General Politics XII World • Page 73

When I’m asked to participate in blocking aid to people who are having a genocide done to them

 

People become cops because they fantasize about doing cop shit. Contrary to what some people who only view troops through the lens of the 1% of military who are tactical bros think, most 18 year old kids who join the military do so for socioeconomic reasons and the majority joined never actually expecting to be involved in active combat (especially in the Air Force and Navy). Cops can quit if the job conflicts with their morals, military personnel would go to prison if they quit. That is the difference.

A very common saying within the US Navy is "Navy stands for Never Again Volunteer Yourself". Most of that crew doesn't want to actually be on that ship doing that shit. Most average enlisted hate their recruiters for lying to them more than the people the government is training them to fight. Most just are trying to ride out their shitty 15 hour day maintenance tech or supply clerk job until they can discharge with free healthcare and education.

 

"i'll be dead before you put my brother on a ship blockading lebanon"

 

always really liked the last couple lines of the 2nd verse of this song

 

There was discussion about the possibility of a US blockade of Lebanon in furtherance of genocide, Nate expressed hope that the genocidal ship would sink, and someone came in and said b-b-but my brother is on the genocide ship! I think that’s offensive! I feel like i’m being very clear and correctly characterizing the conversation.

I feel like a lot of you don’t *really* think it’s a genocide, or else don’t think genocide is that bad. Or maybe it’s just against Muslims that it’s okay. Because it’s hard to imagine this level of sympathy for even a conscripted member of the Wehrmacht

 

someone else that could have used some empathy for those outside of his family

 

tfw someone is mean to me for hating nazis

 

well he didn't have much empathy for his cousin Derrick.

 

You're literally doing it now. I quoted the post I had issues with. It was someone saying I hope people don't have to live with this concern I've dealt with and am dealing with and you said fuck your concern, others have much more cause for concern. Just because others rightfully have more concern doesn't mean that guy isn't allowed to express his.

 

Concern for WHO?? The guy on the genocide ship!

 

FTFY

 

The post also said the original take (hoping US ships blockading aid sink) was a fucked up take. So I think pointing out that concerns over our troops’ safety is minuscule compared to who we’re hurting pushes back on the take being fucked up.

 

Had a friend who is an assistant to someone who went on Fallon's show as a guest, introduced herself to Jimmy and she called him Mr. Fallon, and he said "You can call me Jimmy, or Latenight's greatest talkshow host if you prefer" and now we just call him Latenight's greatest talkshow host. She had no idea if he was joking but I choose to believe he was not.

 

tbf the take is a little fucked up but the situation is fucked up. I don’t want our tax money and people assisting slaughter and genocide! I don’t want them to die for that, but they aren’t the greatest victims in this scenario

 

on the one hand, I totally get your point, on the other hand, they are taking the gamble, aren't they?
that said, from what I understand, they're being lied to pretty hard during recruitment.

 

A handful of thoughts on this, some of which might contradict others:

1) to paraphrase an episode of Doctor Who, the military doesn’t need our respect, they’ve got all the guns.

2) i do think a lot of people who go into the military are a victim of the military industrial complex in a sense. I remember recruiters in my high school cafeteria, and I remember them identifying and pitching themselves hard to certain kids who they thought would be easier to sign up. Completely predatory. Some of the people I’ve met who are most ardently left-wing now had that experience, or actually went through the service. I understand how someone winds up in that place.

3) the US military is perhaps the most evil entity on the planet, and you do bear responsibility for your role in that if you choose it as your career however you wound up there. Just as you bear responsibility for however you wind up participating in the maintenance of empire within the imperial core, which i think applies to pretty much everyone in one form or another.

4) there is not a way to end American imperialism that doesn’t involve US forces being defeated when and where they are active. A result of which is American military personnel dying. I believe American imperialism to be the ideological force most responsible for death and destruction around the world, so i want them to be defeated by pretty much anyone who will challenge them (since we aren’t doing it ourselves, to our great shame). I think hoping it happens another way is naive to the point of cognitive dissonance.

5) I don’t want any of your family members or friends to die. Talk to them about why they should leave the military. One of my very best friends and a hugely influential person in my late teens/early 20s went into JAG after law school because she “wanted to travel.” My wife and I explained why that was a gross decision, and when she didn’t listen I cut her out of my life over it. I’ve got no regrets about that. Aiding imperialism should cost you. Have standards for yourself and the people in your life.

 

perpetrators can't be victims. if you sign up to fight for this evil empire that unleashes immeasurable suffering and death then you have everything that's coming to you. I have family that are cops, so 1) I'm not gonna make it about me when someone posts something ACAB and 2) I also know the role they play in an institution that does more harm than good, and of course I'm not going to be happy if they die but it would be best if they went and did something that actually contributes to their community instead of robs and takes away from it, but if something happens to them in the line of duty well then...

 

This poster thinks genocide is okay if your brother is doing it

 

hot take(?): if my family member did genocide i would disown them

 

i would laugh in his face, not purposefully but naturally, in a way he would understand that i'm not laughing at a joke.