26 Mar 2011, 9:23 am
iamnotaparakeet
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26 Mar 2011, 9:40 am
26 Mar 2011, 11:44 am
Some of you just don't get it.
Scenario: You live in one country and you’re neighboring country decides it want’s your country for its natural resources or whatever. They don’t want to buy these resources at market value they want to TAKE them and leave you with nothing and possibly enslave your fellow countrymen to extract those resources. They’re massing troops on the border for an invasion and their air force stands by to begin launching strike missions deep inside your borders.
How do you handle that????? 
Another thought: Aside from the traditional standing army of most nations there is the Swiss military which uses a different approach in that their citizenry makes up a very formidable reserve force. Each member keeps his field equipment and weapons at home in order to respond to a national level mobilization or to defend his community at a moment’s notice. They assemble to train regularly.
Why more small countries don’t adopt the same system is a mystery. It seems the best scenario for any nation without interests outside its borders or one without the financial resources to field a full time standing army.
If a well executed system like that can’t repel an invasion it can at least make a successful one so costly in terms of losses for the invading army that they would think twice before attacking.
iamnotaparakeet
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26 Mar 2011, 12:43 pm
Scenario: You live in one country and you’re neighboring country decides it want’s your country for its natural resources or whatever. They don’t want to buy these resources at market value they want to TAKE them and leave you with nothing and possibly enslave your fellow countrymen to extract those resources. They’re massing troops on the border for an invasion and their air force stands by to begin launching strike missions deep inside your borders.
How do you handle that?????
How does one handle that? By verbally denouncing one's own country for considering violence as a solution while throwing flowers at the enemy soldiers as they bombard your country with shells and rockets. ... I think I rather fight back than do that, but so much of a virtue has been made out of extreme pacifism that to suggest defending oneself is seen as an act of aggression by most people who don't bother thinking for themselves.
26 Mar 2011, 12:50 pm
I agree with everything Monkey said. 
One thing that bothers me (please tell me if this isn't actually true) is the guy who leaked info to wikileaks is in serious trouble, but the guys he exposed who murdered civilians? Nothing. That's just not right. I actually really hope someone will tell me this is untrue.
iamnotaparakeet
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26 Mar 2011, 12:59 pm
Actually, at an Imax theatre in a local science museum a few years ago, I remember watching a documentary about orangutans which, at one part of it, the orangutans from one group were attacked and slaughtered by another group of orangutans simply because they had found each other.
MONKEY
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26 Mar 2011, 1:23 pm
Actually, at an Imax theatre in a local science museum a few years ago, I remember watching a documentary about orangutans which, at one part of it, the orangutans from one group were attacked and slaughtered by another group of orangutans simply because they had found each other.
I think that's chimps you're thinking of, orangutans are mostly solitary. It's the chimps that have big wars with eachother.
iamnotaparakeet
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26 Mar 2011, 2:00 pm
Actually, at an Imax theatre in a local science museum a few years ago, I remember watching a documentary about orangutans which, at one part of it, the orangutans from one group were attacked and slaughtered by another group of orangutans simply because they had found each other.
I think that's chimps you're thinking of, orangutans are mostly solitary. It's the chimps that have big wars with eachother.
Although I've never seen an orangutan at a zoo which wasn't solitary and lethargic, I am fairly certain I remember the film being about orangutans, but I could be wrong.
26 Mar 2011, 2:45 pm
27 Mar 2011, 6:32 am
Scenario: You live in one country and you’re neighboring country decides it want’s your country for its natural resources or whatever. They don’t want to buy these resources at market value they want to TAKE them and leave you with nothing and possibly enslave your fellow countrymen to extract those resources. They’re massing troops on the border for an invasion and their air force stands by to begin launching strike missions deep inside your borders.
How do you handle that?????
Another thought: Aside from the traditional standing army of most nations there is the Swiss military which uses a different approach in that their citizenry makes up a very formidable reserve force. Each member keeps his field equipment and weapons at home in order to respond to a national level mobilization or to defend his community at a moment’s notice. They assemble to train regularly.
Why more small countries don’t adopt the same system is a mystery. It seems the best scenario for any nation without interests outside its borders or one without the financial resources to field a full time standing army.
If a well executed system like that can’t repel an invasion it can at least make a successful one so costly in terms of losses for the invading army that they would think twice before attacking.
but the US doesn't have 'enemies at the gates' & all countries that do have some desire to destroy them have been at the very least wantonly provoked, if not attacked or invaded.
yet, other than emergency aid, which is fine & just, those in support of the US military generally seem to maintain that they, the military, fight 'for their country'.. it seems to me, they wouldn't have had to fight for their country, had they stopped doing so after they gained independence.
just a thought from a 'freedom hating' liberal
for the record i don't hate soldiers, don't particularly like them but don't particularly dislike them either.
28 Mar 2011, 11:59 am
How do you handle that?????
.
You just prooved my point that the role of a soldier is not necessarily "good". What about the soldiers who are invading the other country? How can you say that stealing resources is "good"?
28 Mar 2011, 4:57 pm
How do you handle that?????
.
You just prooved my point that the role of a soldier is not necessarily "good". What about the soldiers who are invading the other country? How can you say that stealing resources is "good"?
I guess I wasn’t clear.
I was looking at this from the perspective of a citizen of the same country that the military protects. Namely the United States in my case, but any other nation will do.
I’ll also point out that in most nations, other than ones with a military government, that the military follows the decisions of the nation’s leaders (usually politicians). The military is the sword point of that nation’s national defense and policies. Of course that does not relieve them of their ethical and legal responsibilities where the laws of warfare are concerned (i.e. war crimes) which are not always clear and maybe not even practical in all cases.
In a nutshell ¸my position is that a nation that wants to survive as one needs something in the form of armed forces in place to protect its borders and sovereignty, etc………..
It stands to reason that those forces will be used for illegal and/or immoral purposes by some nations. The best way to counter that abuse is by being a formidable force to be reconvened with. In reality that’s just the world we live in……
29 Mar 2011, 10:30 am
29 Mar 2011, 10:45 am
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