country. We still could have salvaged things but with serious discomfort. No one wanted to do it.
Now “WE” as a country gave Bush, Obama, Trump and Congress a wink and a nod to pillage and bomb the world into submission to enforce the petro dollar because we know in our hearts that it’s over if the dollar is replaced by any other medium of exchange. So yes, “WE” let it snow in wintertime.
I fully expect to be disagreed with on this. My goal has always been to bring new information or a new slant on existing information to the table. We no longer have the old markets and farm auctions and grange halls where things can be debated and even fought over but the internet is the only suitable substitute we presently have. For how long I don’t know so I have beans, bullets, silver and a 2 year supply of inhalers just in case. I hold your opinions in high regard so I don’t mind a bit having you make me explain my position.
A wise man once said, “Better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” Life is hard and then you die.
Thank you; we all want the Truth so you’ll especially like this at about 4:40!
And thanks for the reminder of what is our ultimate purpose for being here; Amen!
But ,but ,but most of you would say we still need a well trained military. Soldiers are evil.No more evil then you or I in God’s eyes
The military is still a great place to learn skills that can be used in the civilian world. The dentist I went to today got his training in the military . Countless others have done the same.Maybe Fred is having another bad day.
I agree that the military is a practical way to gain an occupation; I served in the Air Force, Hon. discharge in 1981. But since that time, I’ve seen the ROE change to such an extent that one has to be shot at before an infantryman can return fire; not the environment I would encourage a family member to enter into (hoping the enemy is a bad shot). That and the fact we are on the edge of hostilities in many flash points for reasons that do not include defense of our homes and families. So yes, a career can be made in the military, but at this point in time, I would not recommend it.
Stupid, shallow response, like saying war is good for the economy.
Leave it to BB to come up with the moral equivalent to ‘the broken window’ fallacy. Though hey, Keynesian econ bullshit maybe is equal to a general’s military views, except for the bodies…..and the fucked up survivors –
BB,
Really ? You/we can take our military experience and shove it. Try getting a job at the VA. Fewer than 20% of VA employees are military veterans. Those they do hire clean commodes and wax floors.
The essay author was spot on. Fuck the US military.
“Our Boys,” so affectionately denominated, are not our boys but suckers of the ruling rich.”
WRONG! Many of these guys and gals gave their lives so that you could defame them in such global way.
“Our Boys” are not patriots.” Some aren’t. Most are.
Enjoy the country these “evil” soldiers secured for you. Frankly, those who don’t appreciate their sacrifice don’t deserve its fruits!
There is nothing more american than saying “Fuck the military and fuck the wars!” On the other hand, shoving militarism and war worship down our throats is profoundly anti-american. The last soldier who died for my freedom did so almost 230 years ago.
Name the last conflict, war, police action, or whatever the hell they call these things now that was defending our freedom. I have given part of my life to the military and Fred is right it corrupts individuals souls.
I hate being “thanked for my service” because I wasn’t really serving them or defending this country, I was just working for the politicians, bankers, and oligarchs.
I am a 3rd generation military member, but my kids will not be a 4th.
Fred is right, we are really just mercenaries.
I never asked for and don’t want anyone dying for me in foreign countries that pose NO danger to the United States.
You’re full of shit, Tom. If US troops have been fighting for our freedoms, why don’t we have any? None of the wars since the one that ended in 1865 at Appomattox have been fought in defense of the rights and liberty of the citizens.
US troops have been fighting the wrong people, if liberty and rights is what they were fighting for.
Ed, I hope your not saying the Civil War was a fight in defense for rights and liberty of our citizens.
Yes, I am, for the Confederate side. The Confederates fought for their rights, their liberty and for their independence. Lincoln’s side was fighting to overthrow the Constitution. Too bad for all of us that they won
Mac, you are preaching sacrifice to Fred who sacrificed. If he can’t criticize, who can?
Will you also preach sacrifice to Fleabaggs and run him down for his service?
Stick around, you definitely could profit from the high colonic known as TBP.
What I mean is that you are so full of shit, you can’t even read for understanding.
How did you miss Fred’s mention of his sacrifice to secure the country you now enjoy while he consoles himself abroad?
