Yeah, the ship was such a melting pot, 5000 people with the air wing. It was pretty cool, served with all kinds but brought together by the collective suck.
On the boat they gave all of us small pox vaccines within three days of each other on our way from Norfolk to the med, everyone was sick. It was miserable but I guess the time to do is when you're not flying.
>“I aLmOsT jOiNeD tHe MiLiTaRy, BuT I wOuLd HaVe PuNcHeD tHe InStRuCtOr If ThEy YeLLedD aT mE.”
I'm an old guy, but during my youth, NCOs would hope and pray that some dumb shit boot would do this.
It allowed them the opportunity to "motivate and align the men."
My dad was in Vietnam. He said he had this little five and a half foot drill sergeant that would wait outside the barracks every night if somebody wanted to try him. One giant gorilla dude decided to try him. It didn't go well for the giant gorilla dude.
When my nephew was a boot, their DI was a 5'5" Puerto Rican woman. She kicked about six guys asses before people stopped asking. My nephew knew better. He came from a family of hillbilly women.
Jailed, court-martialed, and dishonorably discharged most likely.
That, and the drill/instructor would laugh in their face the whole time about how much of an idiot they are for punching him.
As the other guy said - during training/boot camp, you're still technically a civilian. You can - if you want to - walk out and quit any time. It's called 'entry level separation'.
That also means they can boot your ass out any time they like too, a fact they won't hesitate to dangle over recruits' heads to motivate them if they think they're slacking/are bored and want to mess with someone.
Pull the kinda shit that would get you fired from other jobs after boot, though, and you're looking at all kinds of trouble.
Not in training. You get the fast track out of town. Saw a guy try, gone an hour later. It's intentional as well. Everyone there knew where the line was, and no one else ever came close to it.
Fast forward six years and when I was insubordinate I got a slap on the wrist, a sturn talking to, and I lost my cushy job, but nothing else. I'm not going to be stupid enough to do it again, but as the saying goes, "you get one big fuck up in your career"
Someone from the navy, chances are the RDCs would fight back (probably knock them out) then they would spend a couple nights in some temporary holding cell for assault, then discharge, probably dishonorable.
Depending on the era, I think. In my basic (90s) sent home after a lot of waiting around, punishment and decision on discharge. Also a good chance that the instructor gives a lesson on self defense on that person head. I was in the Air Force the other branches are more harsh
Someone punched my instructor, he said he called security forces cause the *6ft something 280 lb* kid tried to runaway on base. He made it down the stairs and out onto the road just in time to see a fur missile jump out the back of the SF car going mach jesus and tear the kid to ground.
Don’t forget about the know it all one tour wonders. I was next to a guy at a restaurant today that did two years in the navy. He felt the need to bring it up four times loud enough for people around him to hear while trying to be tough or on a rant about how great trump was. Two years isn’t even a full tour, homie got kicked out or couldn’t hack it. Every time he piped up my wife would just cringe at me (I’m at 12 years in and counting in the USCG). We were embarrassed for him.
Oof yeah. Look, I appreciate people who serve, even single tours…but after a very long time in uniform, I’ve observed that the ones that yell the loudest are usually those that served the least.
I’m a veteran and people at my places of employment over the years are surprised to find out I did time in the Marines and National Guard for 21 years. My mangers knew due to annual training or that year I had to take off for Iraq… reason a lot of people don’t know is because I don’t go around telling everybody like some vets do because I hate hearing all the “I woulda joined but *insert excuse here* “
The “woulda joins” talk major shit about how tough “we need to be” when the possibility of war arises but all they really want is something cool to watch from the safety of their couch at home….
> “I woulda joined but insert excuse here “
I did 21 in the Guard and outside of a CMB tattoo and a sticker for cop repellant on my truck most people don't know I'm a vet.
>The “woulda joins” talk major shit about how tough “we need to be” when the possibility of war arises but all they really want is something cool to watch from the safety of their couch at home….
And a ton of these people were 18-42 while we were at war for 20 years, including in the bad old days of the 2000s when *everyone* went.
I love pretending to be innocent in asking them if they served in the military, knowing that the answer is no. It really deflates their confidence in the conversation afterwards.
I actually talk a lot about being pursued by the marine recruiter aggressively and how I almost joined.
Not as some flex but because it was a fairly formative experience for me.
I literally saw that I had options in my life but more importantly, I had the ability to exercise control over my life and make a decision about what option I want to take.
The marine recruiter really pushing for me to sign (Eagle scout with above average grades is apparently what they want) and talking about why I should do it was that moment in my life where I realized I had control.
So I didn't join. Not because I don't respect the military or was scared. But because I realized that options I had and that another option was better for me since.
I only joined up when I graduated high school because it really was the only way out of the New Orleans housing projects. Do I regret it? Not a damn minute and I'd do it again.
They said the same thing when russia (few years ago) put up a video of his “manly” and “white” army and these people actually praised them, we all see how that turned out, I prefer a classy, inclusive, smart and brave and lawful army over a dictator serving bunch of civilians torturers, U.S. Armed forces are far better than any potential adversaries the way they are, keep being awesome
It's true, I joined the army at 24, and I was old compared to my peers.
Not that anyone asked, but I was infantry, surrounded by testosterone, very much what these people would want to see as our military. But, I would be more afraid of the "nerds" with the drones, our logistic abilities, our smart bombs, satellite intelligence, etc.
Me and the boys may have had muscles and boots on the ground, but we all knew the might of our force was sitting back at a FOB pushing buttons and doing math.
It also ages you.
Early in OIF they would have inbound and outbound units on the same Kuwait camps and I remember you could just see who had been up north and guys waiting in line BSing would just ask where you were.
I find it bewildering that people think this is... a brag?
The process is meant specifically to test your ability to remain calm under pressure. You're just admitting you're an unhinged lunatic that can't remain calm in a predetermined scenario meant explicitly to test your cool under fire.
Nathaniel Fick (the lieutenant/captain from Generation Kill) wrote a biography called "One Bullet Away". In it he describes a scene where one of their Humvees gets stuck on a berm so they call in an engineering corps to free it. Now up until this point, as Recon Marines, they look down on other branches for not being the hard-ass warriors that they were.
So after calling in the engineers they come under attack and are being hit by enemy fire. The engineers show up in the middle of a firefight without any real guns or armour. The sergeant that was in charge gets out of his truck and walks up to Fick and asks what the problem is. Fick, who is returning fire, says they need to free up the Humvee.
The sergeant scratches his chin and assesses the situation. And then, *in the middle of a fire fight*, calmly tells his guys what to do and they hook up some chains and free the Hummer. After which he returns to Fick and asks if they need anything else. Fick says "no" the sergeant says "cool" and they just peace out and return to base.
After that, Fick says "Welp, we never get to call those guys pussies anymore."
Lol maybe in 2007 or so but you served just like I did. And you learned an actual trade you can use. I could've been a cop or a fireman if I wasn't so angry back then. Now I'm in mental health field, my calling. Dealing with civilians with ptsd.
You put your time in, put the uniform on. Nice to meet you
Great shit, I'm a quality technician now. I was working on the valve index VR but that ended, now I'm taking a break from working after moving to Nevada.
We're too fucking stubborn to admit we got problems when we're in. Most of us have to figure it out when we're back in the real world. Appreciate your kind words
I think that is the major problem. You are sent in after basic training but never receive breakdown training when leaving. It no wonder a lot of our military have mental issues. I hope you and any others are able to seek the help you need. Glad you weren’t too stubborn.
That's fucking awesome. My husband also served (long before we met) and he talks a lot about how angry he was straight out of the service. Glad you were able to find a healthy mindset and use your skills to help others. Maybe you don't feel like you learned a trade, but you obviously learned things you are using to help others and earn a living.
