@Cheese. Sholron hit on some. I'm not going to say or pretend I know specifics on threats that were caught or neutralized. What is reported to the public is vague and the reality of what scale of devastation was thwarted is left out. We get names and places of who was caught and a general idea of plot. You can search internet and find sites reporting Bio-hazards, chemical and terrorist actions that were covered up. Think of the mass cover up over the last major oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Only way we'd know what's really going on down there is if we lived there. 9/11 was a terrible thing. But how many of those similar events have been headed off. We can only minimize these events as long as we have preventative measures in place. Can they all be stopped? No, suicide bombings still go on. I'm sure events that happened on 9/11 will happen again in one form or fashion. Yes, global harmony would be a wonderful thing, but as long as different religions prevail, that will not happen. The Middle East.....there has been religious war raging there for thousands of years. So our political and economical interests will keep our military in place in these regions in one way or another to protect national interest. Thus creating need for national security. That's only one region on this planet. As long as we have enemies, we will have to sustain our military. But then again, maybe FB outage is only thing most Americans would see as a catastrophe
Hydra - im sorry my OP wasnt more clear - ill have to edit it. But the question i intend to ask in this thread is this: Is it a good idea for a young person to join the U.S. Military? If so, why? If not, why not?
I hate to pick a few lines out of your post, but i think this captures the essence of your point. You asked me how many of those events have been headed off? I'll tell you zero. The only reported cases of any U.S. Intelligence community "preventing" a terrorist attack was when the person was baited by a federal agent into going along with a bogus terror plot. Then they prosecute these people for being terrorists and parade them all over the news like they saved the world. Its complete and utter BS. And it's called entrapment. And it's also illegal, unethical, and sorely misleading the American people about the existence of so-called "home grown terrorism."
Take the question at face value. If a kid came up to you and asked you whether they should join the military, how would you respond?
That question is relative to the individual. Like my brother told me. "If it wasn't for the army I would be sniffing cocaine off a box in some factory or warehouse." The quotes close enough. Believe me. The army was the right choice for him. The streets would have destroyed his life. He was a high school grad, married while in high school with a baby girl. Now he has 3 kids. His wife is a published writer. His children are well taken care of and artistic. The military created a life for his family other lines of employment couldn't have offered him at the time. As a individual. Now he is a grown. A career military man. Any philosophical questioning has to be done by himself and his other half. What they can rationalize, they can live with. To him. It's just a job. He doesn't want thanked. He doesn't want be treated special. "It's just my job." I can't tell him it was wrong to do. I can't tell him it was right to do. His moral dilemmas are his own.
Each person has their own views, it would depend on how he lived his life and who he has in his life. Family, spouse, kids, etc. For me, I wouldn't join the military. I'm in university, I want to be a detective.
Hydra - just pick a damn side, will you? Nah, im jk. But you make a very fair point. For some, the risk is worth the reward, and the politics of it all become unimportant.
I guess i take issue with your brother's stance because i cant imagine doing a job i couldnt believe in
It's entirely up to the individual making the choice. It should not be up to someone else whether someone joins the military or not. Therefore our opinion on whether they should or not is kind of irrelevant. All we can do is support them in their decision or not support them, which reflects our views on the topic, rarely theirs. Saying that.. There is evil in this world, and used correctly, the military can help prevent the spread of such evil. Logistically, the military needs humans in it to work. At least for now. So if you support having a military, you automatically must support peeople joining it.
Next time a huge plane is hijacked and changes course to a extremely populated area how long do u think it would take for it to b shot down at fear or a repeat of 911?
That would depend on who would benefit from that plane hitting the attended target. And since first responders claim the buildings were blown up by explosives. And that they could hear the explosions in succession. It's fair too question 9/11. But hey...what do they know. They were only there. I trust CNN and George Bush. The same way I trust Fox News and Barrack Obama.
