So what's the big fucking deal about Marines pissing on dead Taliban?

[Kleves]

When you kill a man, it costs nothing to be polite.

[Ed Anger]

They are trained as soldiers, not as killers.

Isn't that sort of like saying they are trained as butchers, not as meat cutters?

Nope. It's the terms he is using.
Soldier = Army
Marines=Marines

I fuck with some of the knotheads at work and call them Naval Infantry. Also that thay are not a real branch of the military, so they answer to the Navy. There is no such thing as the Department of the Marine Corps.

My
Ass
Rides
In
Navy
Equipment

[11B4V]

They are trained as soldiers, not as killers.

Isn't that sort of like saying they are trained as butchers, not as meat cutters?

Nope. It's the terms he is using.
Soldier = Army
Marines=Marines

I fuck with some of the knotheads at work and call them Naval Infantry. Also that thay are not a real branch of the military, so they answer to the Navy. There is no such thing as the Department of the Marine Corps.

My
Ass
Rides
In
Navy
Equipment

Hehe, yea

[CountDeMoney]

My
Ass
Rides
In
Navy
Equipment

That's an oldie but a goodie.

I have an ex-Marine in my shop;  when I sent out directives, I send out two versions;  the official one, and the "Marine" one, which specifically requires a war face.

[Neil]

or burn down a church full of innocent civilians, like the Brits.

Isn't that what air forces are for these days?

[Martinus]

They are trained as soldiers, not as killers.

Isn't that sort of like saying they are trained as butchers, not as meat cutters?

Not really. In fact, I would say that our entire cultural treatment of warfare is based on recognizing this distinction.

[Valmy]

Not really. In fact, I would say that our entire cultural treatment of warfare is based on recognizing this distinction.

Well certainly a soldier has a certain code of conduct and there are certain standards of warfare but in the end it is about fighting and winning battles and wars.  There are many elements to doing that but infantry grunts are in the killing the enemy part of that.

[Martinus]

Not really. In fact, I would say that our entire cultural treatment of warfare is based on recognizing this distinction.

Well certainly a soldier has a certain code of conduct and there are certain standards of warfare but in the end it is about fighting and winning battles and wars.  There are many elements to doing that but infantry grunts are in the killing the enemy part of that.

Meh, I dislike the military so I don't really care if they are considered stupid killers in the end. I'm just annoyed by the cognitive dissonance of people saying on one hand that pissing on dead bodies is after all what killers do, but then the next day going on to praise these people as heroes and rolemodels. You can't have it both ways.

[Barrister]

Not really. In fact, I would say that our entire cultural treatment of warfare is based on recognizing this distinction.

Well certainly a soldier has a certain code of conduct and there are certain standards of warfare but in the end it is about fighting and winning battles and wars.  There are many elements to doing that but infantry grunts are in the killing the enemy part of that.

Meh, I dislike the military so I don't really care if they are considered stupid killers in the end. I'm just annoyed by the cognitive dissonance of people saying on one hand that pissing on dead bodies is after all what killers do, but then the next day going on to praise these people as heroes and rolemodels. You can't have it both ways.

Why not?

They are heroes who put their life on the line for our country.  They deserve our respect and admiration.  But as part of training them to be soldiers they may not be the kind of person you'd want your daughter going out with.

I have the same mixed feelings about hockey players.

[Valmy]

Meh, I dislike the military so I don't really care if they are considered stupid killers in the end. I'm just annoyed by the cognitive dissonance of people saying on one hand that pissing on dead bodies is after all what killers do, but then the next day going on to praise these people as heroes and rolemodels. You can't have it both ways.

I am saying it is a human reaction to combat so not too terribly shocking.  They are praised for basically giving up their humanity and taking on a horrible burden so I do not have to.  So volunteering to become the sort of person who would kill some dudes and then piss on them is part of what makes them heroes.  I mean to the extent they are.

[DGuller]

Not really. In fact, I would say that our entire cultural treatment of warfare is based on recognizing this distinction.

Well certainly a soldier has a certain code of conduct and there are certain standards of warfare but in the end it is about fighting and winning battles and wars.  There are many elements to doing that but infantry grunts are in the killing the enemy part of that.

Meh, I dislike the military so I don't really care if they are considered stupid killers in the end. I'm just annoyed by the cognitive dissonance of people saying on one hand that pissing on dead bodies is after all what killers do, but then the next day going on to praise these people as heroes and rolemodels. You can't have it both ways.

War isn't pretty, and at the end of the day, you're killing people.  Whether you say "sorry about that, mate" or "die, motherfucker" when you do the killing, that basic fact is the same.  While of course I would like the killers on our side to be perfectly honorable, and I think that honor should be strictly enforced, I also don't know what war does to the psyche of people.  Thankfully, in this country, I have the choice of not knowing it personally, and it's the choice I happily made.

[Josephus]

They are heroes who put their life on the line for our country.

[me] Ok. Yeah.



They deserve our respect and admiration. 

[me] In as much as ordinary people like nurses, social workers, polciemen, firefighters, do, yeah.

But once they piss on other people, dead or alive, that bit about respect and admiration? Nah, it pretty much flies out the window for me and if they step on a land mine on their way back to base--I can't say I'd lose any sleep.

[Barrister]

They are heroes who put their life on the line for our country.

[me] Ok. Yeah.



They deserve our respect and admiration. 

[me] In as much as ordinary people like nurses, social workers, polciemen, firefighters, do, yeah.

But once they piss on other people, dead or alive, that bit about respect and admiration? Nah, it pretty much flies out the window for me and if they step on a land mine on their way back to base--I can't say I'd lose any sleep.

I was speaking of soldiers in general.  I certainly wouldn't want these fellows to step on a land mine (Jos - really?), but I imagine they will be drummed out and that seems appropriate.

[Josephus]

Meh, I dislike the military so I don't really care if they are considered stupid killers in the end. I'm just annoyed by the cognitive dissonance of people saying on one hand that pissing on dead bodies is after all what killers do, but then the next day going on to praise these people as heroes and rolemodels. You can't have it both ways.

I am saying it is a human reaction to combat so not too terribly shocking.  They are praised for basically giving up their humanity and taking on a horrible burden so I do not have to.  So volunteering to become the sort of person who would kill some dudes and then piss on them is part of what makes them heroes.  I mean to the extent they are.

I disagree. There are thousands, upon thousands, of other soldiers, presently, and in history, who didn't feel the need to piss on other soldeirs. Those are heroes, yeah. These ones are just fucked up.

[Valmy]

I disagree. There are thousands, upon thousands, of other soldiers, presently, and in history, who didn't feel the need to piss on other soldeirs. Those are heroes, yeah. These ones are just fucked up.

Well when you are brutalized you do fucked up things.  Many did less fucked up things, and many did much more fucked up stuff.