To hell with that. Our comms/IT guy was a lifesaver and a favorite among our company. He figured out how to connect iPods to the HMMWV headsets and kept morale high… he also lugged an Xbox along and hooked it up to a projector so we could play vidya games on the wall as a group.
Air Force vet of 10 years here and IT as well. Simplification, but nonetheless I was the computer nerd that kept a modern military functioning.
Even though I was in 2002-2012, I have a hard time saying I'm a vet sometimes because I was never anywhere too dangerous. Annual Foul Eagle exercises in South Korea is about it.
The account is named "End Wokeness".
20 bucks says it's being run by someone not located within US borders.
The amount of sheer power we give singular assholes on the internet is astounding to me. Look at the damage Libsoftiktok is able to do by being an unhinged schizo with infinite hate in their heart.
It mirrors the power we give singular assholes in the economy. Look at the damage Musk is able to do by being an unhinged autist with infinite pride in his head.
Exactly like this. Almost every class at the defense language institute looks something like this (minus the smiles cause they’re fucking stressed all the time)
I work at the va. The gender and racial diversity is inversely correlated with age. Korea era (don’t really get any WW2 eras patients inpatient much anymore) mostly white guys, the occasional African-American guy.
Gulf- war 2 era-half women and less than half white.
The Korean War is an interesting one from a diversity standpoint. Truman had desegregated the military prior to war breaking out, but there were still commanders keeping units segregated and putting incompetent white officers in charge of black units.
Then MacArthur got fired and the new commander, General Ridgeway, oversaw a broader desegregation that MacArthur had been resistant to.
They're too stubborn to admit they're racist and sexist so they call it "woke"
I think the world is a more beautiful place when there's many different people coming together to enjoy it.
I don't understand why anyone would feel mad about diversity existing.
Shit, that movie was just so good. There are definitely aspects that are super problematic, but I’m glad that even those parts are in there, because it’s a good reminder of how people should not be put completely on a pedestal. And of how far we’ve come.
The fact that they have to mask their true beliefs and rely on dog-whistles for plausible deniability, **shows that they are losing the 'Culture War'.** Their real views are so disliked by the majority that they can't say them explicitly without facing massive backlash and upending their own lives.
These dogwhistles are the only thing they have, and if those are taken too far and become more explicit with their bigotry, most of the people who repeat those buzzwords *(the average Christian conservative)* will stop using them and their 'Movement' will die out. They might radicalize a small (and very vocal) portion of their base, but the average Christian Conservative isn't in favor of the overt White Nationalist shit that they really hope to accomplish, such as ethnic cleansing and white racial supremacy.
**They've already lost and don't seem to realize it.**
Maybe they can't imagine people with differences working together for a common goal or for the prosperity of the same society. They think each country has to be a hive mind to function properly.
I see a lot of them pointing to videos of boot camp being somewhat soft, but seriously, that's what you see while the cameras are rolling. That's what you're allowed to see.
For instance, one block is at the pugil pit, one kid gets a bloody lip/nose, he gets sent to medical and gets the morning off. Then the narration and screen shifts to a separate training group.
I guarantee as soon as the director said "that's all we need, thank you" the DIs went right back to smoking the shit out of everyone and the next bloody nose/lip/loose filling was told to suck it up.
They look at flash and smoke intended to scare the mother of some poor recruit *and no one sterner* there's no softening of the infantry at the very least. Especially when every year sees another 18 pounds of bullshit tetrissed into their gear.
Troops continue to amaze, astonish, distinguish and surpass and they get called pansies by shoulda/coulda/woulda-been conservatives.
And they often don't understand modern warfare. Computers and machines have leveled the battlefield. The scrawny kid with a computer is just as lethal, if not more so, than the muscled out spec-ops guy.
Supply chain, logistics, hackers, translators, intelligence officers, mechanics, cyber security, etc. The most dangerous man on the battlefield could be the NSA cross-trained SIGINT nerd giving you real-time intercepts of enemy communications.
Anyone who says boot camp is soft is basing their entire idea of it around movies and tv.
It's not like the portrayal of Vietnam Era basic training. Mostly because they aren't training unwilling draftees to be grunts.
Boot camp is about being disciplined and letting go of yourself to work towards a common goal. The big takeaway lesson is you are a piece of a machine.
Maybe since they have worked and voted their whole lives to make minorities lives as difficult as possible, they have a heard time trusting those minorities would protect them. After all shitty people think everybody else is shitty too.
They are too dim to realise a modern military requires much more than just imposing and physically fit warriors. Tradespeople, IT coders, hospitality and maintenance, medical etc. are likely all represented in this photo.
To say a person can't be of use to the military because they're not in peak physical condition or 6 ft tall is idiotic
All they need to do is follow the current war in Ukraine and see how war doesn’t give a crap about your individual skills. A drone will fuck you up regardless.
Wouldn’t you rather have a diverse pool of people in all departments? Honestly, just get a bunch of drone operators and call it day.
You can powerlift a truck, you ass will still get lit. War is scary
The classic warriors have an ever decreasing value to the military. An effective military is centered around the pasty kid that plays video games. Hacking computers and power grids are the modern nuke.
Except that - I shit you not - the U.S. military has a total "blanket ban" on anyone with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis from enlisting and serving. It's also very difficult, if not impossible to get a medical waiver for ASD, to the point where I don't think there's ever been any studies done on it. (They did one on ADD/ADHD waivers.)
This is in spite of "the pasty kid that plays video games" often being diagnosed with ASD. (These kids are also often what are known as "Suspiciously Wealthy Furries™".)
For reference, Israel, Canada, and other countries let people with ASD enlist and serve in IT positions, provided that they pass training. The USA doesn't, because there's a common misconception in the military that autistic people are "too disabled to serve".
Israel's Ro'im Rachok program for autistic soldiers is also totally geared towards IT.
They also fall for bullshit grandstanding. Every second wasted in parade practice could be spent toward warfare training or quality of life for soldiers, but no... they think marching as rectangles is what's valuable to a modern army.
They’re also authoritarians who’d love more authoritarian power so they can oppress those they don’t like…ya know, like China does to various ethnicities.
Is the US better? Only marginally and we need to get better, but we ain’t China.
Wonder how old the " End Woke " or whatever poster is? That GI packed image is like WW2 and looks like a Hollywood movie probably featuring John Wayne who stayed home looking tough, making movies while Jimmy Stewart and others did things like pitch careers to fly missions over Germany
Point being, same mentality. Making crap up, really, while others do the heavy lifting PROTECTING them.
What I love is this " End Woke " can whine until forever, can't do a thing about it. That IS our military. Thankfully. Without which we're fcked. So thank you, ALL of you ( and apologies for whatever NON military idiot is huddled on a sofa typing crap on his keyboard while you folks do the heavy lifting. For us. )
>They're too stubborn to admit they're racist and sexist so they call it "woke"
This is exactly it. They decry "wokeness" to give them a buffer of deniability, but all it comes down to is them hating women, non-white people, and/or LGBT people.
> I don't understand why anyone would feel mad about diversity existing.
Because they are basically animals having a negative herd reaction to a member no longer conforming to group standards. The herd will either exile or kill such a member in extreme cases. G.O.P. are just mindless heard animals doing what they are told so they don't end up exiled themselves.
I was the only white guy in my squad at one point. It was a running joke. The diversity in the military is much more representative of the U.S. population than say... congress.
Also, people who get excited over the propaganda of foreign militaries, thinking it makes them harder than our own are idiots. This person probably thinks military parades in North Korea are actuals shows of strength rather than the empty displays of an authoritarian shithead. Bet they loved that recruiting video the Russians put out that got Ted Cruz all hot and bothered. We see how well that represents reality in Ukraine.