For those who do not know, between his wounds in Vietnam and his treatment by the VA, Fred is blind in both eyes. He has paid for a ticket to say anything he wants.
bilge, you moron
This is a powerful article that is not for the faint of heart. Mr. Reed pulls no punches for his disdain of, not only the military in general, but the soldier, in particular. This very blunt and negative portrait painted by Mr. Reed of the U.S. soldier is remarkable in this day and age and something I haven’t seen or read about since the returning home of the Vietnam veterans 45 years ago.
I have a son in law who is on his third deployment in a very bad part of the world. I love him dearly and have a tremendous amount of respect for him. I have also tried in vain to get him to leave the military using some of the same arguments Mr. Reed uses in his article. We have had some good candid talks but it is to no avail as he has decided to stick it out for 10 more years and retire. The propaganda used by the military and the hero worship by society weighs greatly with his desire to stay the full 20 years, I can only guess.
I enjoyed the article, and very much agreed with Mr. Reed’ s analysis. He discusses things most people shy away from discussing and few would dare to agree with.
I don’t disagree with his assessment really. I came back a different person… but a better one. Purged of compassion maybe, but so what? Wars have historically shaped men profoundly. The alternative and antithesis of a war hardened man in today’s western societies are the pussified, male feminist SJW millenial manlets that are doing their best Red Guard impressions on today’s college campuses.
It’s not being evil when you are doing the job Fred. It’s doing what you deem necessary at the time and place that you are. You have the rest of your life to ponder and agonize over your actions, however I daresay you bring back traits to a softening and decadent society that are necessary to save it from itself. If you come back, of course.
There’s got to be a better way to avoid pussydom than to fight in a country where we have no business fighting.
There is a better way. You don’t need to have been in the military to not be a pussy. We used to raise our children to respect others, take responsibility for their actions, and generally know basic man skills, including being able to defend ones self and family with a firearm if need be. They also learned how to do simple routine maintenance on cars and houses. Parents want to watch their children grow up and succeed, and have kids of their own, enjoying watching them live productive, happy lives. Now, rather than two parent households, the state has stepped in, and the state has its interest in you being dependent upon it, so those everyday ‘man skills’ are no longer taught.
Served twenty years in the Marine Corps, and I miss it every day. There is real evil in the world, and despite Fred’s embitterment about his military service, I suspect that the reality is that he and his fellow service members hoped to, and tried to, make the world a better place. Besides, you don’t fight for flag or country, you fight for your comrades.
It made me a better man, albeit harder, tougher and more realistic. Are there better ways to accomplish that task? Maybe, but military service has a track record or make-’em-or-break-’em…I’m lucky to have been the former.
As for people thanking me for my service, meh, I accept it with humility, since it’s just a social courtesy that seems to have arisen since the 1980’s. They’re just following the herd. It’s better than being spit on or cursed at for my service, so what do I care? They’ll never understand what military service entails, all the personal and family sacrifice, the loss of brothers in arms, the physical hardships, or the pride of my accomplishments, anyway. I don’t let the thoughts or actions of sheeple bother me.
I agree with what he said about corrupt people being behind it and after Nam there were no more excuses for being involved in these wars. I disagree that we couldn’t wait to go kill people because we needed a job or whatever else he said. My buddies were not evil like me after I made bad choices to become evil. We were convinced we were going to be hero’s and save the world from Commies. Later I met others who were like me and we paid dearly. Even so I still never saw the human wreckage as just business nor did get used to kids suffering.
Maybe he is just doing that for shock value and maybe after Nam they were like that because I knew more that a few who continued as civilians in the brush wars the press never reported on right up to Gulf War I.
I’m grateful for the job he did in describing all the filth behind it all as a money and power grab. Now if someone besides Me and Llpoh start pointing out that we made bad, perhaps lazy and selfish choices that got us to the point we are now we’ll make some progress. These tragedies didn’t happen without our wink and nod. And I mean all of them. we didn’t have to save or invest in our kids because we had Social Security now etc. We as a country voted ourselves all these “Expedient” measures and wars to make it easy for the Zionists or whoever your boogie man is to take over. Now we are bitching because the I.O.U.’s they put in the jar have our names and our kids names as the liable party. This is the lazy excuse we needed to blame Banksters, Camel Jockeys, Kikes, Spics, Splivs,Chincs and Russians and bomb the living fuck out of all of them. It’s only right because they fuck sheep, kids and cows and kill christians and get obese on food stamps. But we aren’t like them, we don’t do welfare when in reality most of us are getting something free but it’s respectable free not like those Niggers. WE are funding these Jihads in the name of making the world safe when in truth if we don’t bleed everyone else dry of money, human dignity and resources then WE will have to pay for all this FREE SHIT.
