[quote]CSEagles1694 wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
You’re asking the wrong question.
I don’t hate the military. “Military” is just a collective word to describe a group of people I don’t even know.
I hate the the people who use the military to do their bidding.
I hate the fact that people are duped into believing “the military” is something more heroic than it actually is.[/quote]
Do you think that my grandfather fighting in WWII was heroic?
CS[/quote]
Do you think that mine were?
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
They are just men in costumes [/quote]
Wow…
People who choose to risk their life and limb, and do so openly proclaim they do it so you have the right to say what you say, and this, this is what you think of them?
INteresting.[/quote]
The same is true for the Mafia.
Heroes?
[quote]ZEB wrote:
[quote]sufiandy wrote:
Zeb, So now that we are back on topic what do you think of the tobacco tax?[/quote]
Shut up douchebag…No no just kidding.
If you start a thread on the tobacco tax I promise I will be there.
Deal?[/quote]
Well its kind of related which is why I asked. I just wanted to know if you are against this specific tax or ALL similar taxes. The argument is that the people who pay this tax can negatively affect you in some way by raising health insurance costs for everyone.
[quote]ZEB wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
They are just men in costumes [/quote]
Wow…
People who choose to risk their life and limb, and do so openly proclaim they do it so you have the right to say what you say, and this, this is what you think of them?
INteresting.[/quote]
Did Hitler’s military fight for the rights of the Germans or were they just doing the bidding of some politician?[/quote]
And you are comparing Hitler to our leaders in the US.
You get nuttier every year my friend…[/quote]
editd
No, I am comparing you to Germans in the 1930s who worshiped their Fuhrer.
[quote]BrianHanson wrote:
Lifticus,
Just so I am clear, your main argument is that the military is neither moral or immoral, but it is often used immorally by the people we put in power. If that is what you are saying I fully agree. One of my drill sergeants, used to tell me that the “Army is a great big fucking punishment stick, like the one your mean grandma would whoop your ass with when you fucked up. Granny would start smacking you and sometimes she wouldn’t even remember why, but she’d keep on hittin’” That was what I always thought about, we would have no idea what we were doing or why we did it, we were just one small team of one squad of one platoon of one company of one battalion of one brigade of one division, and we just went where they told us. That is hardly the blueprint for moral certainty it is one where you don’t know what the other guys are doing so you just assume you are all doing the same thing, no matter how awful it might be. I can only imagine how much more messed up it is for the guys in Iraq and Afghanistan.[/quote]
Yes, pretty much, that is what I am saying.
The military is a just a tool for the politically connected, looter class.
I don’t know what stances about the military are doing in this thread. At least tobacco taxes are loosely related to this one.
But I’m all for reducing the sizes of soda cups allowed. Even when allowed to get as much food as you want, having smaller plates, cups, and utensils leads to eating less. Why do you think those plates at Chinese buffets are so small? And Americans eat way too much. This will barely scratch the surface, but it’s a step in the right direction.
I just don’t see this no government involvement in people’s lives working out so well. We have government largely because of human nature. Unfortunately, many people only do good because it’s the law. It doesn’t stop everyone, but at least it keeps the honest people honest.
I think it’s good for the soda thing because you’re not telling people they can’t get more soda. Only that the stores can’t sell their biggest sodas. A lot of people just don’t have the self control to say no so other measures have to be taken. We are all affected by the health and habits of each other.
I’m also for sin taxes for the obviously bad for you foods. Not as much as tobacco, but at least enough to make you think twice about that box of twinkies. These foods are quite literally addicitive to many citizens. They are also harmful. It’s basically like poison. Sin taxes and restrictions on advertising worked for tobacco, I think it’ll work for crap food too.
This thread went for a crazy loop, but I really could care less. ; )
Do you understand that the government will never stop telling people what they can and cannot do? The laws will become more and more restrictive, never less. The cycle will NOT end! I say this because if you look to history, it repeats itself. Over and over and over again. People are creatures of habit and those who don’t know their history are doomed to repeat it.
[quote]Fletch1986 wrote:
I don’t know what stances about the military are doing in this thread. At least tobacco taxes are loosely related to this one.