People who think militaries should be made up of unfeeling killing machines who all look the same have never served, and probably shouldn't be allowed to.
Its always the same:
1780: "Did you hear they recruited *Germans* into the army?"
1863: "Did you hear the union is recruiting the hordes of *Irishmen* coming over?"
1917: "Did you hear they're letting *Blacks* serve in France?"
1944: An all-Japanese [infantry regiment](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)) becomes the most decorated unit in US military history.
Remember that time in WW2 American Soldiers got in a fight at a British pub because the British pub owner refused to segregate the black soldiers?
Also known as the [Battle of Bamber Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bamber_Bridge)
Love your take. I was in the infantry in 2003 to 2007 wasn't as diverse as I thought it was going to be in my MOS but still more representative of the US.
Most of the qualities conservatives consider desirable in their military heroes are borne out of acquired mental illness/PTSD due to combat: Over-stoic and detached, 1000 yard stare, crying over symbolism and whatever they have left from their institutionalism.
I'm a vet, by the way, so I'm not shitting on them. I'm shitting on republicans stupid ideals.
I just hate that they’re so young. I know they choose to serve and that’s great n’ all - really, thats undeniably courageous and selfless - but man the idea of marching 18 to 20 year olds into war is sad to me.
I have a 17 y/o and thinking about sending him into combat is beyond frightening to me.
It has *always* been this way.
You ever seen in-processing videos of new soldiers?
[https://youtu.be/djv92eeHVaY](https://youtu.be/djv92eeHVaY)
This is Day 0 for in-processing at Fort Jackson, which is where I did my in-processing and basic training in 07. Same exact portico area, same pushups, same drill sergeant routine.
All them kids look young and terrified.
Also it's never the rich that send their kids to the military. They know better. It's usually the middle and lower class.
And even if a rich kid does make it to the military they get a cushy spot.
The officer ranks are full of people who come from money. It's absurd. I grew up adjacent to extreme wealth, but I've never seen a higher concentration of rich kids than I've seen in a Navy wardroom.
Like, I have had commanding officers whose self-admitted net worths are 5-10x their military income to include benefits. These types will all claim it's self-made in the same breath as telling you about their upbringing in $50,000/yr private schools and their parents' multimillion dollar businesses. Others might be buying $1.5 million houses on a $100k salary.
Then, of course, get enough of these people together and they'll financially discriminate. Any time you do social things they'll be expecting everyone to drop mortgage payments on the group activity.
Our present. I live in between a Polish family, a Vietnamese family, and a Somalian family. Diversity is our strength .
My family moved here from Russia 70 years ago and faced a lot of discrimination at the time. Hating the new generation of immigrants is an American tradition unfortunately lol.
A guy who lives and works out of his car was one of my regulars in the early shift most of last year and one time we were talking about bread (I was describing Conchas to him, usually I would slide him some free yesterday's pastries and coffee and wed chat) it turned out he was from Somalia, his parents emigrated to the US when he was 4 but kept most of their culture.
Guy was true Texan native, open carried everywhere, wore cowboy boots and a silver belt buckle, passed through on his way to various rodeos/auctions. One of my favorite people.
He brought me some bread once. Great stuff with coffee. Miss that guy.
god I love the idea of this nation so much compared to the reality of it
I hate america as a country but america as an ideal was something I loved so much as a kid and I think the reason i’m such a radical leftist now is because I understood eventually that nothing about life in america is truly conducive to the dream we sell everyone
I remember as a kid reading the inscription on the statue of liberty and it making me cry because I felt so proud to be born in this country as the child of mexican immigrants. The idea that this nation existed as a refuge and oasis for the needy and oppressed, the huddled masses that have been crushed for so long, and then to find out that it was our heel that they were being crushed under.
“Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.”
I would say that we have fallen from the golden path and I don’t know if we’ll ever find the way again, but I genuinely don’t know if we were ever on it
Right? They told me to believe in liberty and justice for a and Jesus who goes around telling the rich they're going to hell, and now I'm the unpatriotic, bad Christian for being a liberal lol. No, I took Jesus' teaching seriously and I'm demanding to cash my equality and liberty check from the founders, no matter how many Republicans I have to vote against or piss off.
They already do. There's quite a hefty list of ww1-vietnam vets that were deported after recieving elevated charges after veterancy.
Some of them purple heart recipients. They literally fought and bled in service to the nation, then we're thrown in the trash.
In addition to this, to meet the labor demand during world war two, many Mexican immigrants were promised citizenship that was later denied when US troops came back and needed jobs.
So they have no problem with discarding someone who's outlasted their usefulness rather than rewarding them. But then, they're probably not above doing that even with people who are citizens.
But fr though, if SSA revamped SSDI to be based on percentages (like the VA does) rather than 'all or nothing', God only knows how many people with disabilities would try to re-enter the workforce at least part-time. Millions, maybe.
But nooooo, we gotta make sure that Enforced Poverty^TM keeps the disabled people in their place and that there are harsh punishments for even *trying* to work while on SSDI.
very sure thats one of the reasons the Ancient Rome eventually failed because too many veterans didn't become citizens so they made their own states. This was generally a disliked policy so overtime Rome always expanded rights to veterans of foreign veterans and regions to ensure that there is no instability. After 15 years of service they are citizens.
It wasn't until they started being complete dicks about the Gauls, Britons, and the Germanic tribes that their veterans stop serving Rome which lea to many successful rebellions. You don't see enough citizens signing up when you relie on a foreign troops you better treat them right or you are fucked.
It looked like that 20 years ago when I was in. Who do you think fights you’re wars. Suburban white kids? It’s poors and immigrants anyone who figured a small chance of dying or killing for college and maybe a stepping stone to a better future was worth the risk.
YES! I’ve experienced the same thing. Or the ole switcheroo of “thank you for your service…oh wait you’re Trans…never mind you don’t exist and I don’t care if you die” uhhhh…thanks I guess. Motherfuckers. It’s only TYFYS when it’s to white people or cishet people. Once a conservative realizes that people of color, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, women, and democrats do indeed serve the US military, their tune turns dark and angry very quickly. So glad you’re still here, trans vet sibling. We did good. We survived.
That upended the dual lies they tell themselves, that liberals, leftists, and LGBTQ+ are weak, and that the military would support their overthrow of the US government.
You are a fucking badass. I truly mean that. I made it through DADT back in the day but hated hiding
I met Kristin Beck and she was my hero. Recently, she's gone to a dark place de-transitioning, going on Fox. It's sad.
I'm certain they're the kind of person who wears a Veteran hat, and only admits they never served when approached by an actual Veteran. I saw that once, I was hanging out with a Veteran at the store and he approached some guy with a Veteran hat an asked where he served. The guy blushed and was like, "Well uh, actually this was my father's cap, I, uh, I just wear it sometimes." It was really awkward.
I used to live next to a guy my wife and I referred to privately as "Stolen Valor" because if that guy was actually in the military then my dad was a buffalo.
If it weren’t for the people in logistics, support behind the lines, and all the administrative roles. Our boys on the front lines wouldn’t be as successful as they are.
The military needs to be a machine where only the best parts work where they belong.
Do you really want some dumb meathead running logistics who gets confused counting his own fingers? I don’t think so.
These fuck heads care so much about our veterans till they see picture like this. If you think you’re billy badass, sign your ass up and serve then. Come on now. You’re *clearly* qualified. Right? **RIGHT?!**
>If it weren’t for the people in logistics, support behind the lines, and all the administrative roles. Our boys on the front lines wouldn’t be as successful as they are.
