This meme is circulating on social media today.
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This meme is circulating on social media today. I haven't been able to track its origin or creator, so can't give credit — but I think it's very apt.
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@wdlindsy
The U.S. military is an all-volunteer force. Nobody is forcing these servicemembers to fight, it is what they signed up to do. -
@wdlindsy
The U.S. military is an all-volunteer force. Nobody is forcing these servicemembers to fight, it is what they signed up to do.@desertsquare @wdlindsy A shame they were brainwashed to do so.
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@desertsquare @wdlindsy A shame they were brainwashed to do so.
@DarthAstrius
Why do you call it brainwashing?
@wdlindsy -
@wdlindsy
The U.S. military is an all-volunteer force. Nobody is forcing these servicemembers to fight, it is what they signed up to do.@desertsquare @wdlindsy This presupposes a very narrow definition of ”forcing”.
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@DarthAstrius
Why do you call it brainwashing?
@wdlindsy@desertsquare @wdlindsy I call it that because from the time kids are in elementary school, they’re fed a steady diet of American exceptionalism. Between the billion-dollar military marketing budgets, the Pentagon’s influence on Hollywood scripts, and the sanitization of imperialist history, people are conditioned to see the enforcement of global capital as a "noble calling" before they’re even old enough to vote.
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@desertsquare @wdlindsy This presupposes a very narrow definition of ”forcing”.
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@desertsquare @wdlindsy I call it that because from the time kids are in elementary school, they’re fed a steady diet of American exceptionalism. Between the billion-dollar military marketing budgets, the Pentagon’s influence on Hollywood scripts, and the sanitization of imperialist history, people are conditioned to see the enforcement of global capital as a "noble calling" before they’re even old enough to vote.
@DarthAstrius
You've never served in the military, have you? If you had, you'd know that indoctrination isn't the only reason individuals volunteer for the military.
@wdlindsy -
@InayaShujaat
It's a protocol of a bygone era when European nations were being invaded. Because of Vietnam, the United State no longer uses conscription, that's why it's called an all- volunteer force.
@wdlindsy -
@InayaShujaat
There are absolutely zero cases of individuals being arrested for failure to register for selective service in more than half a century. Yes, it's still a law, however, it's not enforced.
@wdlindsy -
@InayaShujaat
Whoever told you that failure to register prevents an individual for going to school or holding a job, doesn't know what they're talking about.
@wdlindsy -
@wdlindsy
The U.S. military is an all-volunteer force. Nobody is forcing these servicemembers to fight, it is what they signed up to do.@desertsquare for a significant number of people, the military is one of a few bad options in life. Still, can we morally judge them for this choice? Yes, we can. Can we also say they shouldn't be sent to fight bullshit wars putting their lives and mental health at risk? Yes, we can.
I dream of a world where countries send young men and women not to kill and maim people in other countries, but to help them. Building and repairing infrastructure, distributing aid. A lovely thought. In the meantime, we can acknowledge the shittiness of the world without dividing it into those deserving or undeserving of our empathy.
@wdlindsy -
@desertsquare for a significant number of people, the military is one of a few bad options in life. Still, can we morally judge them for this choice? Yes, we can. Can we also say they shouldn't be sent to fight bullshit wars putting their lives and mental health at risk? Yes, we can.
I dream of a world where countries send young men and women not to kill and maim people in other countries, but to help them. Building and repairing infrastructure, distributing aid. A lovely thought. In the meantime, we can acknowledge the shittiness of the world without dividing it into those deserving or undeserving of our empathy.
@wdlindsy -
@desertsquare absolutely! For example, I'm judging you right now for being too arrogant to read what the fuck I wrote, where I specifically stated that you are free to pass moral judgment.
You can pass moral judgement and still have empathy for people. Still think they deserve better from life.
But yeah. You didn't listen to me the first time so
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@wdlindsy -
@desertsquare @wdlindsy in the 1980s alone, about TWENTY men were PROSECUTED.
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@InayaShujaat
Whoever told you that failure to register prevents an individual for going to school or holding a job, doesn't know what they're talking about.
@wdlindsy@desertsquare @InayaShujaat @wdlindsy it has been a very long time, but I seem to recall there was something along the lines of it being automatic when submitting something like voter registration or a financial aid application.
I think it's harder to fail to register than most realize, the kind of thing you only notice if you are diligent about fine print.
Again though, we are talking like 25 years ago. My memory isn't that great.
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Very subtle…
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@InayaShujaat
Okay, I misspoke. There has NOT been a single individual convicted in 40 years for failing to register for selective service. There is a total 14 convictions for failure to register.
@wdlindsy -
@wdlindsy make sure your kids dont volunteer as imperial enforcers