But I’m all for reducing the sizes of soda cups allowed. Even when allowed to get as much food as you want, having smaller plates, cups, and utensils leads to eating less. Why do you think those plates at Chinese buffets are so small? And Americans eat way too much. This will barely scratch the surface, but it’s a step in the right direction.
I just don’t see this no government involvement in people’s lives working out so well. We have government largely because of human nature. Unfortunately, many people only do good because it’s the law. It doesn’t stop everyone, but at least it keeps the honest people honest.
I think it’s good for the soda thing because you’re not telling people they can’t get more soda. Only that the stores can’t sell their biggest sodas. A lot of people just don’t have the self control to say no so other measures have to be taken. We are all affected by the health and habits of each other.
I’m also for sin taxes for the obviously bad for you foods. Not as much as tobacco, but at least enough to make you think twice about that box of twinkies. These foods are quite literally addicitive to many citizens. They are also harmful. It’s basically like poison. Sin taxes and restrictions on advertising worked for tobacco, I think it’ll work for crap food too.[/quote]
KD,
Please don’t use the “big government restricting our rights” argument.
People against big government also seem to be against;
A womans right to choose
Gay Marriage
Legalizing Weed
Legislating morality is for a lack of a better word, moronic. If you are against these 3 things, you are for big government and government intrusion into peoples personal lives, so really who gives a shit about big soda cups and bans on trans fats.
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
They are just men in costumes [/quote]
Wow…
People who choose to risk their life and limb, and do so openly proclaim they do it so you have the right to say what you say, and this, this is what you think of them?
INteresting.[/quote]
Did Hitler’s military fight for the rights of the Germans or were they just doing the bidding of some politician?[/quote]
Beg the question much?
[quote]kneedragger79 wrote:
I am talking about America, what other countries decide to do with their youth is of no worry to me as long as the youth aren’t being abused and used by the government.
[/quote]
So… You want to throw out a massive data set because it doesn’t fit your argument that the drinking age is perfect at 21?
Got cha.
[quote]I was not intending that at all and I wasn’t clear enough, my apologies. Let’s go another way though, does the American military force people to serve? Ever? Let’s talk about the last thirty years, in my lifetime. That has never happened, not one time in the last three decades.
[/quote]
How is this relevant to his, your or my point?
It isn’t at all.
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
They are just men in costumes [/quote]
Wow…
People who choose to risk their life and limb, and do so openly proclaim they do it so you have the right to say what you say, and this, this is what you think of them?
INteresting.[/quote]
Did Hitler’s military fight for the rights of the Germans or were they just doing the bidding of some politician?[/quote]
Beg the question much?
[/quote]
Just saying, your emotions aren’t so unique. Believe it or not history is rife with people like you.
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
They are just men in costumes [/quote]
Wow…
People who choose to risk their life and limb, and do so openly proclaim they do it so you have the right to say what you say, and this, this is what you think of them?
INteresting.[/quote]
Did Hitler’s military fight for the rights of the Germans or were they just doing the bidding of some politician?[/quote]
Beg the question much?
[/quote]
Just saying, your emotions aren’t so unique. Believe it or not history is rife with people like you.[/quote]
Now you are trying to compare ME to Nazi? Are you doing this before or after your assumptive statement about my emotions?
Lol, jesus… This is like trying to have a conversation with an parrot.
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Now you are trying to compare ME to Nazi? Are you doing this before or after your assumptive statement about my emotions?
Lol, jesus… This is like trying to have a conversation with an parrot. [/quote]
LOL, what’s with all the dimwits posting on PWI?!
I am only comparing you (and the other usual chest-pounding suspects) to members of other nations who have strong yet unwarranted emotions about abstract ideas such as national exceptionalism.
Nationalism is a primitive idea than needs to be expunged.
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Now you are trying to compare ME to Nazi? Are you doing this before or after your assumptive statement about my emotions?
Lol, jesus… This is like trying to have a conversation with an parrot. [/quote]
LOL, what’s with all the dimwits posting on PWI?!