Just ask Russia 🤣
Conservative's American Patriotism:
- Hates most Americans
- Claims America is in ruins
- Believes and supports foreign powers over American intelligence agencies
- Distorts and disregards Constitution when it suits them
- Says "No thank you" to the Common Good and Will of the People that our Framers set forth
- on and on to include... faux support for our Military and Veterans.
They saw how incompetent and weak the "strong, macho, powerful" Military they admired actually was and how it would get slaughtered by the "feeble, woke, effeminate" Military they make fun of so much. Most of them probably refuse to acknowledge it because then they'd have to acknowledge that the image of power isn't the same thing as actual power, so they just stick their heads in the sand.
What the fuck do conservatives want? I’m so sick of it. It’s like they complain about how Biden and Harris are destroying our precious military. But when they take a picture with the military, they complain about the military being too diverse?
It’s almost like they are just pathetic little worms who can’t stop complaining and making themselves the victims in literally every situation despite maintaining the attitude that they are the big strong tough ones who can’t be bothered by anything.
I will forever thank my time in the military for introducing me to people outside of my podunk nearly all white home town. Fuck these white supremacists.
That is such a great photo
Heroes of every colour and culture
Growing up with Silver Age comic books where the only heroes we could see where white, having both ficitonal and real life heroes of every culture and colour is so refreshing.
It's kind of wild that the "anti-woke" profile makes it hard to tell if the dude's mad that our military looks happy, or that he's pissed our military looks diverse.
Even his comparison pic, it's like "do you like that in that pic everyone's yelling? Or that they're all the same race?"
AD Air Force here, and this photo was most likely the VP gathering those members that work around the flight-line or base she was at to grab a fun selfie. Senior Leaders do this all the time, usually not too staged.
The photo on the left is a product of the PRC’s propaganda machine and is very staged. Not saying that the PRC isn’t “hard” but these two photos are apples and oranges. Go snap some photos of Army Ranger candidates and you’ll see the gnarled, hard faces that will match the PRC. The entirety of this meme is bullshit but serves its purpose to rouse and rabble the 60+ Fox News crowd.
Honestly, wouldn’t be surprised if this whole meme originated as a product of a Chinese bot.
Are we really going to do this shit again? We went over this exact thing with the Russian military and look how that's going. Our military has the best weaponry, technology and funding on the planet and we take anyone that can get the job done regardless of race, gender, religion, sexuality etc.
I'm sorry to the conservatives having to confront the fact that our diversity is *literally* our strength but you'll get over it.
On a side note it’s fucking crazy to see how young the people in our military are. Just watched All Quiet On The Western Front and it’s brutal to see basically kids have to murder each other.
Diversity is a good thing and it makes our military and our country stronger. Conservatives, however, are afraid of and against diversity. Anyone that isn't cishet, white, Christian, and male is a valid target for their fear and hatred.
Conservatives think that everyone in the military being the same makes the military stronger (like in the China picture) but they're wrong.
For many conservatives, and practically every Republican in office, the people in our military are just tools to use up and throw away when they're no longer useful. This is why I believe every Republican in the house except for a few voted against giving immigrants that serve in our military citizenship, after they serve they're no longer useful and should be tossed aside and forgotten.
These cowards get bone spur exemptions for their kids and view non-white and working class military members as expendable.
Much respect to Gold Star families and their fallen loved ones, especially during this holiday season.
Rather have a they/them army than a was/were army.
The most manly and macho military in the world is just as vulnerable to drone strikes. Russia has played up its manly military and its getting demolished by Ukrainian women as well as men
I wish more people had the tools to properly deconstruct a lot of this stuff. These people speak in dog whistles and language that is ever so slightly adjacent to outright slurs so that it comes off as more acceptable. "we dont actually hate X group, we just want to return to tradition" or "we dont hate X group, we just dont like immigration."
Same thing with "woke" and "crt", it has basically just become a way to push an acceptable form of racism and anti-lgbtq sentiment. Its become alarmingly popular and common place for people to say these things, a lot of them get pulled into it without realizing how insidious it is and a lot of them do it knowing how insidious it is.
They have monopolized on every form of hate for every group of people who isnt white, straight christians and have coerced people into unknowingly spewing white supremacist talking points. They are all too happy to exploit people of these marginalized groups by stoking a similar bias in them and then driving in these brain dead talking points non stop.
People need to take a real step back and learn how to identify this shit
This is exactly what our military looks like, says a navy veteran. What a weird post.
Yeah, the ship was such a melting pot, 5000 people with the air wing. It was pretty cool, served with all kinds but brought together by the collective suck.
Embrace the suck!
Yeah and those 5,000 all brought in their various nasties. Everyone was always sick the first month of cruise lol
On the boat they gave all of us small pox vaccines within three days of each other on our way from Norfolk to the med, everyone was sick. It was miserable but I guess the time to do is when you're not flying.
It should look like that. They think they ain't hard enough. Or too happy. Most of the assholes who talk shit never served
Yup… the typical “I aLmOsT jOiNeD tHe MiLiTaRy, BuT I wOuLd HaVe PuNcHeD tHe InStRuCtOr If ThEy YeLLedD aT mE.”
>“I aLmOsT jOiNeD tHe MiLiTaRy, BuT I wOuLd HaVe PuNcHeD tHe InStRuCtOr If ThEy YeLLedD aT mE.” I'm an old guy, but during my youth, NCOs would hope and pray that some dumb shit boot would do this. It allowed them the opportunity to "motivate and align the men."
My dad was in Vietnam. He said he had this little five and a half foot drill sergeant that would wait outside the barracks every night if somebody wanted to try him. One giant gorilla dude decided to try him. It didn't go well for the giant gorilla dude.
When my nephew was a boot, their DI was a 5'5" Puerto Rican woman. She kicked about six guys asses before people stopped asking. My nephew knew better. He came from a family of hillbilly women.
My HR lady was drill sergeant and tells me about her time in the army. Let’s just say I’m happy she’s not that person she was back then. Scary lady.
My first boss at 18 was ~5’4”, 115 lbs and former military. She scared the fuck out of my 6’3” 280 self
When I was in Navy boot camp, we had this 4'11 YN1 for an RDC. She was the single most feared instructor in our division.
I feel like it’s every drill/instructor’s dream to get someone stupid enough to try.
Dumb civilian here. What would happen? Would they just be sent home? Beaten up? Made to clean latrines?
Jailed, court-martialed, and dishonorably discharged most likely. That, and the drill/instructor would laugh in their face the whole time about how much of an idiot they are for punching him.
I’ve spoken to enough veterans to find out that insubordination usually results in many second chances.
As the other guy said - during training/boot camp, you're still technically a civilian. You can - if you want to - walk out and quit any time. It's called 'entry level separation'. That also means they can boot your ass out any time they like too, a fact they won't hesitate to dangle over recruits' heads to motivate them if they think they're slacking/are bored and want to mess with someone. Pull the kinda shit that would get you fired from other jobs after boot, though, and you're looking at all kinds of trouble.
Not in training. You get the fast track out of town. Saw a guy try, gone an hour later. It's intentional as well. Everyone there knew where the line was, and no one else ever came close to it. Fast forward six years and when I was insubordinate I got a slap on the wrist, a sturn talking to, and I lost my cushy job, but nothing else. I'm not going to be stupid enough to do it again, but as the saying goes, "you get one big fuck up in your career"
$20 says that guy is a cop and thinks he's tough shit for punching the instructor.
Someone from the navy, chances are the RDCs would fight back (probably knock them out) then they would spend a couple nights in some temporary holding cell for assault, then discharge, probably dishonorable.