WE say a loud OH HELL NO. Hers what I have to say about it.
YOU’RE NEXT WHITEY!!!
Thumb me down all you want and PISS OFF.
Flea, he is being critical of today’s volunteer military and the support the troops (mercenaries) meme of the moment. He said that is the reason Memorial Day celebrations are galling. You and McGuyver need some reading lessons.
El Coydog.
Me and Mac didn’t miss read anything, apparently you did. He mentioned Vietnam and he accused a lot of good kids of shit only assholes like me were capable of. I said I agreed with him about Some of the more recent servicemen but not all. I told all my nephews I would take them to any country in the world before I would let them get into Gulf I and II.
They knew firsthand from watching me trying to rejoin the human race what can happen. Sure enough, their high school buddies who got deferred enlistments for college funding went. They left as good kids and came home as good kids but really fucked up. I took all these kids to all kinds of high school sports etc. so I knew them all well and they weren’t what Fred described and I took exception to that. Iv’e said right here why I don’t like parades and Memorial day celebrations and they are not galling as much as painful.
The latest Govt. figures say that 80% of us Nam combat vets are DEAD. Of all Nam vets 300,000 have committed suicide, That’s outright suicide not counting all the other forms of suicide we attempted and often succeeded at.
That’s not galling, that’s Tragic and Heartbreaking.
You need to get the fuck over yourself. Us guys that are left don’t give a good flying fuck about your opinions and don’t tell me who the fuck I can or can’t apologize to. Grown ups apologize when they see they were wrong and if they think they should try to make it right they do fuck face. I was wrong in my judgment of Llpoh and that was just an attempt to make it right, nothing more.
You are one lazy motherfucker. Iv’e seen what you can write when you want to but instead you just show enough for the cover charge to get in and then revert to your Al Bundy like stupid remarks. When you get serious I’ll respect you but until then just piss off.
Flea, I hope you didn’t leave yet. I still like you. Maybe I was a bit rough on you but it was play-acting. I no longer get mad about anything anybody says to me here. The truth is that I didn’t get mad at Billy for shit he said, I just got irritated that he couldn’t understand anything but his own version of the truth.
Anyway, I’m always in awe of the old crew. LLPOH and Stuck are some of the remaining principals.
Never take anything I say as worth anything. My purpose here is to exercise my brain which was at one point dying due to middle age rot. It comes and goes. some days I’m like my old self, full of ideas. Other days I’m fucking up like a moron. I guess you don’t know that.
I hope you can work out your own salvation here. Or somewhere else. Maybe in private journals. Or a bathroom wall. The bits and pieces you’ve shared demonstrate that you have a lot to say. Say it. You have only so much time. Do not make yourself into a tomb right now. Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Write something worth reading. There is poetry in driving a truck. There is something sublime about a baby’s innocence. Speak, before you forever hold your piece.
Writing defines humans. Animals can speak, I read that in the bible. They can feel emotions like people. They can laugh. What they can’t do is write. Oh, sure, you can give a gorilla or elephant a canvas and some paint and they can do some impressionistic artwork but it isn’t written language.
That’s all I go for, words. Rhymes, sounds, silly stuff that keeps me entertained and not bored to shit by mundane conversations about ‘what i did last weekend.’ Or which fucking liberal pissed you off because of what they said about your dear leader. Fuck that noise. Idiots that wrap themselves in the flag piss me off. Idiots that have nothing else to their curriculum except their white race piss me off.
I would like to write but there is no time, I’m too busy reading.
EC, this is exactly why LLPOH and Stucky and Admin and others insist you should write an article of your own. I second your appeal to Fleabagg, who also has some good story writhing around inside.
But… you had me at raging against the dying of the light.
Plus, you spelled moran wrong.
Maggie, that is from Do not go gentle into that good night. I figured Flea would get the reference.
