Rereading Vietnam

[Michael Tee]

<<Is it true that a dynamic and ongoing process is erecting a separation between the warriors of the Western world and the Citizens that they spring from?>>

Is it true that Amerikan militarism is the springboard to Amerikan fascism?

Is it true that bears shit in the woods and the Pope is Catholic?

What do YOU think?

[Plane]

<<Is it true that a dynamic and ongoing process is erecting a separation between the warriors of the Western world and the Citizens that they spring from?>>

Is it true that Amerikan militarism is the springboard to Amerikan fascism?

Is it true that bears shit in the woods and the Pope is Catholic?

What do YOU think?

No , Ameican militarism has been the foundation of American freedom from our founding , but this absolutely requires that our Soldiers at all ranks identify themselves as Citizens .

Polar Bears and circus bears defacate on the ice or the clownshoes respectively.

Last I heard he Pontif's job required Catholic ordination , simularly ,to be a soldier  defending freedom , one should hae some understanding of freedom.

If the citizens of the West are looseing their understanding of Soldiers they risk looseing the mutual affection that has been the halmark of Citizen and soldier in America since 1776.

[Michael Tee]

<<If the citizens of the West are looseing their understanding of Soldiers they risk looseing the mutual affection that has been the halmark of Citizen and soldier in America since 1776.>>

It was my impression that the Founding Fathers were quite hostile to the idea of a large standing army.  Where do you get this idea of mutual affection?  Soldiers were long considered dangerous riff-raff, more of a necessary nuisance than anything else.  (See  Rudyard Kipling's poem, "Tommy," for a typical British take on the military, before the age of hero-worship.)

[Plane]

<<If the citizens of the West are looseing their understanding of Soldiers they risk looseing the mutual affection that has been the halmark of Citizen and soldier in America since 1776.>>

It was my impression that the Founding Fathers were quite hostile to the idea of a large standing army.  Where do you get this idea of mutual affection?  Soldiers were long considered dangerous riff-raff, more of a necessary nuisance than anything else.  (See  Rudyard Kipling's poem, "Tommy," for a typical British take on the military, before the age of hero-worship.)

You have a very wrong impression , the Founding idea of a militia was that everyone was a member , the large standing army was considered very dangerous and unnecessary because the number of needed soldiers could very rapidly be found from the population.

Soldiers are us , and citizens are soldiers , there needs to be very little separation.

[Michael Tee]

Thanks, plane, never thought of it that way, but it is at least possible.  Kinda like the modern Israeli idea of a citizen army which can be mobilized on a very short call if required.

[Plane]

Thanks, plane, never thought of it that way, but it is at least possible.  Kinda like the modern Israeli idea of a citizen army which can be mobilized on a very short call if required.

Is there a Canadian version of this idea?

[Michael Tee]

<<Is there a Canadian version of this idea?>>

God, no!  We're like Roosevelt - - we hate war!  Canada is distinctly non-military and anti-firearms.  Long guns are for hunters.  Sometimes farmers.  Handguns are for cops.  Period and end of story.

Although for a country that hates war, we mobilized pretty big in WWI and WWII.  Would have been much bigger but for the French-Canadians, who allegedly wouldn't tolerate a draft.   One of the six invasion beaches in Normandy was assigned to Canadians and (our editorial writers always say this, I don't know how true it is) we are supposed to have ended WWII with the world's fourth largest navy.  I guess when the issues are serious, we do what we gotta do.  Had some great victory parades at the end of the war.  Never saw anything like that again for the rest of my life.  But if you like pipes and drums, this was the place for them!

[Amianthus]

we are supposed to have ended WWII with the world's fourth largest navy.

Unfortunately, the ships all looked like this:

[sirs]