^Amen friend.
Ona sidenote, my great grandfather was there, on the Austrian-Hungarian side.
November 11
- Thread starter Gil T.Azell
- Start date
^Amen friend.
Ona sidenote, my great grandfather was there, on the Austrian-Hungarian side.
And you need to get an education in American History.
I have yet to see a war that I agree with, but I support and admire those who fight them. Thank you, Veterans.
(I assume by "see a war" you mean personally seen. As those whole Revolutionary War and World War II things were pretty necessary.)
Why was the Revolutionary War necessary? Rich white slave owners didn't want to pay their taxes, and?
I'm surprised you believe that. Do people involved in war crimes deserve our respect? Generals who sent young people to their deaths despite their better judgement? Military commanders who have no problem turning children into soldiers? I don't think so.
ST-One
Vice Admiral
The beginning of the "Fifth Season" (Carnival) in Germany.
For me this day is first and most of all Independence Day. Poland appeared on Europe's map again after 123 years of non-existence.
Given iguana's history of rational non-warmongering posting here - which you acknowledge with your "surprise" - can't we logically assume that he's excluding war criminals, child-soldier exploiting warlords, and incompetent yet arrogant generals who pointlessly use their men as cannon fodder? I took his comment as something that didn't require a bunch of qualifiers to understand the general point that the average soldier, friend or foe, is/was a human being worthy of respect and not a monster; with the obvious exception of those who did commit terrible acts.
Probably. Or maybe he just got carried away and didn't think about the details.
However, I feel there's a certain tendency of whitewashing what soldiers often do around those days which kind of bug me. That's why I responded, I suppose.
However, I feel there's a certain tendency of whitewashing what soldiers often do around those days which kind of bug me. That's why I responded, I suppose.
There is a difference between a respecting a fallen soldier and endorsing a criminal. I'm sure you see that.
I never wanted to be a soldier, and I never wanted to wage war against anyone. Still, I understand the reasons for having a standing military, and I am thankful to those who serve in the military just as I am thankful to cops, firefighters, civil servants, etc.
As for respect, I think all dead deserve a modicum of respect, even if they don't deserve any honour for their actions. Call me a sentimentalist, but while I can despise their beliefs, motivations, and actions, I can't speak ill of the dead. Let their lives be a warning to the following generations, but there is no point in vilifying those who cannot feel the scorn any more. I wouldn't piss on anyone's grave, so to speak.
EdA: what Locutus said.
I agree with this sentiment. I think very little of people who glamorize war, especially when they never fought themselves ("Dulce bellum inexpertis", Pindar said more than 2,000 years ago, and it's still actual). Still, war is a legitimate action of the state: one that should be used only as a last resource, but I never claimed to be a perfect pacifist. Sometimes, terrible actions has to be taken.
I strongly disagree with this. To me, not respecting someone doesn't equal vilifying or even 'pissing on their graves', either. Speaking ill of the dead can be very legitimate, especially if their actions and beliefs continue to affect others. But that's a topic for another thread, I suppose.
Probably. There is also the matter what we meant with "respect". It's such a vague, undefined concept that we might be speaking of very different things in our mind.
ST-One
Vice Admiral
To paraphrase Sir Peter Alexander Baron von Ustinov:
"If we can't even speak ill of the dead, then of whom can we speak ill?"
While I have no problem with speaking ill of anyone who deserves it, living or dead, I completely agree with your sentiments. And being smart enough to know that it is sometimes necessary to fight does not make one an imperfect pacifist-- it just makes one smart enough to know that it is sometimes necessary to fight.
That's a complete load of bullshit.
"It was the 13th hour, of the 13th day, of the 13 month. We were all there to discuss the misprinted calendars had recently purchased."
ST-One
Vice Admiral
Why?
But he has Veterans to thank for his Right to express an ignorant and shallow opinion.
Indeed. Stuff like this just blows my mind... I have friends in the Armed Forces (USMC/RAF/SAF/HHDF), one who gave his life and I'm looking at a career in the Army myself...
Since you have the vets to thank for you right to an opinion, you might wanna show some gratitude, no matter if you're a pacifist or something. You don't have to agree, but it would be appropriate to respect them nonetheless.
Only those who actually really had to defend my freedom (actually, my ancestors'freedom) and my life.
The army now is just protecting the economic and political imprerialism, certainly not my life and my rights.
Respect for that ? No, I feel sorry for them.
