Freedom or Safety?

[Dommm]

Fringe Loony, As a Marine and proud veteran of the current global war on terrorism, I am offended by your remarks. True, there are some power-tripping jerk-offs in uniform, and some kids aren't ready for college and have no other direction to go, but that doesn't make them inferior to anyone . Some of the bravest and most intelligent individuals I have met in my life are military members. Some of the individuals I met in the Marines are among the best friends I've ever had, and I still keep in contact with many of them, and probably will throughout my entire life. : Even though I dont agree with the war on terror or the british\american (politicians) stance on this, I dont think its the individuals within the military that are at fault, they are a group of people that go out to protect the society they come from with the utmost bravery risking personal and mental scarring and yes even death. Yes there are some who are bit nuts/racist/stuckup etc... but look around your office and you will find the same sort of people. My problem is not with the militery or the personnal within but the leadrer and the poloticians.

[Graebel]

Aren't you all assuming that the military would be home from the Middle East? And although my zombie plan usually involves stealing horses and heading cross country.... ....Washington DC and PG county cops are a little twitchy with the old trigger fingers. And since I assume it would be them and the non-deployed National Guard enforcing peace.... staying home might be the more rational solution.

[jim102016]

Aren't you all assuming that the military would be home from the Middle East? And although my zombie plan usually involves stealing horses and heading cross country.... ....Washington DC and PG county cops are a little twitchy with the old trigger fingers. And since I assume it would be them and the non-deployed National Guard enforcing peace.... staying home might be the more rational solution. While I've read it's the smallest since pre-WWII, there are only what, 160,000 U.S. personnel in Iraq? A significant force, but nothing like the Cold War deterrent in Europe or the half-million force in Vietnam in the 1960s. Let’s say 1.5 active duty, backed up by 1.2 million in reserve. While the active side is shot-gunned all over the world, I'd say it’s safe to say the majority of the total force is still stateside. With that said, you can't just bring home 160,000 troops home with all their equipment and everything they need to function as a fighting force at the drop of a hat. In the event of an emergency like we talk about here, I'm not sure what the hell they'd do.

[Trencher]

I would imidiatly report SRP76 to the secret police for suggesting that there are alternatives to obeying the rules. Seriously though I would respect a curfew and martial law as long as there were zombies out there and if I got the impression that the goverment were upholding the martial law without reason I would kill the goverment. So I voted sit tight.

[Graebel]

While I've read it's the smallest since pre-WWII, there are only what, 160,000 U.S. personnel in Iraq? A significant force, but nothing like the Cold War deterrent in Europe or the half-million force in Vietnam in the 1960s. Let’s say 1.5 active duty, backed up by 1.2 million in reserve. While the active side is shot-gunned all over the world, I'd say it’s safe to say the majority of the total force is still stateside. With that said, you can't just bring home 160,000 troops home with all their equipment and everything they need to function as a fighting force at the drop of a hat. In the event of an emergency like we talk about here, I'm not sure what the hell they'd do. While there are quite a few here, not all of those are capable of doing the kind of policing and crowd control that you're assuming they'll do. Case in point, the Air Force's basic training has evolved to the point where they don't shoot real guns at all. They do combat sims with mock rifles. No kickback, no running towards a target and slipping and falling out in front of the shooting line (actually happened), just a guy in warehouse playing Halo. MPs and infantry are in much shorter supply than your average pogue.

[Mike70]

i have about as much faith in the govt.'s (any govt.) ability to deal with any major crises as i do in the sun rising in the south tomorrow morning. i would make like -the grateful dead and beat it on down the line; like vanessa del rio and blow; etc. ad infinitum.

[SRP76]

I would imidiatly report SRP76 to the secret police for suggesting that there are alternatives to obeying the rules. The secret police have already been eaten; all we have left is the regular police.

[Mike70]

The secret police have already been eaten; all we have left is the regular police. hehehe. then there will be no problem making a break for it, since regular cops are about the dumbest group of people in the world.

[Wyldwraith]