EC… write an article.
Dammit… somehow I double posted.
Fleabaggs? You got something worth talking about too. But, a lot of us have been trying to coax this old carrion hound to learn a couple of new tricks for a while.
El Coyote.
OK it’s over. I even take back the fag stuff I just do it to straight guys because they loose the ability to think clearly.
I don’t take back the signs of brilliance I’ve seen from you. I also hate that flag wrapping stuff. When we start behaving like a decent country I’ll do the flag stuff.
Fred Reed is why I read TBP.
I thought Memorial Day was for simply honoring those who died in one of our wars. Must this day become politicized too? Many were suckers, as Fred so eloquently argues. Pawns of an evil empire get caught up, and then their ruination proceeds. Could they not still be honored for some trace of nobility in the blood they shed? Could not their mothers and wives and children have a day of acknowledgment? I am sorry for my part in it. If Karl D. were part of this discussion, he would be pointing his finger, saying “It’s YOUR fault, dammit!” And so it is.
I served in a missile silo, so I do not have the band of brothers experience, but I do struggle with this rejection of the reasons we are given for fighting and yet honor the fallen and their ultimate sacrifice. Both are worthy truths and both are equally important.
One to remember a terrible loss and the other to clarify and hopefully rethink why we fight.
N.S.
Well said.
Gayle, the wars are political. They are conducted for political purposes, most of which seem to have to do with protecting or promoting the interests of politically connected industries, banking being at the head of the list of them.
Wars benefit the political class by giving them power they wouldn’t have otherwise. You can’t separate wars from politics. Wars will go on as long as there are people who will participate. The political class has several ways of making people want to participate.
Until there’s a way of honoring the people who serve in wars without giving tacit support to the self serving politicians who start the wars and expressing uncritical approval for the wars they start, then the issue is going to be an exercise in politics.
Ed
I am well aware that wars are political (I might argue that they are really just big business.) I grieve because young people do get fooled into joining an enterprise that is only going to use them for its own depraved purposes. Our government is just now, after the last hundred years of deceiving its citizens on many fronts, starting to be held accountable for it. That’s why Mr. Trump is causing such consternation in the whole wide world.
All the stupid wars were part of the grand deception. I was sick at heart when my own son went off to a few tours in Afghanistan and Iraq; by the grace of God he returned in one piece every time, but I am not naive enough to assume things on the inside of him are same.
Memorial Day is a sham anyway. It’s just a day to go to the mall, the beach, or have a barbeque. There is little dignity nor thought given to it. Now, it should be a serious day to reflect on how so many lives were expended for the sole purpose of enriching powerful people, to educate the young on these matters, and to encourage resistance to any future shenanigans. Then it could have real purpose and meaning.
Well said, Gayle. Very well said, indeed. I am honored to give you the first, of what should be many, up votes for your post.
Thank you. I appreciate how this thread has made me ponder the holiday and how we could use it for good.
Fred was making a point but his arrow missed its mark.
Fred’s arrow appears to hit dead center in the heart of the beast. The comments by those who have served overwhelmingly confirm this. A painful read because the truth on this subject does hurt. Honoring those who have died participating in war is truly fucked up. Well done Fred.
Lokoda, Sounds like an interesting point of view. Why don’t you expand on it?
Maybe you didn’t get that he said from the title alone, his gorge rises when he watches the political manipulation of the people so that they fall in line like obedient militias supporting the troops that fight and kill and die not for their Country but for The Man.
Ratdawg says I’m stupid, yes, but that’s how I understood Fred’s point.
I never said you were stupid, dumbass.
My bad.
I’m the one who said you were not as stupid as I once thought you were EC. I also said I think you and BW were in cahoots longagofaraway.
I don’t get here as much as I once was but I’m here once as much as I ever was.
Maggie, I miss you. I may play my hand a little heavy at times and make Flea think I’m being a cad.
I have a special liking for former WAFS. The bigguns crack is just a joke to mess with Flea. I hope you are well.
Well, in case you missed my comment to BL about coyotes getting my hens and half my latest bunny kits disappearing while I was visiting a friend in DC on top of losing the JDAWG in March… well, it has been a traumatic year. And your comment about the bigguns referred to my dogs, right?