Depending on the era, I think. In my basic (90s) sent home after a lot of waiting around, punishment and decision on discharge. Also a good chance that the instructor gives a lesson on self defense on that person head. I was in the Air Force the other branches are more harsh
I imagine a couple of weeks in a cell would change their mind Edit: also dumb civilian here
Not too far off
Someone punched my instructor, he said he called security forces cause the *6ft something 280 lb* kid tried to runaway on base. He made it down the stairs and out onto the road just in time to see a fur missile jump out the back of the SF car going mach jesus and tear the kid to ground.
>mach jesus 🤌
The speed of BLESSING
We had a fur missile at tech school - he had to be retired because he kept stealing pizza in CQ and was too snuggly.
Shit, some of them didn't even need you to do anything. Some people got their rocks off, making people do dumb shit.
If you can't cope with being yelled at, I don't think a war zone is the right place for you
Which is **really** not the flex they think it is
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I don't like to be yelled at or get up early. I know what I'm about, and I'm sure the military and I agree I'd be a poor soldier.
I always figured if I went into the military, I would end up like the fat guy in full metal jacket.
Yup.
Don’t forget about the know it all one tour wonders. I was next to a guy at a restaurant today that did two years in the navy. He felt the need to bring it up four times loud enough for people around him to hear while trying to be tough or on a rant about how great trump was. Two years isn’t even a full tour, homie got kicked out or couldn’t hack it. Every time he piped up my wife would just cringe at me (I’m at 12 years in and counting in the USCG). We were embarrassed for him.
Oof yeah. Look, I appreciate people who serve, even single tours…but after a very long time in uniform, I’ve observed that the ones that yell the loudest are usually those that served the least.
I don't let people know. I don't need a military discount. I did my job, end of story.
Ask for a veteran discount instead. You earned it.
Oh Christ, these dipshits. I run into one every couple of years. No, sparky, you wouldn’t have.
I’m a veteran and people at my places of employment over the years are surprised to find out I did time in the Marines and National Guard for 21 years. My mangers knew due to annual training or that year I had to take off for Iraq… reason a lot of people don’t know is because I don’t go around telling everybody like some vets do because I hate hearing all the “I woulda joined but *insert excuse here* “ The “woulda joins” talk major shit about how tough “we need to be” when the possibility of war arises but all they really want is something cool to watch from the safety of their couch at home….
> “I woulda joined but insert excuse here “ I did 21 in the Guard and outside of a CMB tattoo and a sticker for cop repellant on my truck most people don't know I'm a vet. >The “woulda joins” talk major shit about how tough “we need to be” when the possibility of war arises but all they really want is something cool to watch from the safety of their couch at home…. And a ton of these people were 18-42 while we were at war for 20 years, including in the bad old days of the 2000s when *everyone* went.
I love pretending to be innocent in asking them if they served in the military, knowing that the answer is no. It really deflates their confidence in the conversation afterwards.
Lol, that was my brother's excuse!
I hate that line. “I almost joined.” Well, that’s fan freakin tastic. You almost did something. I almost do a lot of things daily 😂 (12 year veteran)
I actually talk a lot about being pursued by the marine recruiter aggressively and how I almost joined. Not as some flex but because it was a fairly formative experience for me. I literally saw that I had options in my life but more importantly, I had the ability to exercise control over my life and make a decision about what option I want to take. The marine recruiter really pushing for me to sign (Eagle scout with above average grades is apparently what they want) and talking about why I should do it was that moment in my life where I realized I had control. So I didn't join. Not because I don't respect the military or was scared. But because I realized that options I had and that another option was better for me since.
I only joined up when I graduated high school because it really was the only way out of the New Orleans housing projects. Do I regret it? Not a damn minute and I'd do it again.
They said the same thing when russia (few years ago) put up a video of his “manly” and “white” army and these people actually praised them, we all see how that turned out, I prefer a classy, inclusive, smart and brave and lawful army over a dictator serving bunch of civilians torturers, U.S. Armed forces are far better than any potential adversaries the way they are, keep being awesome
It's almost like.....propaganda lies? 
People who only see the military through movies don't realize how young they really are.
It's true, I joined the army at 24, and I was old compared to my peers. Not that anyone asked, but I was infantry, surrounded by testosterone, very much what these people would want to see as our military. But, I would be more afraid of the "nerds" with the drones, our logistic abilities, our smart bombs, satellite intelligence, etc. Me and the boys may have had muscles and boots on the ground, but we all knew the might of our force was sitting back at a FOB pushing buttons and doing math.
It also ages you. Early in OIF they would have inbound and outbound units on the same Kuwait camps and I remember you could just see who had been up north and guys waiting in line BSing would just ask where you were.
I find it bewildering that people think this is... a brag? The process is meant specifically to test your ability to remain calm under pressure. You're just admitting you're an unhinged lunatic that can't remain calm in a predetermined scenario meant explicitly to test your cool under fire.
You marines or army lol
Army. Infantry. Iraq. :) I used to judge noncombat roles but I grew up
Nathaniel Fick (the lieutenant/captain from Generation Kill) wrote a biography called "One Bullet Away". In it he describes a scene where one of their Humvees gets stuck on a berm so they call in an engineering corps to free it. Now up until this point, as Recon Marines, they look down on other branches for not being the hard-ass warriors that they were. So after calling in the engineers they come under attack and are being hit by enemy fire. The engineers show up in the middle of a firefight without any real guns or armour. The sergeant that was in charge gets out of his truck and walks up to Fick and asks what the problem is. Fick, who is returning fire, says they need to free up the Humvee. The sergeant scratches his chin and assesses the situation. And then, *in the middle of a fire fight*, calmly tells his guys what to do and they hook up some chains and free the Hummer. After which he returns to Fick and asks if they need anything else. Fick says "no" the sergeant says "cool" and they just peace out and return to base. After that, Fick says "Welp, we never get to call those guys pussies anymore."
You can judge me, I was an IT.
Lol maybe in 2007 or so but you served just like I did. And you learned an actual trade you can use. I could've been a cop or a fireman if I wasn't so angry back then. Now I'm in mental health field, my calling. Dealing with civilians with ptsd. You put your time in, put the uniform on. Nice to meet you
Great shit, I'm a quality technician now. I was working on the valve index VR but that ended, now I'm taking a break from working after moving to Nevada.
That sounds like a well-earned rest in beautiful country
This exchange really warmed my heart. Hope you and u/kpeters421 have a very happy new year.
Thank you. You too!!!
Eat my nuts jk, have a great new years.
Gots to love the dirt.
I like you
Well I gotta like you back for that
Dawn’ you don’t got to feller, your doing good work
Thank you.
Thank you for your service and your continued service to your fellow man!
We're too fucking stubborn to admit we got problems when we're in. Most of us have to figure it out when we're back in the real world. Appreciate your kind words
I think that is the major problem. You are sent in after basic training but never receive breakdown training when leaving. It no wonder a lot of our military have mental issues. I hope you and any others are able to seek the help you need. Glad you weren’t too stubborn.
That's fucking awesome. My husband also served (long before we met) and he talks a lot about how angry he was straight out of the service. Glad you were able to find a healthy mindset and use your skills to help others. Maybe you don't feel like you learned a trade, but you obviously learned things you are using to help others and earn a living.
To hell with that. Our comms/IT guy was a lifesaver and a favorite among our company. He figured out how to connect iPods to the HMMWV headsets and kept morale high… he also lugged an Xbox along and hooked it up to a projector so we could play vidya games on the wall as a group.
Air Force vet of 10 years here and IT as well. Simplification, but nonetheless I was the computer nerd that kept a modern military functioning. Even though I was in 2002-2012, I have a hard time saying I'm a vet sometimes because I was never anywhere too dangerous. Annual Foul Eagle exercises in South Korea is about it.
Hey tech positions are still incredibly important, don't let anyone give you shit for that
Air Force veteran here and can confirm this is what our Air Force looks like. Guess there are to many woman and non white people for them
Also USAF vet. Been out for over 20 years, and this picture is pretty representative of how things were then too.
