this post was submitted on 11 Nov 2023
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[–] kvasir476@lemmy.world 167 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (43 children)

Two things not mentioned it that article:

  1. Why would anyone want to fight for a country that is so callously disinterested in the welfare of it's citizens?

  2. In the last quarter-century it has become extremely apparent that the US Military is not the "global force for good" that it wants to portray itself as. Most young people probably aren't interested in joining up to commit war crimes in the name of making money for the military industrial complex.

[–] SkybreakerEngineer@lemmy.world 49 points 1 year ago (2 children)
  1. Every branch of the military has become increasingly toxic, cutting things like training and cleaning up black mold in favor of new uniforms every 2 years
[–] kvasir476@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year ago (3 children)

How's training and cleaning up mold supposed to line the pockets of the senator's buddy who owns the uniform company?

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[–] grumble209@techhub.social 25 points 1 year ago

@kvasir476 @throws_lemy Suggested edit: After "In the last quarter-century" insert "I've finally noticed".

Butler saw the scam first-hand, 100 years ago. Every generation seems it must relearn the lessons of our grandparents.

As for young people not enlisting for wars of convenience - exactly. That's partially why a draft was around, and why it was so unpopular. And why the money each service pays for college benefits goes way up when there's a shooting war and goes down in peacetime.

My time in the Navy overlapped with the VEAP program, which would give me a 2-to-1 match for college - up to the maximum contribution of $2700. What a joke.

Compare that to the current GI Bill plus extra money each service pays directly.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smedley_Butler

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[–] kerrigan778@lemmy.world 109 points 1 year ago (1 children)

We've seen the bullshit reasons the US government use to send people to war and we've seen how the veterans are treated by Congress.

[–] PeckerBrown@lemmy.world 89 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)

No, we don't want to fight for racist, corrupt, misogynous, traitorous shitheads like Trump and DeSantis.

[–] Wes_Dev@lemmy.ml 38 points 1 year ago

As pretty much any political minority will tell you, the country constantly uses us like ping pong balls and cat toys to win elections or internal battles.

I am sick of my rights, welfare, sense of safety, and hope for the future being dangled in front of me and ripped away over and over again so billionaires and career politicians can be greedy.

So, yeah. Not interested in serving. If my country wants me to fight for it, then it should fight for me as well.

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I have two sons in their early 20s and I’m scared to death one of these fascist chucklefucks decides to get us into some conflict we don’t need to be in just because he wants to prove he has BDE and reinstates the draft.

[–] PeckerBrown@lemmy.world 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I was in the Air Force in the late 70s. Twenty years ago (roughly) I pushed both my boys into the military, because they were being fuck-ups and I didn't know any other way at the time.

I'm thankful as all hell that they had the good sense to tell the military to get fucked when in Basic and got out.

Learn from my stupidity.

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[–] callouscomic@lemm.ee 69 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Ah well, soldiers haven't fought for their country for decades. Instead they've been fighting for the interest of industrialized military, and the whims of politicians.

[–] originalucifer@moist.catsweat.com 21 points 1 year ago (1 children)

the american military-industrical complex is little more than a welfare/jobs program for americans with profits made overseas while at home were prostetlized that were 'defending' ourselves with overt patriotism

its absolutely revolting, and it boggles my mind how anyone in the military can find this a good thing for humanity.

[–] cuibono@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

Remember the video of the Iraq vet that was screaming at Bush to apologize in 2021 I think? He talked about all his friends being dead and a million Iraqis being dead all because of a bunch of lies. And while Iraq was one of the latest foreign failures, it was far from the only one. It just so happened to occur right around the same time the internet started connecting everyone. MSM couldn't whitewash or ignore what was actually happening like it could a few decades prior.

[–] AmberPrince@kbin.social 68 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Eustice, who served 26 years in the Minnesota National Guard, noted that young adults were the military's prime target for new recruits—currently Generation Z, or those born after 1997—and argued that growing up in the internet age had made them used to "immediate gratification."