Planes are full of aviation fuel held in tanks that can handle high pressure and we're put under Extreme force and heat. Pretty sure that could sound like a bomb under the right conditions. Or bombs were held on the planes to began with as I do vaguely remember they were threatening the passengers with a bomb after they hijacked the planes. That's if u don't believe that the USA did it just to dig into ppl personal lives like some believe.
The insurance companies are suing the govt over negligence on 9/11 I cant wait to see all the juicy details that come outta that trial
Dig into people's personal lives? I don't know about that. Too start a bunch of wars would be more likely. Also it doesn't have to be the government. It could be people with lots of money who owned the buildings. Who owned the land. People who had the authority to close down the buildings weeks before 9/11. Jets fuel. Bombs on planes. Or a controlled demolition. Either way we invaded 2 countries. Had a hand in multiple revolutions. And a million people died. Little kids to evil dictators. It wouldn't be the first time the people were lied to for the Governments geo-political gains. And since the amount of money you have dictates the amount of influence you have over our democracy. It wouldn't have to be a conspiracy by elected our officials. If you aren't a wealthy person. You have zero say in policy and functioning of this country. The only power you have is the masses. In mass. You don't even have a say in public opinion. That's directed by the media. A entity of corporation. You have two choices. This narritve or that narritive. It's how it is setup. I can go into more detail on that. And will if you like.
Joining the military today? Brother-in-law is/was a helicopter pilot. Joined the Navy straight out of college. Served a couple times in Iraq and some other overseas operations. Doesn't say a whole lot on his job. He has chosen to stay in and has moved up the rank. Pretty solid guy and seems to enjoy his family and life. He's proud of his service and says greatest thing he ever chose to do. A dear friend growing up enlisted during Desert Storm. Chose the military path over a college sports scholarship, mostly due to his sense of patriotic duty during that time frame. Recruiters did their job while visiting our school. He went to Iraq, was in some pretty bad situations. He was never the same afterwards. Voted "most likely to succeed" in high school. Now can't hold a job, fights depression and alcoholism. His mom says he has nightmares to this day. I work with many ex-service men and they all are proud of their service and the discipline it instilled in them. They are very successful business professionals. I would think each persons situation and mindset determined what the military ultimately offered them. Either way, like another post said we need human beings to have a military. It is a necessary good/evil. Just like a persons individual career outside of the military, situations in or out of their hands guide their overall success and failure.
My father was a history buff n in the military up to militia. Joining ones countries military is admirable n honourable. Defending the homeland n freedoms is necessary. What the real problem is is the arms production n how it finds ways into radical fanatics hands. Greed Hate Corruption defines war. Over time killing has solved nothing it has only reinvented itself in new forms. Its altruistic nonsense thinking peace world wide will happen. Whether its leaders of factions using terrorism or money making armement manufactures both have an agenda. I admire the fortitude n commitment of ppl joining the military. However the word Patriotism is misused very often. To me its fighting invaders on home soil or for human rights abroad or the oppression of anyone. NOT Political economic agendas. War profiteers r the lowest scum. The world in all its diversities is the only issue at hand. Tolerance n peace r an ideal that we strived for forever n have never achieved. Idk the answers but i do know the average person has no say n the crazies n the powerful do.
No I'm not really. It's easy for us to look back at things. Like wars and become critics. I'm proud that we haven't condemned each other over perceived mistakes by leadership. Well, we do condemn each other, but that usually only pertains to online conversations. That I think we can live with. Nothing like what our fathers and uncles came back to home during the Vietnam era. A lot of those guys didn't have a choice whether to go and yet still faced extreme ridicule. It kind of makes me thing of some things I read durning the anti-police brutality campaigns. Were people defended police saying they were their families. My family make up is people from all walks of live. Police military lawyers nurses construction teachers just all kinds of different people. Even criminals. Like the ones who get killed or beaten, abused and discarded. Street people, and the down trotten. People deemed undesirable by some. Yet they are still us. They are still loved even if they walk a path that is different. We still sit around the same tables at holidays. We still attend the same funerals and weddings. Okay. I appreciate the opportunity to type out some words. Enjoy the weekend everyone.