I have a new Pyr puppy named Melissa, by the way. The big guy Jacob kind of hates her right now, but I’m hoping a few months will turn her into a playmate worthy of his liking.
[img
[/img]
Way off topic, but is there a way to submit an article for consideration?
Career Advice You Won’t Hear From Anyone Else – Part 1
Gerold, dammit, Admin said he could give you posting rights. He replied to you on the LLPOH: Ten random thoughts article. Or just contact him at the address above. On the right, asshole.
EL Coyote,
I must be going blind because I’ve been all over this site and I see no address.
From the top down on the right I see the following links
Search
Subscribe
Amazon
Donate
Recurring donation
Bitcoin
Gerold
Send me an email at [email protected] and I’ll set you up as a contributor.
Gerold, You’re right, the PO Box address is missing now. And anyways, Admin replied to you once again. But still, you missed this:
ADVERTISERS
Inquiries about advertising opportunities can be made by emailing me at [email protected]
MERCHANDISE
Be sure to fwd info on Parts 2 & 3 when it becomes available. Thanks
Anonanus,
Did you read part one? If so, you won’t be keen for more. Spoiler: the claim that this is advice you won’t hear from anyone else is pure bullshit. Gerold likes the sound of his own keyboard, nothing more.
Fred on this one, smart as he is, is full of shit of this one.
I served on the Navy (black-shoe Navy – destroyers), doing Med tours, N. Europe, Get-Mo and Caribbean, got shot at by drunken Arabs just like today evacuating civilians out of Lebanon and down in the Red Sea and what the Navy did for me was take a high school kid with some talents (ham radio operator), put him on a tin can and turn him into a reasonably decent young man.
Sorry Fred, you generalized too much with this one.
I don’t think he’s full of shit. He was wounded in combat as a Marine in Vietnam, so his view will naturally differ from yours. You both drew your pay from the Dept. of the Navy, but with vastly different experiences.
BTW, I prefer his writing over yours.
Fred just said the what needed to be said. The PTB look at their constituents as capital, use them or lose them. A damn shame of the wasted lives and destroyed dreams of real people. The phony wars of the past half century are the cost of doing business on the international stage, American corporations need income. There is evil in the world, it must be challenged. Fred knows that it is geopolitical, politicians know that it is reelection!
Thank You.
I like this site. Why ruin it with this doggerel article?
Countries don’t exist if they can’t defend themselves. The Swiss even train everyone to fight. Because liberals send the military to do stupid nation building, somehow the military is evil? Because neocons want to conquer the world, our military is ‘the Mafia’?
Horse fucking shit article.
Mongoloid fucking retard comment, Mikey.
Show some respect for the Mongoloids please…in the Lower Chamber they are all up for election next year.
I wish I had a nickel for every asshole that deplores the ruination of a good blog by articles they don’t like.
Ha! I wish I had a nickel for every nickel I have.
So you would be happy with two nickels?
How many countries have the Swiss attacked in recent history? I’ll wait…
It’s June, very hot outside: Please purchase a large straw hat, or maybe just stay indoors: Preferably, fingers away from the keyboard!
Love or hate the military is your option, but here is reality. A nation can have the number 2 military in the world and be invaded and defeated by the number 1 military. Or you can have the number 1 and eventually collapse under the expense of maintaining the empire you conquered. Either way the destination is the same. thanks
Funny you should say that. I mean, just look at Russia. They have the number 2 military and they have been invaded and conquered all to shit….wait a minute. Something is wrong with that idea.
Who did Russia “invade,” Ed? It annexed Crimea on an overwhelmingly favorable vote by the residents of Crimea for annexation. Not a drop of blood shed. It may have incited and supported the Russian residents of eastern Ukraine to revolt, but who is doing the dying? The Russian residents of eastern Ukraine, not Russian soldiers. Its presence in Syria is at the invitation of the Syrian government, which has been strongly allied with Russia/Soviet Union since the 1960s.
Back to the original question in a different format. What is your definition of the word invade? Or would you now like to use the word “interfere”? And would you now like to define Russia’s actions as “acting in its best national interests.” Wow, what an unusual concept.
Stupid Scabbyass Spook. I was making a joke. You can go back to your golfing now that you’ve proven you still can’t read.