I am only comparing you (and the other usual chest-pounding suspects) to members of other nations who have strong yet unwarranted emotions about abstract ideas such as national exceptionalism.
Nationalism is a primitive idea than needs to be expunged.[/quote]
More assumptions about my emotional state. Sweet.
I only mentioned your post because I found your description of people that believe they risk their life for you interesting. Then you project conjecture onto me, and fallaciously (sp) compare me & the U.S. to a nazi…
I find your perspective, your “group think” point of view interesting. I think it is batshit, but that is because you are too busy campairing people to hitler than make an actual case.
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Now you are trying to compare ME to Nazi? Are you doing this before or after your assumptive statement about my emotions?
Lol, jesus… This is like trying to have a conversation with an parrot. [/quote]
LOL, what’s with all the dimwits posting on PWI?!
I am only comparing you (and the other usual chest-pounding suspects) to members of other nations who have strong yet unwarranted emotions about abstract ideas such as national exceptionalism.
Nationalism is a primitive idea than needs to be expunged.[/quote]
More assumptions about my emotional state. Sweet.
I only mentioned your post because I found your description of people that believe they risk their life for you interesting. Then you project conjecture onto me, and fallaciously (sp) compare me & the U.S. to a nazi…
I find your perspective, your “group think” point of view interesting. I think it is batshit, but that is because you are too busy campairing people to hitler than make an actual case.[/quote]
So you are saying people don’t do stupid shit because of their asinine belief systems? Are you further suggesting that people’s emotional states are the only qualification necessary to know if their behavior is just or not?
Now that is “interesting”.
[quote]BrianHanson wrote:
KD,
Please don’t use the “big government restricting our rights” argument.
People against big government also seem to be against;
A womans right to choose
Gay Marriage
Legalizing Weed
Legislating morality is for a lack of a better word, moronic. If you are against these 3 things, you are for big government and government intrusion into peoples personal lives, so really who gives a shit about big soda cups and bans on trans fats.[/quote]
This is pretty much why I can’t take Republicans seriously even when I agree with them on other things. I am not sure on the Weed issue but the other 2 are state laws which is GOOD. With over 300m people you can’t really pass a law on either side of the first 2 issues without pissing off 100m+ people so its better left to the states.
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
So you are saying people don’t do stupid shit because of their asinine belief systems? [/quote]
Sure they do. Happens all the time.
I can see the disdain for the institution, but why the “disrespect” for the individual?
What I’m saying is, right wrong or indifferent, that 20 year old kid holding the rifle isn’t the one that told him and his peers to shoot at whoever they are shooting at. Why shit on him?
Shit on congress, sure. But there has to be some level of “respect” for the kid, foolish or no, that is risking his life for your freedom, even if the idea of fighting for your freedom is only true in his mind.
[quote] Are you further suggesting that people’s emotional states are the only qualification necessary to know if their behavior is just or not?
[/quote]
ummm no. You brough up MY emotional state. I only pointed out you trying to use it to prop up your position, which it doesn’t.
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
I can see the disdain for the institution, but why the “disrespect” for the individual?
[/quote]
Please name the individual I am disrespecting, keeping in mind I once wore a USMC costume, too, so I must also be disrespecting myself.
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote] Are you further suggesting that people’s emotional states are the only qualification necessary to know if their behavior is just or not?
[/quote]
ummm no. You brough up MY emotional state. I only pointed out you trying to use it to prop up your position, which it doesn’t.[/quote]
I only mention emotion to illustrate that though people believe different ideas they almost always hold on to them for the same nationalistic reasons.
[quote]LIFTICVSMAXIMVS wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
I can see the disdain for the institution, but why the “disrespect” for the individual?
[/quote]
Please name the individual I am disrespecting, keeping in mind I once wore a USMC costume, too, so I must also be disrespecting myself.[/quote]
See those little quote marks around the word disrespect I put there?
No petty bullshit, answer this:
Does the 20 year old returning from active duty in Iraq, who honestly believes his buddies dies to protect you, more deserve you to shake his hand or spit on him?
And, thank you for your service BTW.