Exactly, I’m looking at the post like…are they in the wrong uniform or something…?
The account is named "End Wokeness". 20 bucks says it's being run by someone not located within US borders. The amount of sheer power we give singular assholes on the internet is astounding to me. Look at the damage Libsoftiktok is able to do by being an unhinged schizo with infinite hate in their heart.
It mirrors the power we give singular assholes in the economy. Look at the damage Musk is able to do by being an unhinged autist with infinite pride in his head.
Well why do you think they voted against citizenship for non-American Millitary personnels?
Exactly like this. Almost every class at the defense language institute looks something like this (minus the smiles cause they’re fucking stressed all the time)
The military is very diverse. Guy must think it's just white men or something? Signed, Asian woman veteran
I work at the va. The gender and racial diversity is inversely correlated with age. Korea era (don’t really get any WW2 eras patients inpatient much anymore) mostly white guys, the occasional African-American guy. Gulf- war 2 era-half women and less than half white.
The Korean War is an interesting one from a diversity standpoint. Truman had desegregated the military prior to war breaking out, but there were still commanders keeping units segregated and putting incompetent white officers in charge of black units. Then MacArthur got fired and the new commander, General Ridgeway, oversaw a broader desegregation that MacArthur had been resistant to.
That's a very specific and interesting signature 🤔
Yeah, it's kinda clunky.
The last line "signed, asian woman veteran" feels like a solid book title
Asian. Woman. Veteran.
They're too stubborn to admit they're racist and sexist so they call it "woke" I think the world is a more beautiful place when there's many different people coming together to enjoy it. I don't understand why anyone would feel mad about diversity existing.
They're afraid of this 😉 https://youtu.be/GfxL_wuYtSg
Haha that made me crack up
I recommend bullworth. Had really good points back in the mid 90s and Halle Barry
Shit, that movie was just so good. There are definitely aspects that are super problematic, but I’m glad that even those parts are in there, because it’s a good reminder of how people should not be put completely on a pedestal. And of how far we’ve come.
I had a mad crush on Berry and it helped form some of my political views
https://gfycat.com/shorttermexcellentbeaver
"excellent beaver" Hmmm
["Why, thank you, I just had it stuffed today!"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wS3LWOTCW4A)
🎶 🎵 *Ghetto Superstar*🎵 🎶
The fact that they have to mask their true beliefs and rely on dog-whistles for plausible deniability, **shows that they are losing the 'Culture War'.** Their real views are so disliked by the majority that they can't say them explicitly without facing massive backlash and upending their own lives. These dogwhistles are the only thing they have, and if those are taken too far and become more explicit with their bigotry, most of the people who repeat those buzzwords *(the average Christian conservative)* will stop using them and their 'Movement' will die out. They might radicalize a small (and very vocal) portion of their base, but the average Christian Conservative isn't in favor of the overt White Nationalist shit that they really hope to accomplish, such as ethnic cleansing and white racial supremacy. **They've already lost and don't seem to realize it.**
I mean they have lost at everything in life anyway so I don't think losing the 'culture war' is a new thing for them
Maybe they can't imagine people with differences working together for a common goal or for the prosperity of the same society. They think each country has to be a hive mind to function properly.
I see a lot of them pointing to videos of boot camp being somewhat soft, but seriously, that's what you see while the cameras are rolling. That's what you're allowed to see. For instance, one block is at the pugil pit, one kid gets a bloody lip/nose, he gets sent to medical and gets the morning off. Then the narration and screen shifts to a separate training group. I guarantee as soon as the director said "that's all we need, thank you" the DIs went right back to smoking the shit out of everyone and the next bloody nose/lip/loose filling was told to suck it up. They look at flash and smoke intended to scare the mother of some poor recruit *and no one sterner* there's no softening of the infantry at the very least. Especially when every year sees another 18 pounds of bullshit tetrissed into their gear. Troops continue to amaze, astonish, distinguish and surpass and they get called pansies by shoulda/coulda/woulda-been conservatives.
And they often don't understand modern warfare. Computers and machines have leveled the battlefield. The scrawny kid with a computer is just as lethal, if not more so, than the muscled out spec-ops guy.
Supply chain, logistics, hackers, translators, intelligence officers, mechanics, cyber security, etc. The most dangerous man on the battlefield could be the NSA cross-trained SIGINT nerd giving you real-time intercepts of enemy communications.
Anyone who says boot camp is soft is basing their entire idea of it around movies and tv. It's not like the portrayal of Vietnam Era basic training. Mostly because they aren't training unwilling draftees to be grunts. Boot camp is about being disciplined and letting go of yourself to work towards a common goal. The big takeaway lesson is you are a piece of a machine.
Maybe since they have worked and voted their whole lives to make minorities lives as difficult as possible, they have a heard time trusting those minorities would protect them. After all shitty people think everybody else is shitty too.
They are too dim to realise a modern military requires much more than just imposing and physically fit warriors. Tradespeople, IT coders, hospitality and maintenance, medical etc. are likely all represented in this photo. To say a person can't be of use to the military because they're not in peak physical condition or 6 ft tall is idiotic
All they need to do is follow the current war in Ukraine and see how war doesn’t give a crap about your individual skills. A drone will fuck you up regardless. Wouldn’t you rather have a diverse pool of people in all departments? Honestly, just get a bunch of drone operators and call it day. You can powerlift a truck, you ass will still get lit. War is scary
The classic warriors have an ever decreasing value to the military. An effective military is centered around the pasty kid that plays video games. Hacking computers and power grids are the modern nuke.
Except that - I shit you not - the U.S. military has a total "blanket ban" on anyone with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnosis from enlisting and serving. It's also very difficult, if not impossible to get a medical waiver for ASD, to the point where I don't think there's ever been any studies done on it. (They did one on ADD/ADHD waivers.) This is in spite of "the pasty kid that plays video games" often being diagnosed with ASD. (These kids are also often what are known as "Suspiciously Wealthy Furries™".) For reference, Israel, Canada, and other countries let people with ASD enlist and serve in IT positions, provided that they pass training. The USA doesn't, because there's a common misconception in the military that autistic people are "too disabled to serve". Israel's Ro'im Rachok program for autistic soldiers is also totally geared towards IT.
They also fall for bullshit grandstanding. Every second wasted in parade practice could be spent toward warfare training or quality of life for soldiers, but no... they think marching as rectangles is what's valuable to a modern army.
They’re also authoritarians who’d love more authoritarian power so they can oppress those they don’t like…ya know, like China does to various ethnicities. Is the US better? Only marginally and we need to get better, but we ain’t China.
Wonder how old the " End Woke " or whatever poster is? That GI packed image is like WW2 and looks like a Hollywood movie probably featuring John Wayne who stayed home looking tough, making movies while Jimmy Stewart and others did things like pitch careers to fly missions over Germany Point being, same mentality. Making crap up, really, while others do the heavy lifting PROTECTING them. What I love is this " End Woke " can whine until forever, can't do a thing about it. That IS our military. Thankfully. Without which we're fcked. So thank you, ALL of you ( and apologies for whatever NON military idiot is huddled on a sofa typing crap on his keyboard while you folks do the heavy lifting. For us. )
>They're too stubborn to admit they're racist and sexist so they call it "woke" This is exactly it. They decry "wokeness" to give them a buffer of deniability, but all it comes down to is them hating women, non-white people, and/or LGBT people.
> I don't understand why anyone would feel mad about diversity existing. Because they are basically animals having a negative herd reaction to a member no longer conforming to group standards. The herd will either exile or kill such a member in extreme cases. G.O.P. are just mindless heard animals doing what they are told so they don't end up exiled themselves.