SSS, I had to give you a thumbs up. Stop that shit now!
Russia has been invaded by virtually every western European nation including Sweden, at staggering cost of life and national treasure. Germany had completely defeated them by the fall of 1941. When Stalin launched his counterattack in Dec., ’41, over 75% of all the equipment, fuel, weapons, medical supplies, and ammunition, large and small, came from England and the United States. So, as a fact of history, Russia combined with the assets of the still free Western Powers represented the Number One military of WW2. Again, that is a fact. Thanks for the reply though.
This is a great and difficult article to read and think about. I have painful mental and physical wounds from three wars-two in Africa and one in Central America. At the time, I also believed in the “cause” I thought I was fighting for. My mates were my lifeline then and to this day. Now I see what a grand delusion we were all under. El Salvador was the place I finally saw the complete bankruptcy of the US and the wars they started, using good and patriotic men for nefarious means. The soldier isn’t the problem, it’s the politicians. I learned a lot from my service. The will to defend what you believe in is powerful. The people you serve with are the best you will ever know. But I wasn’t defending my homeland, I was a pawn for the vultures that sit in cozy offices. I know better now. Governments run by the “elites” are the real enemies, not the fighters of their fake wars. I have only one King now—Jesus Christ my Lord and my God. Justice will be served in the end. The men who sent my friends to their deaths for no good reason will be held to a terrifying account. Forever. That’s REAL and LASTING justice.
I have lost 4 of my brothers in arms over the last 11 years and 2 of them bought the bullshit hooah for god and country lines while the other two were waiting to ETS when they were kia. I experienced early onset government is full of shit syndrome (EOGIFOSS) after my first stint in the Balkans in 95-96 after the arms deal Slick Willy brokered and never had illusions of exactly what was going on after that.
Point being, thank the fucking coward cunts running banks and buying off our officials to keep the machine rolling. I thank those shit birds for opening my eyes and I will continue to keep my powder dry and my aim true when the real war starts. Until that day my friends, point the finger and poke the fuckers in the eyes when the time is right.
I’m pretty sure most of the combat readies have dumped the Rothschild Mercenary Legion to protect the enemy from their evil blowing them up. Trump has been shopping for another War, but his lame Reagan 2.0 act was dumped rather quick. I suppose the fake patriotism of trump wasn’t getting the results of more young White guys going to die for the enemy. The Norks aren’t any pansie pantywaist Iraqi army, and that stupid Syria strike made Iran, Syria and Russia stand together. This Forever War between Freedonia and the bankster-free countries looks to be winding down. Hopefully these White guys will join the Mobile Infantry and fight the real Enemies here at home. The only way these stupid Hebes and their insane Siren Song of Global Scams is going to end is a Nice Clean War Right Here. Fight for Freedom. Kill the Fed. I’ll audit the books after I get the blood mopped up.
There really isn’t a great deal that you can argue with in the article because it’s true.
He did leave out all of the net positives that a tour of duty brings not only to the individual who lives through it, but to society in general.
Former soldiers tend to have a deep sense of pride and understand how to make sacrifices for the greater good, usually transferred to family, friends and neighbors. They tend to be among the least troublesome in terms of law and order providing a stability in their community and the state in which they reside. They understand the value of work and cooperation and have much higher rates of employment and productivity. They’ve learned the value of patience and keeping a cool head in tense and stressful moments and often provide an even keel in those moments when it is required. They know how to maintain and keep things functioning and their homes and environs are often the best kept properties in town. They have worked together in groups, understand the dynamics of leadership as well as following and often add a much needed dimension to any public service where groups get together to improve the community. They have a deep and fundamental respect for oaths and vows- the concept of honor means something to a veteran beyond lip service- and so they tend to be faithful husbands and loyal parents to their children. They have spent so much of their service time keeping order that their private lives reflect this- they are often prepared for emergencies, disasters, unexpected events and can jump right in to lend a hand and provide stability when a crisis arises.
Plus they don’t mind scut work; cleaning toilets, taking out the trash, wiping up vomit, giving aid to the injured, deep cleaning, laundry, folding laundry- these are the kinds of contributions that may fly under the radar but which add immeasurably to the day to day functioning in a home.
