Remember kids:

Guns = safety.
More guns = more safety.

That's why the USA is the safest country on earth.

"Remember kids:

Guns = safety.
More guns = more safety.

That's why the USA is the safest country on earth."

@Jamiet, what does this have to do with the military?

The military hasn't had to defend your country's borders since WW2

but it defends our countries interests everyday

"Interests" is just another way of saying you support the doctrine of imperialism.

@yonni we haven't had to defend our borders because after ww2 we increased our military power to rival the USSR making our military te largest in the world. Now no one wants to attack us because of this. If you eliminate the military then you open yourself up for an attack. Reducing the military because we aren't being attacked is like throwing out your umbrella in a rain storm because you weren't getting wet.

shut up stupid, if you are a citizen of the US and do not like the way things are, please leave, you take for granted to libtard crap you spew, and the freedoms you have...our military defends the freedoms you hold most dear

@ CommanderByron

Less =/= none.

People can only build, create and care for people in a safe and free environment.

I agree with finding cost effective ways to have a military and I don't agree with all military ventures. But sometimes an issue on the other side of earth will become an issue on this side of earth in 5 years. So before it spreads the military end it. The army has a very preventative attitude. Prevent world war 3 by engaging in small and concentrated operations world wide. These range from training Brazilian and Ecuadorean fighters to counter the cartel to full military operations in Afghanistan to simulated war with Germany and Japan. We project power to every continent so that today's ripple in Southeast Asia doesn't become tomorrow's tsunami here.

@CommanderByron

"The people who volunteer their lives to service to any nation are performing a service for that nation that none can match."

The one questionable portion of that statement is "for that nation". In many nations (countries?; it gets slippery) you're definitely *not* performing a service for that nation; you're performing a service for the biggest fish in the political pond. Even in the U.S. the abdication of the Congress with respect to declaration of war has made it possible for fewer people to commit more military resources with less oversight.

I'm not in favor of less military for the U.S.; I would prefer that it was used less often, and with more serious commitment from Congress.

(Also to be transparent, I've never been in any military.)

@Yonni

"The military hasn't had to defend your country's borders since WW2"

It's insane to wait until a threat reaches your borders.

I've thought about all this guys. It's what I would want to do. I am willing to lay my life down for brother and country.

Good post, tendmote. I agree with CommanderByron, but I do also think Congress needs to get real about its oversight.

That's really really funny that you think that armies prevent wars. I mean let's ignore the two World Wars, the Napoleonic conflict, the Boer War, all the wars of Europe, Spain and Britain, France and Germany and the Indian wars and those between Greece, Rome and Persia, and look at the Cold War as the only example. All the other wars were caused by militaries and military size certainly did nothing to stop them.

So, for which previously banned user is Sorry the next alt?

If people in our country did not join our military and serve our country, there would either be a draft or mandatory service like other countries have. Our freedoms today are derived from the people who sacrificed before us.....all you idealists are not realists...go live out your fantasies elsewhere

That's very unfair, Jeff. Sorry has been with us for 25 minutes. You should not cast such aspersions on a longstanding member of the community.

Also, probably SYnapse.

People aren't naturally and instinctively kind and nice. Humans are a territorial and aggressive species which kills for resources and women. Go back to the first Homo sapiens and you will see this. Fossil evidence shows conflict and war have been part of the human experience forever. No matter how much we may want to be peaceful there will always be one person who wants war and as long as one person does then we need defense. Because when that one person is a charismatic and kind leader to his people he can rally millions behind his cause. Hitler is one example of a person who did this. But to digress, the military has for years been working on ways to become more cost effective; drones which can fly for longer in less fuel than trafition aircraft and don't have human passengers. Upgraded weapons and armor so that less soldiers are needed for battles. And non lethal weapons, such as long range tazer guns and concussion explosives which knockout enemies. The army is conforming to the new age of warfare and trying to achiee their mission while also appeasing the people. Not an easy task.

sorry=SYnapse

Maybe SYnapse hopes be allowed to stay now that he's sorry?

@ tendmote: "It's insane to wait until a threat reaches your borders."

Yonni was responding specifically to ssoorreenn who was specifically talking about defending "boarders".

Oh shit, we're being boarded? Shiver me timbers - matters are worse than I thought.

There would be a lot less war mongering if everyone in the US had to serve.

@ ssoren, I do not live in your country. And you inane rambling is really, really immature. I'm not sure if you behave like that in person or if you just like taking on a personality online but, please, fuck off.

@CB and tendmote, all I said is that I strongly believe that the US could use *less* military. I did not say none. What spurred me to say anything is that CB said "The people who volunteer their lives to service to any nation are performing a service for that nation that none can match."
It's superlatives like that, that makes talking about reducing America's military presence very difficult. I think it becomes more than just empty rhetoric and leads to a pretty militaristic zeitgeist.

@Jamie, correct. It was directly in response to ssoren. It was mistake to feed that asstroll.

well thats 2 times today the SYnapse has been kicked off, anyone want odds threres a third?

"People aren't naturally and instinctively kind and nice."

How can any member of webdip believe this?

No worries, everyone eventually gets bored of making new emails and accounts before I get bored of banning them.

yonni you piece of shit, fuck you

"There would be a lot less war mongering if everyone in the US had to serve."

Yeah, conscription leads to peace, historically. For example, I bet Vietnam would never have.... oh, wait.