Oh look, another out of touch boomer. ItS tHoSe DaMn CeLlPhOnEs! Gen Z grew up watching America get involved in, then stay involved in, a deeply unpopular war. Gen Z grew up in an age where you can fact check someone on the spot and it makes it that much harder for recruiters to lie. They grew up in an age where half of the government is trying to drag the country backwards by any means.

I am in the military. I overheard my leadership talking with a woman who wanted to get out. When they asked her why she said it was because of the Roe V Wade decision. "Why would I fight for a country that won't fight for me?" I don't blame her.

[–] SkyeStarfall@lemmy.blahaj.zone 26 points 1 year ago (2 children)

A person saying kids don't want to join the military because they're too used to "instant gratification" is some of the most obnoxious shit I have ever heard lmao

If someone went up to me and said that, I'd tell them to go fuck themselves and leave, because fuck all of that.

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[–] tryplot@kbin.social 66 points 1 year ago (5 children)

A country is supposed to provide 4 things to it's citizens, and the united states are failing on all 4.

  1. food: “We are in danger of running out of food,” said Vince Hall, Feeding America’s chief government relations officer. “We are doing everything we can to avert a major hunger crisis.

  2. safe to drink water: Nearly half of the tap water in the US is contaminated with ‘forever chemicals,’ government study finds

  3. shelter: Homelessness rates have been climbing nationally by about 6% every year since 2017, the alliance said.

  4. safety: The record 48,830 total gun deaths in 2021 reflect a 23% increase since 2019

additionally, nearly every fundamental system (education, healthcare, insurance, car-dependent city designs, etc.) within the united states is designed to take everything away (or restrict access to everything) from it's citizens through poverty, thus making the above problems exponentially worse.

What is there to fight for?

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[–] GiddyGap@lemm.ee 65 points 1 year ago (15 children)

Raise a hand. Who wants to sign up as cannon fodder for the rich?

[–] EvilEyedPanda@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Bonus; if you survive no one will help you!

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[–] reverendsteveii@lemm.ee 63 points 1 year ago (7 children)

why in the fuck would any sane person sign up to die in a failed attempt to implement some shitty politician's whim half a world away? no one has fought for America in decades, they fight for the aristocrats.

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[–] watson387@sopuli.xyz 56 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Killing brown people so the oligarchy can exploit their natural resources is not fighting for your country.

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[–] BigMacHole@lemm.ee 56 points 1 year ago (1 children)

That's because Democrats are brainwashing people to hate their country and has absolutely nothing to do with Republicans voting AGAINST any and all help for veterans, Republicans constantly stopping service member pay with government shutdowns, billionaires killing us so they can make an extra dollar, billionaires using us to do dangerous tasks for minimal pay or Republicans voting to dismantle the VA. It's OBVIOUSLY the Democrats fault!

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[–] alienanimals@lemmy.world 51 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

This lie is akin to "No one wants to work anymore"

It's not remotely true. It's just some bullshit the employer says when they're not paying enough and they treat their employees like shit.

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[–] captain_aggravated@sh.itjust.works 49 points 1 year ago (10 children)

I'm not convinced a soldier has been sent to fight for my country at any point during my lifetime.

[–] FoxyFerengi@lemm.ee 29 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I'm an oif veteran, and I honestly don't think we've fought for our country since pearl harbor

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[–] bradorsomething@ttrpg.network 46 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Millennials are killing the killing industry.

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[–] Smacks@lemmy.world 46 points 1 year ago

Doesn't feel like my country cares about me, so why would I die for it?

[–] cybermass@lemmy.ca 42 points 1 year ago

I mean why would someone want to fight for a country that doesn't care about them?

[–] masquenox@lemmy.world 42 points 1 year ago (2 children)

Where they ever fighting "for their country?"

How has the majority of people in the US benefited from the US-caused wars in Vietnam, Panama, Iraq or Afghanistan?

