SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Submitted via IRC for Runaway1956
The Pentagon could be poised for a rapid about-face under the Trump administration, with the Obama administration's push for social reform surrendering to what could be an old-school emphasis on combat readiness and the spirit of the United States military, experts told FoxNews.com.
Under President Obama, the military sought to integrate transgender persons into the ranks, allow women into special operations forces and purge the nomenclature of gender-specific words, adopting what some critics say was a "politically correct" liberal agenda. That's a contrast to the traditional U.S. military approach.
In addition, some Navy ships have been named for civil rights activists. And while the Obama administration has taken an inclusive approach on some issues, it has also worked to minimize expressions of Christianity in the ranks. For example, several officers have been disciplined for displaying Bibles or gospel verses in their quarters.
Veterans and military experts told FoxNews.com that, while some of Obama's civil rights advancements may be locked in, neither Trump nor his choice for secretary of defense, Gen. James "Mad Dog" Mattis, are likely to make social experimentation a priority.
Source: Fox News
(Score: 2) by linuxrocks123 on Friday January 13 2017, @11:10PM
It's clear from the anecdotes and testimonies that have managed to escape the military's internal workings that the military is hell on Earth:
- You are sworn to blindly obey petty tyrants.
- Said petty tyrants play sick psychological torture games on you whenever they feel like it.
- You have very few rights.
- What few rights you do have are protected by biased, petty-tyrant-packed military courts, with no civilian supervision other than the Supreme Court.
- The "culture" of the military consists essentially of various forms of institutionalized Stockholm syndrome.
- Oh yeah: if you're ever given real work to do, you're likely to die violently.
If I were drafted for Vietnam, and I couldn't get out of it, I very well might have taken the five year prison sentence instead of acquiescing to being cast into that hell.
Now, in our culture, we're supposed to revere military veterans. I agree we should, but I have my own reasons for why:
Military veterans aren't necessarily brave, they aren't necessarily intelligent, they aren't necessarily noble. They aren't even necessarily functional individuals, at least not after their service has given them PTSD and other mental problems.
We should revere military veterans because they did a job that no one in his right mind would want to do and that, if the world were a better place, no one would have to do. Veterans are the living embodiment of the Utilitarian tortured child thought experiment.
Interestingly, the sick "culture" of the military, where superiors can get away with treating their subordinates like total shit, has made many veterans' hellish jobs even more hellish. To respect veterans, we need to smash the military's "culture" from the top down, just like the federal government smashed the South's Jim Crow "culture" in the 60s.
Social experiments in the military? Ha. The military is one giant, unsupervised, unintentional Milgram experiment in action. Fix that, and everything else will fall into place.
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Friday January 13 2017, @11:37PM
I disagree with your perspective, but some of your points are decent.
I'll state here again, that the military is a tool of congress. Sometimes, congress uses it's tools wisely, but more often, congress uses it's tools foolishly.
Vietnam had little real justification. More, Vietnam was lost by politicians meddling in affairs that they didn't understand. Iraq was another misuse of the military. Afghanistan was a proper case for the use of the military, but the tool was used incorrectly.
Blame your elected officials when the military is used improperly, don't blame the military.
You've earned a nod of respect, by reason that you recognize that the military might be necessary, and that soldiers don't deserve to be shit on for being soldiers. But, I believe military men to be some better than you paint them. You're right, we aren't all real smart, we aren't all heroes, etc. But, each and every person who has worn a uniform has demonstrated at least the willingness to step up when the shit hits the fan.