Should I persue a career as an airline pilot?

[Velocity173]

Re: Should I pursue a career as an airline pilot?

The thing is, our foreign policy has not changed in 100 years, the course we have been on is straight and true for that long. That means when you volunteer for military duty, you are endorsing them, you are telling them, "Yes, I believe in what you are doing and am willing to die for your your ability to keep doing it."

That's why I don't like military indoc before 25, 18 year olds don't yet realize the realities and moral nuances they are signing up for. You're basically selling your soul, so you should at least understand that and sign up so you can take a close look to see if you're getting a good deal out of it.

I'm not endorsing them by following their orders. I didn't vote for any of them but the American people did and by doing that the politicians represent the people. They might not be a representation of the typical American but they are our elected officials and as such you follow their orders. Ever have a boss you weren't particularly pleased with but you stayed on anyway? Same concept. You might not support the boss (POTUS) but you support the company (American). Even if we had a system where the American people vote to send the military to war, it probably wouldn't have changed things anyway. Polls showed Americans were supportive of both OIF and OEF at the beginning.

 

[Henning]

The Legions were a mixture of both conscripts of quality and volunteers but as we know, the Legions were the exception to many rules of the time. They also have little in common with the modern American force.

Right, now they get an education and a job.

 

[Velocity173]

You said you follow the roe as set by the politicians, so the pols change the roe to include stuffing cattle cars with peopIe and you will.

It's called the laws of war and what you describe would be against them. Therefore the ROE would never reflect that policy. If they did, our society would have deteriorated to pretty low levels.

 

[red4golf]

Nope soldiers forced into it don't fight all that well, it has been the same motivation forever free college or all the stolen booty you can carry on your back. I guess Burroughs changed it a bit since pre WWI and some go cause they read the murica brochure. Yes I know there are the academy kids and the pols to be that risk service for their resumes but they are the exception not the rule.

Soldiers forced to fight do it very well when the choice is fight or die.

Your view of Soldiers and the American military in general is not very accurate and is obviously based on some very biased opinions with little actual experience in this area.

 

[Henning]

Re: Should I pursue a career as an airline pilot?

I'm not endorsing them by following their orders. I didn't vote for any of them but the American people did and by doing that the politicians represent the people. They might not be a representation of the typical American but they are our elected officials and as such you follow their orders. Ever have a boss you weren't particularly pleased with but you stayed on anyway? Same concept. You might not support the boss (POTUS) but you support the company (American). Even if we had a system where the American people vote to send the military to war, it probably wouldn't have changed things anyway. Polls showed Americans were supportive of both OIF and OEF at the beginning.

No... and I have walked off the job for less than having to hunt down and kill someone that has done me no harm, that's murder whether by choice or order.

 

[ClimbnSink]

Happened in Europe at least twice in a lifetime, Germany and just a bit ago Bosnia. You guys may have been there or have better knowledge then most, Bosnia is a two hour drive from Germany, I drive further then that to go canoeing. The idea that genocide is a freak occurrence that doesn't happen with modern society is delusional. History and science(thank you prof Milgram) is quite clear if they tell you to, you will.

 

[warthog1984]

It's called the laws of war and what you describe would be against them. Therefore the ROE would never reflect that policy. If they did, our society would have deteriorated to pretty low levels.

With all due respect, I'd say the Rallies for Calley (My Lai), Blackwater, and the photos of WP and napalm bombing from as far back as Vietnam have disproven the theory that the ROE would "never" allow atrocities.

 

[Henning]

Happened in Europe at least twice in a lifetime, Germany and just a bit ago Bosnia. You guys may have been there or have better knowledge then most, Bosnia is a two hour drive from Germany, I drive further then that to go canoeing. The idea that genocide is a freak occurrence that doesn't happen with modern society is delusional. History and science(thank you prof Milgram) is quite clear if they tell you to, you will.

Homosapies came to be the sole hominid by committing genocide, we know of 7 parallel hominid species that homosapiens totally wiped out.

 

[ClimbnSink]

Soldiers forced to fight do it very well when the choice is fight or die.

Your view of Soldiers and the American military in general is not very accurate and is obviously based on some very biased opinions with little actual experience in this area.

Then why didn't slave soldiers win the war of northern aggression? You want good soldiers you simply need a poor population to draw from.

 

[red4golf]

Happened in Europe at least twice in a lifetime, Germany and just a bit ago Bosnia. You guys may have been there or have better knowledge then most, Bosnia is a two hour drive from Germany, I drive further then that to go canoeing. The idea that genocide is a freak occurrence that doesn't happen with modern society is delusional. History and science(thank you prof Milgram) is quite clear if they tell you to, you will.

I was there in the 90's and the UN stopped us from getting in the way time and time again. I can only speak for my unit but we were there to help but we couldn't.....

 

[Velocity173]

With all due respect, I'd say the Rallies for Calley (My Lai), Blackwater, and the photos of WP and napalm bombing from as far back as Vietnam have disproven the theory that the ROE would "never" allow atrocities.

Blackwater claimed to be acting in self defense, not to mention they are (were) non combatants acting in a security role anyway. They didn't fall under the ROE that we did. My Lai was a clear violation of ROE and that's why Callie was prosecuted and years later admitted remorse for what he had done. Fortunately an Army WO pilot who clearly understood the 4th Geneva Concention and his ROE, put a stop to the killings and saved dozens of lives. Any villages that were napalmed where by faulty Intel or collateral damage from hitting a military target. Unfortunately that does happen in war. Because of the high civilian casualties in past wars, we went to great lengths to prevent civilian casualties in the last two wars.