4 Comments

I was one of the Many, the Not-Proud, the... OK, Navy, but still.

I joined because of the GI Bill, and I joined the Navy because I was third generation and I pray there's no fourth. When I joined, it was literally to get out of poverty, and then I found out I had it *better* than most. One guy I served with was directly told by a judge "it's either the military or jail, pick one". I did not join because of some bursting pride for my country. Not even close. And this was BEFORE I knew what our government was responsible for even before 9/11.

Ironically, the one piece of media that most shaped my political views was purchased right after 9/11 at an Exchange: System of a Down's Toxicity album.

This is why I get an involuntary twitch in my eye when people pull the "Thank You For Your Service" nonsense. They're usually not sincere, but I worry more about the ones that are. I didn't "serve", I was dealt a shitty hand and took the least worst way out. I did a job with an onerous contract.

(Also, the guy that made the initial tweet? He's a Navy Reserve Supply Corps officer who got his commission via Officer Candidate School. It's the Easy Button of officer programs. What a wuss)

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it is a little concerning in the sense that the people continuing to enlist are the ones most likely to do so because they want to kill overseas with no repercussions

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'calling student debt forgiveness a “slap in the face” to veterans because service-members and veterans were purportedly more deserving of debt relief than the average civilian.'

The zero-sum gamesmanship here is strong.

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