Yes, the military turns out some sociopaths, homeless and drug addicted human wreckage but a lot of that was built in when they arrived at boot camp- the military merely facilitated their downward spiral and they are in the minority when you look at enlistment records over the years.
A term of service- regardless of how a corrupt civilian leadership uses those committed to it- is a net benefit to society. Modern nations for all their talk of peace and good times must still exist in the real world where organized violence is one of the hallmarks of the human species. There will always be war, sectarian violence, tribal and internecine squabbles that turn bloody, civil wars, revolutions, riots and terrorist acts until there are no more men. It is far better to have well trained and healthy foot soldiers on your side than not. And it serves as an additional check on political power to have a well trained and experienced population of veterans who understand the use of planning, organization and calculated violence living among the population as civilians should their services ever become necessary to keep them (corrupt and venal political classes) in check.
One other comment: Fred is right about ending the draft (conscription) — when the children of those above the economic middle class are allowed out of potential harm’s way, the military becomes just a pawn for economic adventurism. Everyone within the appropriate age range should be subject to the military draft regardless of their “willingness”…including women…and without exception for single mothers, enrollment in college, etc. Nothing like a little “equality” to make America pretty damn certain that it wants to support a war before it sends a generation off to the grinder.
Women?
The draft that was in place during the Vietnam war was full of loopholes and designed to target specific groups of young men. It was still a little too vaguely drawn to excuse entire classes of people, thus the “all volunteer military” was created.
The equality that I’d like to see is one in which everyone is equally free to say no to everything the government wants of them; no to taxes, no to military service, no to unconstitutional laws, and no to confiscation of life, liberty or property.
Having a military draft that makes everyone equally a slave to the politicians won’t help anyone but the politicians and their bosses.
I was born on a USAF base (now a drone operators base) and spent the first 30 years of my life on, in and near military bases. My grandfather was drafted into WWII, my father saw the writing on the wall and in an act of self preservation volunteered for the USAF in ’64, four years before being sent to Vietnam. Despite our father’s advice to avoid the military my idiot brother joined the AF and now hates it and has been getting “hosed” all the time but is sticking it out for the retirement bennies. He’s truly an idiot so I’m sure that’s why he gets “hosed”.
My wife served and I’ve never thanked her and she just smiles politely when she is thanked by others.
I don’t thank service members or vets for their service. That’s a bunch of PC bullshit and I don’t do PC bullshit. In 30 years it NEVER occurred to me or anyone I knew to thank service members or vets for their service. Just on the face of it, it seems like a rude thing to do because I have no idea how they feel about their service.
I don’t feel like any of them ever protected me during my lifetime except for my father because that was his job as my father. If his passion was to protect me from the Vietnamese there might be far fewer Vietnamese living here right? I never feared anyone from any country we invaded and to be honest I can’t ever recall thinking in terms of patriotism growing up either. In retrospect, that seems rreally odd. Actually there were three times, as a young adult, that I thought about patriotism. All three times it was at the Fourth of July celebration on RAF Bentwaters in England where we lived. Even then I mostly thought of the irony of attending a full on fireworks extravaganza celebrating the USA’s Independence from England……in England. It’s funny too that when I do think of patriotism it is invariably the 1776 era that comes to mind.
The *Patriotism* of today is mostly ginned up PC bullshit that people are guilt tripped into participating in and is likely a billion dollar industry as well. I think that most want to feel Patriotic and only go along to get along. The last genuine wave of patriotism was at the end of WWII when it was fucking over!
I think ones service is sacred like religion and finances. If they want to talk, I’ll listen but to bringing it up or inquiring first would be rude. For combat vets, I’m sure war is an atrocity, for remf’s, less so. For those serving in peacetime it’s just a job.
I just hope that the next generation/s that are destined to serve in WWIII, just say no. The Millenials and Zero’s have have a lot of “quit” in ’em so that may be a legitimate option next time. Our owners would instantly be known to us as they collectively shit themselves if that happens.
“For combat vets, I’m sure war is an atrocity, for remf’s, less so.”
I_S
For the curious, remf is an acronym for “real echelon mother fucker.” Combat vets know exactly who they are.
As a veteran, I approve this message. . .