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[–] FollyDolly@lemmy.world 40 points 1 year ago

Forced draft ruined the lives of my father and uncle. (Vietnam) My husband is permanently disabled from his time in the balkins and the VA fought us tooth and nail for every cent of his disablity pay. I would never, ever, ever join the miltary. All you get is a broken mind, body, and a shitty flag when you die.

[–] breadsmasher@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago (3 children)

Vietnam

Iraq

Afghanistan

Is anyone surprised

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 27 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Korea, too.

And dozens of “minor” conflicts in South America and Africa over the years (for example, task force ranger and the battle of Mogadishu… as imortalozed in black hawk down,)

Yeah. Us military might as well be fighting for big corporations.

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[–] Solumbran@lemmy.world 39 points 1 year ago

Fighting for a shit government full of crappy politicians is already a weird choice.

Going in other countries to kill random innocent people for the profit of said government is an even weirder one.

[–] febra@lemmy.world 38 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

"Fight for their country"

...

Ten thousand miles away

Of course not, what sane American would buy into that bullshit?

[–] theodewere@kbin.social 34 points 1 year ago

i won't fight for people who voted for Trump.. not ever, for any reason.. i won't protect you people from any enemy..

[–] kttnpunk@lemmy.world 32 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Hmm, maybe it's because they're actually fighting for their country's billionaire's interests instead?

[–] phikshun@infosec.pub 32 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You'll end up with PTSD, divorced and homeless, but think of all the brown people you'll get to kill in the name of our Lord and Savior, Walt Disney.

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[–] Numberone@startrek.website 31 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I mean when we watch decades of wars that kill thousands of American's and MILLIONS of people in their own countries for no reason, maybe we need a little additional justification rather than "fight for your country". Nah! Probably just the fault of the "instant gratification" generations being selfish again.

We see more, and trust less now. Seems like a good first order explanation to me anyway.

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[–] 100_kg_90_de_belin@feddit.it 31 points 1 year ago

Do you remember when the US Army asked "how has serving impacted you?" on Twitter and the most common answers were PTSD, harassment, rape? Maybe that's why.

[–] AlijahTheMediocre@lemmy.world 29 points 1 year ago

They give us every reason not to, a country that doesnt care for its own is not worth fighting for.

[–] be_excellent_to_each_other@kbin.social 28 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

As a veteran - at some point it starts to feel like it's all about oil and colonialism.

This is quite old now, but it still works.

Jello Biafra - Die For Oil Suckers

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[–] constate368@lemmy.world 28 points 1 year ago (2 children)

No shit. It's just defending the ruling class at this point.

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[–] AstridWipenaugh@lemmy.world 25 points 1 year ago

I've finally reached the age where I don't ruminate about being drafted anymore. I turned 18 shortly after 9/11 and registering for the SS was terrifying. Now I just have to worry about my two sons coming of age and being drafted into WW3. 😞

[–] Phen@lemmy.eco.br 25 points 1 year ago

Government sees this and thinks: time to make college more expensive and regulate more professions to require college.

[–] starman2112@sh.itjust.works 22 points 1 year ago

Americans don't want to fight for ~~their country~~ the fossil fuel industry anymore

Ftfy

[–] TenderfootGungi@lemmy.world 21 points 1 year ago

Terrible title. People are still patriotic and would fight for our country. They don’t want to join our military that is not currently fighting for our country to enter adulthood with worn out joints and PTSD.

[–] nicetriangle@kbin.social 20 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I'd wager a good portion of Americans would rather literally go to war with other Americans than deploy to some foreign conflict.

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[–] jimbo@lemmy.world 20 points 1 year ago

They ever heard of "The boy who cried wolf"? You bullshit people enough times about defending the country and other noble causes and they going to stop believing you. It's been 80 years since the US fought a war that was even remotely plausible as defense.

[–] randon31415@lemmy.world 19 points 1 year ago

Any country that is a threat to American sovereignty has nukes. We don't use armies against those countries. Ergo, joining the army is not fighting for your countries freedom. So, asks recruits, what are we fighting for?

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