Ok, Know what, I REALLY tried to just let this go and not reply. Sorry, guess I didn't learn that kind of self-control not having been part of the wonderful world of the armed services. I was speaking about the military via the people I personally know, their behavior and motivations both before and after they were in the service and the notion of these being the people who would be called up (most are now reserve) in the event of martial law via a zombie crisis to protect me? I want you to look up the % of 18-19yr old males who signed up for the service pre-War on Terror in Central Florida. Its absolutely STAGGERING unless compared to say, Texas. The *individuals I draw my experience from* (NOT TV, thank you very much. The idiot who believes he can find truth on TV is the same idiot who thinks he can find a hot chick to date on the internet) are accurately described by my earlier comments. I apologize if you felt like I was speaking about the entire service. Oh, and don't you EVER ****ing talk to me about honor and sacrifice. I'm on permanent disability after being beaten almost to death when I intervened to stop 5 "men" from pulling a train on an 18yr old girl who had passed out. There was no one else around, and my hotel room (and the room this was occurring in) were up on the almost-deserted 4th floor where the economy suites are located. My parents raised me with principles and a firm understanding of concepts like honor, self-sacrifice, making hard and often painful choices to do the right thing. (Even though I have two brown belts, 1 in ****o-Ryu and 1 in Akido I knew damned well I was gonna get maimed or killed taking on 5 guys all bigger than me in the narrow confines of a hotel room). So yea, I apologize for the broad-blanket statements..but please dont try to wrap the flag around the imbeciles who used to sign up pre-9/11 when military service in many areas was basically utilized as an upgraded form of welfare. The worst part, what crawls under my skin and friggin dies is that these imbeciles comes back after fixing trucks for 2-4yrs overseas and then 90% of them get jobs working for the Marion and Alachua County Sheriffs' Departments or the Ocala/Gainesville PD. Most of my really good friends are women, and I cant tell you the number of times one of their husbands has gotten drunk and decided to make himself feel like a man by hitting his WIFE. Someone he should lay his life down for to keep safe. Then the system circles the wagons to keep these losers safe from prosecution. I'm SICK OF IT. So please, PLEASE don't try to tell me that military service automatically instills honor and decency in those who serve. Levinworth wouldn't be full and there wouldnt be so many of these a-holes running around acting like barbarians and covering for each others atrocities if it did. I'm absolutely positive that many of the men and women you know are find upstanding human beings, a credit to their country and people all US citizens should be proud of. But you do yourself a disservice if you think that the fine upstanding people you know make up 99% of the servicemen/women and that the violent and out of control psychos are incredibly rare exceptions. If they're so rare why are 9 out of my graduating class of 202 (all former military) doing/have done time for domestic assault, DUI, hit and run or rape? Anyways: Again, I apologize to any servicepeople who took what I said to be directed towards the military in its entirety. Believe it or not I actually respect the commitment several years of service entails. I don't believe that the military will ever be a terribly effective security force at home, but thats another story. Lastly, take your own advice and skip the generalizations about me. Thank you.

[Trencher]

The secret police have already been eaten; all we have left is the regular police. How can you know? Besides I am pretty sure the secret police are vampires.

[acealive1]

Dude, we SO have to hang out! LOL! no problem.

[Mike70]

