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Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
181–190 of 608 posts
Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
#182Earlier quoted context omitted.
> a bit of invading. The world doesn't work the way you wish it did. Atrocities are prevented and security is maintained through action and credible deterrence. This requires men and women willing or conscripted into service. Would be great if none of this were necessary, but it's simply not how the world works and there is ample historical evidence of what happens when a country lowers its guard. As I type this Germ…
There is ample historical evidence that having an army to send into war makes the world less safe, not more. If the US army in particular had a clear conscience, why would the US oppose the International Criminal Court in The Hague? Telling your soldies that their war crimes will go unpunished is a great way to invite them.
I was against the war in Iraq and still am, but IMO the jury is still out whether the war in Iraq made the world less safe. Saddam was a brutal dictator including gassing and genociding the Kurds. The Kurds now have a fairly stable government in Northern Iraq thanks to the invasion and are a center of prosperity in the region. ISIS has been largely suppressed, and there's been no repeat of the Iran or Kuwait wars of Iraq since the US takoever.
Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
#183Earlier quoted context omitted.
A quick search determined that at least in Switzerland and South Korea, there is an avenue for conscientious objection, so I wouldn't say that "military service" is mandatory there. Even in Israel there seem to be plenty of options to get around military service. I recommend the Wikipedia articles about "Conscription in ".
In both South Korea and Switzerland you’d still be required to do civilian service in lieu of military service.
True, that wouldn't be "compulsory military service" though imo.
Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
#184So one of the things I like about Tiktok is you get exposed to something you normally wouldn't and it can be fascinating. One example of this I had an Air Force recruiter pop up on my fyp. This is obviously US-centric (as opposed to the article, which is the UK) but here are some things I've learned: 1. The difference between Reserve and Guard? Reserve is Federal, Guard is State (this was news to me); 2. Signing up f…
>You also get medical and dental insurance. This reminds me of a point Michael Moore made in Sicko – that Americans are generally fine with government spending if it's directed at the military. As he put it, America could probably have a national health service as long as the doctors and nurses wore camo.
"We'll fill those cavities (aka teeth terrorists) full of lead!"
Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
#185The most important thing to realize about military service is that you sign away all your citizenship rights (free speech, etc.) when you sign up for the service. Hopefully you won't be used in ridiculous debacles like the 2003 Iraq Invasion, based on lies about WMDs pushed by Washington (and see British role as well), but you'll have no say in the matter. The other thing to realize is that, at least in the USA, they…
https://news.gallup.com/poll/186527/americans-government-hea...
> Americans' satisfaction with the way the healthcare system works for them varies by the type of insurance they have. Satisfaction is highest among those with veterans or military health insurance…
Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
#186Earlier quoted context omitted.
Every soldier has the choice whether to follow or disobey an order of dubious legal/moral consequence. If you are asked to kill babies, you sure as shit had better say "no". As a species, there is broad agreement that "just following orders" is not a defense for committing crimes against humanity.
> A lot of people talk about Mỹ Lai, and they say, 'Well, you know, yeah, but you can't follow an illegal order.' Trust me. There is no such thing. Not in the military. If I go into a combat situation and I tell them, 'No, I'm not going. I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to follow that order', well, they'd put me up against the wall and shoot me. ~ Lawrence La Croix, a squad leader in Charlie Company in Mỹ Lai
Illegal/immoral orders can be silently sabotaged and reported later. Look at RF and Belarus. Russians are happy to kill Ukrainians, while Belarussians are wrecking Russian military trains. They received same orders.
Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
#187Earlier quoted context omitted.
Because you start out from the standard tech person position of arrogance. You didn't try to argue why you think his decision was ethically wrong. You went for a smug soundbite that sounds glib and clever.
1. He chose to join in 2007 - during the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. Those are both wars that, in my opinion and the opinion of many others (evident by the massive protests at the time) the British should not have been involved in. 2. In my opinion, anybody that joins the army when they aren't defending against an invasion (i.e. someone who travels thousands of miles to fight another country nowhere near their own) ha…
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Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
#188I won’t mince words; it is unquestionably immoral and evil to join or even support the American military in any capacity in its current form. I say that as someone with direct knowledge and experience, and someone that is not “left” or subscribes to the whole “America always was evil” nonsense, even though there is a legitimate angle to that claim too. The American military is a lying, conniving, duplicitous, war mon…
I question the relevance of your point to this article, which speaks exclusively of the British Army Reserve, specifically the Cheshire Yeomanry.
Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
#189The most important thing to realize about military service is that you sign away all your citizenship rights (free speech, etc.) when you sign up for the service. Hopefully you won't be used in ridiculous debacles like the 2003 Iraq Invasion, based on lies about WMDs pushed by Washington (and see British role as well), but you'll have no say in the matter. The other thing to realize is that, at least in the USA, they…
I think there is some incorrect information in this post. I know people who have completed their Bachelors and Masters completely funded by the GI Bill, including living expenses. In the experience of the people I know, the VA goes out of their way to give benefits as needed. One case, in particular, they were granted 100% disability for life with a packet submission and one phone call.
Agreed. Even if your GI bill doesn’t technically cover all of your expenses, many schools have Yellow Ribbon Programs that waive any excess cost
https://www.va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/post-9-1...
Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech
#190Meh.
There are people willing to go kill strangers when someone tells them to.
That's what they are.
What I am, is someone who understands that without people like that, we would have world peace.
Now if your desire is so great, that it is more important than world peace, fair enough. If maybe it isn't, think on it, will ya? :)