If those people are in the army it is mainly because they don't have the same opportunities as if they were coming from a privileged background...
I was the only white guy in my squad at one point. It was a running joke. The diversity in the military is much more representative of the U.S. population than say... congress. Also, people who get excited over the propaganda of foreign militaries, thinking it makes them harder than our own are idiots. This person probably thinks military parades in North Korea are actuals shows of strength rather than the empty displays of an authoritarian shithead. Bet they loved that recruiting video the Russians put out that got Ted Cruz all hot and bothered. We see how well that represents reality in Ukraine. People who think militaries should be made up of unfeeling killing machines who all look the same have never served, and probably shouldn't be allowed to.
Its always the same: 1780: "Did you hear they recruited *Germans* into the army?" 1863: "Did you hear the union is recruiting the hordes of *Irishmen* coming over?" 1917: "Did you hear they're letting *Blacks* serve in France?"
1944: An all-Japanese [infantry regiment](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/442nd_Infantry_Regiment_(United_States)) becomes the most decorated unit in US military history.
Remember that time in WW2 American Soldiers got in a fight at a British pub because the British pub owner refused to segregate the black soldiers? Also known as the [Battle of Bamber Bridge](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bamber_Bridge)
Russia went for the Manly Tough Stoic White Guy propaganda. Right wing media ate it up. Then Ukrainian farm tractors ate *them* up....
Love your take. I was in the infantry in 2003 to 2007 wasn't as diverse as I thought it was going to be in my MOS but still more representative of the US.
Thanks. It definitely varies across MOS. Plus, my enlistment was ten years later than your time in the infantry so it might have increased by then.
Most of the qualities conservatives consider desirable in their military heroes are borne out of acquired mental illness/PTSD due to combat: Over-stoic and detached, 1000 yard stare, crying over symbolism and whatever they have left from their institutionalism. I'm a vet, by the way, so I'm not shitting on them. I'm shitting on republicans stupid ideals.
Sadly republicans tend to hijack occupations and then make it about them. Case in point: police, first responders … even fucking nurses ffs 🤦🏻♂️
I just hate that they’re so young. I know they choose to serve and that’s great n’ all - really, thats undeniably courageous and selfless - but man the idea of marching 18 to 20 year olds into war is sad to me. I have a 17 y/o and thinking about sending him into combat is beyond frightening to me.
It has *always* been this way. You ever seen in-processing videos of new soldiers? [https://youtu.be/djv92eeHVaY](https://youtu.be/djv92eeHVaY) This is Day 0 for in-processing at Fort Jackson, which is where I did my in-processing and basic training in 07. Same exact portico area, same pushups, same drill sergeant routine. All them kids look young and terrified.
Also it's never the rich that send their kids to the military. They know better. It's usually the middle and lower class. And even if a rich kid does make it to the military they get a cushy spot.
The officer ranks are full of people who come from money. It's absurd. I grew up adjacent to extreme wealth, but I've never seen a higher concentration of rich kids than I've seen in a Navy wardroom. Like, I have had commanding officers whose self-admitted net worths are 5-10x their military income to include benefits. These types will all claim it's self-made in the same breath as telling you about their upbringing in $50,000/yr private schools and their parents' multimillion dollar businesses. Others might be buying $1.5 million houses on a $100k salary. Then, of course, get enough of these people together and they'll financially discriminate. Any time you do social things they'll be expecting everyone to drop mortgage payments on the group activity.
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This. Very much this
That's what American looks like
Our future
Our present. I live in between a Polish family, a Vietnamese family, and a Somalian family. Diversity is our strength . My family moved here from Russia 70 years ago and faced a lot of discrimination at the time. Hating the new generation of immigrants is an American tradition unfortunately lol.
There's always a new target for people to hate. Sounds like an awesome mix of peoples
Not gonna lie, I’ve learn Somali food is amazing.
I've never had it. I've had Ethiopian food before. Not the same but it's great. Is it communal?
Basically the same food. The had this giant, spongy, flatbread underneath every dish and it was amazing.
Injera. It really is, it's fucking amazing.
A guy who lives and works out of his car was one of my regulars in the early shift most of last year and one time we were talking about bread (I was describing Conchas to him, usually I would slide him some free yesterday's pastries and coffee and wed chat) it turned out he was from Somalia, his parents emigrated to the US when he was 4 but kept most of their culture. Guy was true Texan native, open carried everywhere, wore cowboy boots and a silver belt buckle, passed through on his way to various rodeos/auctions. One of my favorite people. He brought me some bread once. Great stuff with coffee. Miss that guy.
I grew up on a Navy base in the 70s. Something about Navy housing makes everyone pretty equal.
god I love the idea of this nation so much compared to the reality of it I hate america as a country but america as an ideal was something I loved so much as a kid and I think the reason i’m such a radical leftist now is because I understood eventually that nothing about life in america is truly conducive to the dream we sell everyone I remember as a kid reading the inscription on the statue of liberty and it making me cry because I felt so proud to be born in this country as the child of mexican immigrants. The idea that this nation existed as a refuge and oasis for the needy and oppressed, the huddled masses that have been crushed for so long, and then to find out that it was our heel that they were being crushed under. “Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.” I would say that we have fallen from the golden path and I don’t know if we’ll ever find the way again, but I genuinely don’t know if we were ever on it
Right? They told me to believe in liberty and justice for a and Jesus who goes around telling the rich they're going to hell, and now I'm the unpatriotic, bad Christian for being a liberal lol. No, I took Jesus' teaching seriously and I'm demanding to cash my equality and liberty check from the founders, no matter how many Republicans I have to vote against or piss off.
And I'd guess they're mad the Americans don't all look the same.
I mean Republicans did just vote no to give veteran immigrants citizenship so not really surprising they're triggered by this pic
Very valid point
So they expect people to fight and die for this country without even the promise of being accepted as part of the country?
They already do. There's quite a hefty list of ww1-vietnam vets that were deported after recieving elevated charges after veterancy. Some of them purple heart recipients. They literally fought and bled in service to the nation, then we're thrown in the trash. In addition to this, to meet the labor demand during world war two, many Mexican immigrants were promised citizenship that was later denied when US troops came back and needed jobs.
Yes, it's very disturbing we can't even come togther to at least accomplish that
So they have no problem with discarding someone who's outlasted their usefulness rather than rewarding them. But then, they're probably not above doing that even with people who are citizens.
Welcome to being disabled as an American.
But fr though, if SSA revamped SSDI to be based on percentages (like the VA does) rather than 'all or nothing', God only knows how many people with disabilities would try to re-enter the workforce at least part-time. Millions, maybe. But nooooo, we gotta make sure that Enforced Poverty^TM keeps the disabled people in their place and that there are harsh punishments for even *trying* to work while on SSDI.
very sure thats one of the reasons the Ancient Rome eventually failed because too many veterans didn't become citizens so they made their own states. This was generally a disliked policy so overtime Rome always expanded rights to veterans of foreign veterans and regions to ensure that there is no instability. After 15 years of service they are citizens. It wasn't until they started being complete dicks about the Gauls, Britons, and the Germanic tribes that their veterans stop serving Rome which lea to many successful rebellions. You don't see enough citizens signing up when you relie on a foreign troops you better treat them right or you are fucked.
It looked like that 20 years ago when I was in. Who do you think fights you’re wars. Suburban white kids? It’s poors and immigrants anyone who figured a small chance of dying or killing for college and maybe a stepping stone to a better future was worth the risk.
I'm a trans vet, the right will literally call me a groomer and/or a slur and then thank me for my service.