Ok, Know what, I REALLY tried to just let this go and not reply. Sorry, guess I didn't learn that kind of self-control not having been part of the wonderful world of the armed services. I was speaking about the military via the people I personally know, their behavior and motivations both before and after they were in the service and the notion of these being the people who would be called up (most are now reserve) in the event of martial law via a zombie crisis to protect me? I want you to look up the % of 18-19yr old males who signed up for the service pre-War on Terror in Central Florida. Its absolutely STAGGERING unless compared to say, Texas. The *individuals I draw my experience from* (NOT TV, thank you very much. The idiot who believes he can find truth on TV is the same idiot who thinks he can find a hot chick to date on the internet) are accurately described by my earlier comments. I apologize if you felt like I was speaking about the entire service. Oh, and don't you EVER ****ing talk to me about honor and sacrifice. I'm on permanent disability after being beaten almost to death when I intervened to stop 5 "men" from pulling a train on an 18yr old girl who had passed out. There was no one else around, and my hotel room (and the room this was occurring in) were up on the almost-deserted 4th floor where the economy suites are located. My parents raised me with principles and a firm understanding of concepts like honor, self-sacrifice, making hard and often painful choices to do the right thing. (Even though I have two brown belts, 1 in ****o-Ryu and 1 in Akido I knew damned well I was gonna get maimed or killed taking on 5 guys all bigger than me in the narrow confines of a hotel room). So yea, I apologize for the broad-blanket statements..but please dont try to wrap the flag around the imbeciles who used to sign up pre-9/11 when military service in many areas was basically utilized as an upgraded form of welfare. The worst part, what crawls under my skin and friggin dies is that these imbeciles comes back after fixing trucks for 2-4yrs overseas and then 90% of them get jobs working for the Marion and Alachua County Sheriffs' Departments or the Ocala/Gainesville PD. Most of my really good friends are women, and I cant tell you the number of times one of their husbands has gotten drunk and decided to make himself feel like a man by hitting his WIFE. Someone he should lay his life down for to keep safe. Then the system circles the wagons to keep these losers safe from prosecution. I'm SICK OF IT. So please, PLEASE don't try to tell me that military service automatically instills honor and decency in those who serve. Levinworth wouldn't be full and there wouldnt be so many of these a-holes running around acting like barbarians and covering for each others atrocities if it did. I'm absolutely positive that many of the men and women you know are find upstanding human beings, a credit to their country and people all US citizens should be proud of. But you do yourself a disservice if you think that the fine upstanding people you know make up 99% of the servicemen/women and that the violent and out of control psychos are incredibly rare exceptions. If they're so rare why are 9 out of my graduating class of 202 (all former military) doing/have done time for domestic assault, DUI, hit and run or rape? Anyways: Again, I apologize to any servicepeople who took what I said to be directed towards the military in its entirety. Believe it or not I actually respect the commitment several years of service entails. I don't believe that the military will ever be a terribly effective security force at home, but thats another story. Lastly, take your own advice and skip the generalizations about me. Thank you. ok. i haven't weighed in on this particular snit before now but here goes. i am a veteran. the army, 10th mountain division. i served in somalia in 92-93 for the 6 worst months of my life. i didn't have to join. i did it because at that rebellious time in my young adventure seeking life it was the one thing i knew would piss my parents off to no end. if i had it to do over i would've never joined. not that i hate the military, it serves a useful purpose when in the hands of rational, responsible govt. (which the US simply does not have right now) but there are quit a bit of tin plated morons in the military. war, all forms of it are disgusting, primitive crap that our species needs to outgrow if we are going to make it in the long run. there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING heroic or glamorous about war or about the people who fight it- they are simply people being manipulated by fat, rich politicians. it is simply people murdering other people under the guise of political and legal acceptability. take it from me. i have seen people blown into little pieces and shot dead literally right in front of me. stuff i wish and i try to forget- but as the book says - once something is in your head, it is in there forever. as someone with above average intelligence i cannot stand having to listen to people that i think are dumb or are not on the same intellectual level as i am. a lot of the NCOs in the military are about as smart as a box of hand rubbed rocks - in my opinion and my experience. so this whole military thing was so, so painful that the day i got out was the happiest day of my life - other than when my son was born or i saw a chick naked for the first time and realized i was gonna get some. now here i am. i've gone to college and gotten a doctorate and i look back on those three years and i wonder who the hell that person was and what the frak he thought he was doing. and i shake my head. i wouldn't put a dog (an animal that i absolutely loathe and consider one of the lowest forms of life on this planet) in the military under this present admin. i think in one sense you are right- there are a lot of people in the military who are simply losers and need to be told what to do every second of their lives. i am not one of them. i have a complete and utter loathing for any and all forms of authority. in the words of rage "fu ck you i won't do what you tell me." no problem. jesus detroit and toledo together. that is one hell of a love child you two are working on.

[acealive1]

ok. i haven't weighed in on this particular snit before now but here goes. i am a veteran. the army, 10th mountain division. i served in somalia in 92-93 for the 6 worst months of my life. i didn't have to join. i did it because at that rebellious time in my young adventure seeking life it was the one thing i knew would piss my parents off to no end. if i had it to do over i would've never joined. not that i hate the military, it serves a useful purpose when in the hands of rational, responsible govt. (which the US simply does not have right now) but there are quit a bit of tin plated morons in the military. war, all forms of it are disgusting, primitive crap that our species needs to outgrow if we are going to make it in the long run. there is ABSOLUTELY NOTHING heroic or glamorous about war or about the people who fight it- they are simply people being manipulated by fat, rich politicians. it is simply people murdering other people under the guise of political and legal acceptability. take it from me. i have seen people blown into little pieces and shot dead literally right in front of me. stuff i wish and i try to forget- but as the book says - once something is in your head, it is in there forever. as someone with above average intelligence i cannot stand having to listen to people that i think are dumb or are not on the same intellectual level as i am. a lot of the NCOs in the military are about as smart as a box of hand rubbed rocks - in my opinion and my experience. so this whole military thing was so, so painful that the day i got out was the happiest day of my life - other than when my son was born or i saw a chick naked for the first time and realized i was gonna get some. now here i am. i've gone to college and gotten a doctorate and i look back on those three years and i wonder who the hell that person was and what the frak he thought he was doing. and i shake my head. i wouldn't put a dog (an animal that i absolutely loathe and consider one of the lowest forms of life on this planet) in the military under this present admin. i think in one sense you are right- there are a lot of people in the military who are simply losers and need to be told what to do every second of their lives. i am not one of them. i have a complete and utter loathing for any and all forms of authority. in the words of rage "fu ck you i won't do what you tell me." jesus detroit and toledo together. that is one hell of a love child you two are working on. LOL. if it makes it any better,i grew up in a city 10 times worse than detroit....................los angeles. there'd be blood and ass everywhere if zombies got out.