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Besides which, what relevance does it have in the context of this discussion?
Hold on one moment.
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What exactly does the army teach? That is, other than how to kill a man without feeling like you just destroyed a part of your soul?
There. The quote I gave makes sense in a way. In any case...
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And he's much more entitled to do so, being that he's served in the military and you haven't.
And my father served in the United States Air Force for five years, and he's told me a lot about his experiences. It gave him a sense of dignity and self-respect, as well as a sense of direction. The Air Force also gave him a career that he loves and with which he could support a family. Your point?
There. The quote I gave makes sense in a way.
No, it doesn't. Mill said it nearly a century and a half ago. It has no relevance in a modern context.
And my father served in the United States Air Force for five years, and he's told me a lot about his experiences. It gave him a sense of dignity and self-respect, as well as a sense of direction. The Air Force also gave him a career that he loves and with which he could support a family. Your point?
And I'm very happy for him. Let me tell you about my cousin. Four years ago, Sky was on track to make the USA Olympic gymnastics team, and then, for whatever reason, he joined the marines. The minute he graduated boot camp he was given a rifle and sent to Iraq. He was all gung-ho, in fact he emailed me when he got his first confirmed kill and gushed about how proud he was for like three pages. Now he's got severe PTSD and a developing case of paranoid schizophrenia. He's listless and disorganized, and experiences recurring nightmares and occasional auditory hallucinations when he's alone. Oh, and he's missing three and a half fingers. So his life is pretty much ruined, or at the very least, he's not likely to go anywhere near as far as he could have. Talking to him about his experiences with other marines gives me the idea he's not exactly an isolated case. I'm guessing that the soldiers who get a first-hand look at what war really is about aren't the same ones who take home dignity, self-respect, or a sense of direction.
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I'm guessing that the soldiers who get a first-hand look at what war really is about aren't the same ones who take home dignity, self-respect, or a sense of direction.
It differs depending on the person you talk to. Sure, no one likes war. However, in some cases, war is necessary.
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No, it doesn't. Mill said it nearly a century and a half ago. It has no relevance in a modern context.
That's like saying history has no relevance in modern context.