As a kid born in 1960 watching the Vietnam War from the sidelines, it became obvious pretty quickly that it was a truly evil scam. “Destroy the village in order to save it?” In what universe does that make any sort of sense? My Lai made it clear to everyone that “our boys” were just as capable as anyone else of committing atrocities under the right circumstances.
The clash between a new awareness of the truth of who we are, and the reflexive urge to turn away and drown that awareness in drugs and disco – that was what made the 70s so bizarre. The “Reagan revolution” was powered by America’s collective decision to go back to sleep after the nightmare of seeing ourselves in the mirror. (And by “collective decision” I mean that we as a nation fell for the propaganda that TPTB fed us. As a people we lacked the critical thinking skills to realize we were being duped. And it’s gotten worse since.)
I have two boys of my own now, ages 11 and 14. They grew up on Star Wars. When the subject of the military comes up, I remind them that the US is the Empire, and if they join the military they won’t be the charismatic rebels, they’ll be the faceless storm troopers that everyone hates. So far neither of them seems to be interested in a career in white body-armor.
There is absolutely no need or justification for a military draft. If nobody is willing to volunteer to fight in a war, then either the country is not worth fighting for, or the war is not worth fighting.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=patton+s+speech+to+the+third+army&&view=detail&mid=7EE00C9534C419E27E537EE00C9534C419E27E53&&FORM=VDRVRV
Fred…knock it off or you’ll be next to Kathy Griffith..or Seth Rich .
Two books say it all in regards to Fred’s prose…”War Is A Racket ” and “Confessions Of An Economic Hitman ” .
I learned in AIT that the game was being played by the masters and I was a piece that was easily removed .
Allen Ginsberg:
“What if somebody gave a war and Nobody came? Life would
ring the bells of Ecstasy and Forever be Itself again.”
Born in 60, I was obsessed with westerners good guys, bad injuns and war movies. The nightly news hardly ever had real coverage of the war going on except in limited hangout fashion. My sister’s bro in law was there, and I probably quizzed him like a lawyer on speed, and I never got a peep from him.
I figure a lot of people are now finding out what a racket war is. It seems like since the internet arrived, the truth about such matters doesn’t get swept under the rug nearly as bad as Vietnam.
It seems like my first image of daddy Bush is on the plane investigating heroin smuggled in with deceased soldiers. Could be deja vu premonition, something. I know there honorable guys, and dishonorable, but if 10% of the people knew 1/2 the truth things might have been different.
There are different articles and videos about American boys disarming American citizens after Katrina. They are trained to follow orders and kill, in that order.
Remember the targets? Remember “o” purging the military. Check out the interviews with the drunken Generals wife. Not much surprises me these days, I heard a tiny bit and it shocked the snot out of me.
I still remember how the boys went off to shoot gooks to save those people. I have seen several stories about the availability of drugs. Today this makes sense, back then, not so much. Limited hangout is how we still get a lot of news. Still! Where is Arab spring? Benghazi! Pizzagate,pedogate, popegate. I still know I was clueless about the big pic back then, but that pic is quite clear. If we knew then what we know now. I really liked Fred’s outlook.
I was too young for Vietnam, too old for Grenada (did they still have a draft during Grenada?) . My Dad was USAF WWII, he saw little / no action from Australia; Uncle Jim went to Korea and Vietnam, he never talked about it to a young nephew. It may have changed him, but I didn’t know him well enough to tell. I have seen some ‘Nam vets that are obviously broken and bitter men.
What I want is to survive the Crunch, when the FSA and liberals fight the folks that feed them. It will get ugly, there will be no avoiding it and I need more weapons and ammunition than I now have. My wife is not tough, it’s going to be a challenge to defend her from the FSA if they have guns and I do not, or not enough firepower. She’s made it clear guns scare her, partly because her family did not have them as she was growing up and partly because she has liberal tendencies. If I can keep her alive long enough that might change, but for a non-soldier that’s a daunting prospect.
What’s interesting is our kids are OK with guns; they both liked shooting BB guns at my dad’s place, and last year I took the eldest, a female, to the range and she enjoyed target practice with a 9 mm. I used a 9 mm and a 12-gauge shotgun, it was a blast. Not that its anything like dropping a gangbanger when they’re shooting back, but at least it’s a start. And knowing that it’s coming is enough to inspire action!