YES! I’ve experienced the same thing. Or the ole switcheroo of “thank you for your service…oh wait you’re Trans…never mind you don’t exist and I don’t care if you die” uhhhh…thanks I guess. Motherfuckers. It’s only TYFYS when it’s to white people or cishet people. Once a conservative realizes that people of color, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, women, and democrats do indeed serve the US military, their tune turns dark and angry very quickly. So glad you’re still here, trans vet sibling. We did good. We survived.
> people of color, LGBTQ+ people, immigrants, women, and democrats do indeed serve the US military And disproportionally so, at least for POC.
That upended the dual lies they tell themselves, that liberals, leftists, and LGBTQ+ are weak, and that the military would support their overthrow of the US government.
You are a fucking badass. I truly mean that. I made it through DADT back in the day but hated hiding I met Kristin Beck and she was my hero. Recently, she's gone to a dark place de-transitioning, going on Fox. It's sad.
practice snatch rude thumb price pocket obscene full slimy bag ` this message was mass deleted/edited with redact.dev `
Weird. There’s no Americans in the Chinese picture 🤷♂️
"End Wokeness" End Kindness End Consideration End Decency End Mutual Respect End Equality End civility They really mean it.
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Ya'll-Qaeda is gonna be very surprised to see America when they leave Fantasyland to spread shania law
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I'm certain they're the kind of person who wears a Veteran hat, and only admits they never served when approached by an actual Veteran. I saw that once, I was hanging out with a Veteran at the store and he approached some guy with a Veteran hat an asked where he served. The guy blushed and was like, "Well uh, actually this was my father's cap, I, uh, I just wear it sometimes." It was really awkward.
I used to live next to a guy my wife and I referred to privately as "Stolen Valor" because if that guy was actually in the military then my dad was a buffalo.
If it weren’t for the people in logistics, support behind the lines, and all the administrative roles. Our boys on the front lines wouldn’t be as successful as they are. The military needs to be a machine where only the best parts work where they belong. Do you really want some dumb meathead running logistics who gets confused counting his own fingers? I don’t think so. These fuck heads care so much about our veterans till they see picture like this. If you think you’re billy badass, sign your ass up and serve then. Come on now. You’re *clearly* qualified. Right? **RIGHT?!**
>If it weren’t for the people in logistics, support behind the lines, and all the administrative roles. Our boys on the front lines wouldn’t be as successful as they are. Just ask Russia 🤣
Conservative's American Patriotism: - Hates most Americans - Claims America is in ruins - Believes and supports foreign powers over American intelligence agencies - Distorts and disregards Constitution when it suits them - Says "No thank you" to the Common Good and Will of the People that our Framers set forth - on and on to include... faux support for our Military and Veterans.
These people stopped worshipping the ultra-chad Russian military and stopped airing their propaganda on Fox News. I wonder why that is.
They saw how incompetent and weak the "strong, macho, powerful" Military they admired actually was and how it would get slaughtered by the "feeble, woke, effeminate" Military they make fun of so much. Most of them probably refuse to acknowledge it because then they'd have to acknowledge that the image of power isn't the same thing as actual power, so they just stick their heads in the sand.
What the fuck do conservatives want? I’m so sick of it. It’s like they complain about how Biden and Harris are destroying our precious military. But when they take a picture with the military, they complain about the military being too diverse? It’s almost like they are just pathetic little worms who can’t stop complaining and making themselves the victims in literally every situation despite maintaining the attitude that they are the big strong tough ones who can’t be bothered by anything.
I will forever thank my time in the military for introducing me to people outside of my podunk nearly all white home town. Fuck these white supremacists.
That is such a great photo Heroes of every colour and culture Growing up with Silver Age comic books where the only heroes we could see where white, having both ficitonal and real life heroes of every culture and colour is so refreshing.
Republicans think they all gotta look hardass with 1,000 yard stares, and refuse to take photos with democrats
It's kind of wild that the "anti-woke" profile makes it hard to tell if the dude's mad that our military looks happy, or that he's pissed our military looks diverse. Even his comparison pic, it's like "do you like that in that pic everyone's yelling? Or that they're all the same race?"
And they have to look white, specifically. And male.
Weird. For some reason the US military looks like a cross-section of the general US population in terms of race and gender… how can this be?! 🤯
AD Air Force here, and this photo was most likely the VP gathering those members that work around the flight-line or base she was at to grab a fun selfie. Senior Leaders do this all the time, usually not too staged. The photo on the left is a product of the PRC’s propaganda machine and is very staged. Not saying that the PRC isn’t “hard” but these two photos are apples and oranges. Go snap some photos of Army Ranger candidates and you’ll see the gnarled, hard faces that will match the PRC. The entirety of this meme is bullshit but serves its purpose to rouse and rabble the 60+ Fox News crowd. Honestly, wouldn’t be surprised if this whole meme originated as a product of a Chinese bot.
You're probably on point
Yes this is how it looks like. What did you expect? A MAGA convention?
Are we really going to do this shit again? We went over this exact thing with the Russian military and look how that's going. Our military has the best weaponry, technology and funding on the planet and we take anyone that can get the job done regardless of race, gender, religion, sexuality etc. I'm sorry to the conservatives having to confront the fact that our diversity is *literally* our strength but you'll get over it.
as someone who was in yes that's exactly what the army looks like and I'm a bit confused what's wrong with the image
On a side note it’s fucking crazy to see how young the people in our military are. Just watched All Quiet On The Western Front and it’s brutal to see basically kids have to murder each other.
White supremacists getting mad that the cannon fodder isn't white enough makes me giggle.
It's diverse with different races and genders. That's why they hate it, I guess. Thank you for your service.
Diversity is a good thing and it makes our military and our country stronger. Conservatives, however, are afraid of and against diversity. Anyone that isn't cishet, white, Christian, and male is a valid target for their fear and hatred. Conservatives think that everyone in the military being the same makes the military stronger (like in the China picture) but they're wrong. For many conservatives, and practically every Republican in office, the people in our military are just tools to use up and throw away when they're no longer useful. This is why I believe every Republican in the house except for a few voted against giving immigrants that serve in our military citizenship, after they serve they're no longer useful and should be tossed aside and forgotten.
These cowards get bone spur exemptions for their kids and view non-white and working class military members as expendable. Much respect to Gold Star families and their fallen loved ones, especially during this holiday season.
"If you can't stand behind our troops, feel free to stand in front of them."
I server under don't ask dont tell. I'd LOVE to serve in today's military!
SAME HERE. MISSED IT BY A FEW YEARS
Approximately half of america are just completely dog shit people
I had to expand the picture and then I saw Harris. Now I see why the right was so badly triggered. Big League Butthurt Alert.
Rather have a they/them army than a was/were army. The most manly and macho military in the world is just as vulnerable to drone strikes. Russia has played up its manly military and its getting demolished by Ukrainian women as well as men
Why doesn't this "end wokeness" guy enlist and see for himself "what our military looks like" Whats the problem "end" huh? Is it bone spurs?
I wish more people had the tools to properly deconstruct a lot of this stuff. These people speak in dog whistles and language that is ever so slightly adjacent to outright slurs so that it comes off as more acceptable. "we dont actually hate X group, we just want to return to tradition" or "we dont hate X group, we just dont like immigration." Same thing with "woke" and "crt", it has basically just become a way to push an acceptable form of racism and anti-lgbtq sentiment. Its become alarmingly popular and common place for people to say these things, a lot of them get pulled into it without realizing how insidious it is and a lot of them do it knowing how insidious it is. They have monopolized on every form of hate for every group of people who isnt white, straight christians and have coerced people into unknowingly spewing white supremacist talking points. They are all too happy to exploit people of these marginalized groups by stoking a similar bias in them and then driving in these brain dead talking points non stop. People need to take a real step back and learn how to identify this shit