Thank You Veterans!

We’ve been trained by our culture to idolize soldiers. Somehow we’re supposed to tell ourselves that they are our greatest citizens.

Thanks for the typical sanctimonious crap Karl.

This thread is to honor vets. Who do fight for peace and freedoms, the very ones u enjoy.

Shameful!

Thanks to my parents who served.
All the team guys I've train the last 25 years and to all those currently in uniform u are hero's and a grateful nation thanks you.

“War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.

I believe in adequate defense at the coastline and nothing else. If a nation comes over here to fight, then we'll fight. The trouble with America is that when the dollar only earns 6 percent over here, then it gets restless and goes overseas to get 100 percent. Then the flag follows the dollar and the soldiers follow the flag.

I wouldn't go to war again as I have done to protect some lousy investment of the bankers. There are only two things we should fight for. One is the defense of our homes and the other is the Bill of Rights. War for any other reason is simply a racket.

There isn't a trick in the racketeering bag that the military gang is blind to. It has its "finger men" to point out enemies, its "muscle men" to destroy enemies, its "brain men" to plan war preparations, and a "Big Boss" Super-Nationalistic-Capitalism.

It may seem odd for me, a military man to adopt such a comparison. Truthfulness compels me to. I spent thirty- three years and four months in active military service as a member of this country's most agile military force, the Marine Corps. I served in all commissioned ranks from Second Lieutenant to Major-General. And during that period, I spent most of my time being a high class muscle- man for Big Business, for Wall Street and for the Bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.

I suspected I was just part of a racket at the time. Now I am sure of it. Like all the members of the military profession, I never had a thought of my own until I left the service. My mental faculties remained in suspended animation while I obeyed the orders of higher-ups. This is typical with everyone in the military service.

I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped to see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested.

During those years, I had, as the boys in the back room would say, a swell racket. Looking back on it, I feel that I could have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”

So why do we need a special category of honoring these people?

This is the best time of the day the dawn The final cleansing breath unsullied yet By acrid fume or death's cacophony The rank refuse of unchained ambition
And pray, deny me not but know me now Your faithful retainer stands resolute To serve his liege Lord without recompense Perchance to fall and perish namelessly
No flag draped bier or muffled drum to set The cadence for a final dress parade But it was not always thus remember Once you worshipped me and named me a God In many tongues and made offering lest I exact too terrible a tribute
Take heed for I am weary, ancient And decrepit now and my time grows short There are no honorable frays to join Only mean death dealt out in dibs and dabs Or horror unleashed from across oceans
Assail me not with noble policy For I care not at all for platitude And surrender such tedious detail To greater minds than mine and nimbler tongues Singular in their purpose and resolve And presuming to speak for everyman
Oh, for another time, a distant field And there a mortal warrior's lonely grave But duty charges me remain until The end the last battle of the last war
Until that tomorrow render unto me That which is mine my stipend well deserved The fairest flower of your progeny Your sons, your daughters your hopes and your dreams The cruel consequence of your conceit

Democracy cannot survive a professional army, never has, never will.

Karl, while I agree with you about needlessly wasting our men, women and treasure, but don't be a fool and think that these powers are not necessary to the way you have been born, raised, educated and so on.

I too want us to move beyond these things. But until that happens, you want the most badass mutherf*#ks possible on your team.

You have that, be grateful.

and I do think there were many soldiers who felt morally compelled to join the service in WW2 because of the pearl harbor attack which was likely to be followed by more attacks. That's a far cry from Vietnam. But to consider the morality of different wars is more a matter of commenting on government than of the soldiers, because soldiers only get to follow orders, regardless of the validity of the cause

I know this might be hard for you Karl, but there are those that feel the same call regardless of the conflict, and regardless what your history book and what your personal ethic says.

We have this myth that only WE are noble

Maybe Soldiers should get over their conditioned manner of silence over the horror of what they go through and question the government as well, so others don't have to do what they did

As for now: To all that have served that still live no matter what you believe was right or wrong, for my fellow team members;just needed one second; thought I was history but the last few that were left got me home. Thanks.

And an Honour to the men, who I killed, sacrificed and are suffering the same pains like a lot of our own as well in fighting against us for their country for what they believed in. A salute to the veterans and people of Viet Nam.

Some memories are best lost, but then there are those of who you served with which are best saved forever.

Wow, this thread has deteriorated.

but you NEED to give something back to this country...

Not at all. A healthy two, three or four sided conversation is just what this country needs, AT ALL TIMES!

I think you have to live it to get it..

Thanks for the typical sanctimonious crap Karl.

This thread is to honor vets. Who do fight for peace and freedoms, the very ones u enjoy.

Shameful!

Enlisted during Viet Nam but the Paris Peace Accord was signed while I was in Basic and the worst I had to do was go to Kansas.

after that, the veterans have my compassion as victims of our government, not because they are truly fighting for freedom, because they aren't.

Some folks feel the need to serve in the military, regardless of the era, or the leadership

i realise that, but don't understand why that is the case.

i realise that, but don't understand why that is the case. that's what i meant.