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This is the food distribution line at Nellis Air Force base in LasVegas.
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I don’t understand… Who cares about the military? They will shoot you down if given the order. Those sweet innocent starving people will literally murder you in the street if they’re told to.
I live in a heavy military area. My dad was stationed in the area before retiring, and I've been here since. Honestly, most of the enlisted people I've met are great people. They're usually just regular working class people trying to get a better life through the benefits the military provides. I'd trust them most of the time. They usually aren't there because they're violent assholes seeking power.
The police? Yeah, I don't trust them at all. Most of them did it because they want power over their fellow citizens. They joined to have authority. They'll shoot you for calling them a bad name without needing to be ordered to.
If we want any hope changing things then we need allies. A lot of those people will need to be from the military. Stop making enemies. Make friends. We have enough enemies without alienating people who otherwise agree with us.
Imagine the number of military personnel it would require to overthrow the government. The percentage of cooperation within the military. All the branches of the military. Do you Seriously think that kind of coordination is going to happen in this country?
There will be no revolution. The United States is a lobster boiling in a pot. When the lobster is dead, the rich will eat it and move on. This is the only reality that Ddoesn’t require wild speculation, because it’s happening every day
You're implying that the coordination is going to happen to overthrow our government though. Them siding with the Fascists to overthrow our government requires the exact same coordination as them going against it. If they can't coordinate then they can't coordinate. You can't magically say it only works when they're working with the Fascists but that it's impossible when they work against it.
I do not believe there will be any large scale coordination. I believe we are a lobster in a pot. Our rights will slowly be removed one by one. Within a year, martial law will be declared, and the government will essentially be a legal dictatorship. Still, no one will do anything as long as they can get their Starbucks. The military will, under no circumstances, fight against the Trump administration.
It’s not important for me that you believe me, So do or do not.
You might be right. However, that's not what you said. You made all military personnel into enemies. How about you don't fucking do that. You want them to fight back? Make them welcome. If you make them enemies then they're going to be enemies. If you allow them to be allies then they may be.
Well, when the military enforces martial law, will they be the good guys?
This is a yes or no question.
I'm not afraid to answer questions like you are. The answer is no. The military isn't a person though. You're making a hypothetical, assuming it's reality, and also attributing all actions of people in the military to it before it even happens. How about you grow the fuck up. The world isn't black and white.
Absolute shit take. The vast majority of enlisted members joined because they had no other opportunities. Kids, literal children who couldn't afford college without a scholarship, or maybe wanted to be a pilot and couldn't afford training. Immigrants who would risk their lives just to fast track citizenship.
Not to mention that's fucking Nellis AFB, aka Area 51. Those are engineers, scientists, mechanics, test pilots, and probably a bunch of desk jockeys. None of those people joined the military to murder people.
And yet every single one of them will. If they don’t, they will lose all that stuff they went in for. They will go to jail. They will be dishonorably discharged.
None of those people will ever risk that.
If they do, and the Fascists lose, they lose all of it too. It's an illegal order to perform an illegal action, so they're legally obligated not to obey. Yes, they'll be arrested (if they as a group don't "override" their CO and bounce after). They'll then be tried and possibly dishonorably discharged. If the Fascists lose though, they'll quite possibly be executed, or at least held for life, if they follow the order. It's a gamble either way, and hopefully they side with their conscience.
It’s pretty unlikely. Because, it would take a significant number of them to go against their Superiors. Even if they get 50%, there’s still another 50% who are going to fight against them. The best case scenario is it’s all out war within the military. Of course, the poor citizens around them will be taking bullets.
Propaganda's a hell of a drug. I've been there, and it takes a lot of introspection to break free of it, but that's something that can absolutely happen in the middle of a military contract - especially if you're spurred awake by your own president taking food off your table. I've got a lot less faith in the military's ability to say no to illegal orders after seeing troops sent to invade US cities; but even if they've chosen a misguided as fuck career path from some sense of patriotism, that doesn't put all of them in full stormtrooper territory.
This isn't an "oh no, the poor troops!" situation, its a "the man giving you orders is an enemy of the US, and now his attacks on our nation are effecting YOU." situation.
If this is what it takes to slap some sense into them, I'd say don't waste the opportunity on dehumanizing them: that line of people all swore an oath to defend the constitution from all threats foreign and domestic. We're literally paying them to defend us from people like Trump - this might just be the push that one of them needs to act on that oath.
The military has a ton of potential to do what's right, despite them having thus far chosen to do what's easy. I'd encourage any active duty reading this to carefully consider your oath and the forces currently at play against our country, from both inside and out.
Threat is subjective, that’s the problem. Some people don’t see the s threat. Some people, the bloodthirsty, boot licking kind who signed up for the military most definitely do not see any kind of problem.
This is never going to be one of those situations where people in the military band together and save the country from evil. This isn’t a movie. Those people will literally mow down their neighbor without batting an eye if they can get a few extra slices of bread. Every last person who has ever touched the military service is the bottom of humanity.
Do you know anything about the military?
One of the biggest draws for people is the paycheck, a lot see military service as a way out of poverty. It's like one of their main points for recruitment...
Half of them would kill for a beer
Right, exactly. The paycheck is not just this week the paycheck is Mortgage rates, Interest rate rates on loans, Education funding,etc.
They will never give that up. They will mow down parking lots of people for that mortgage rate, especially now that Trump is screaming about 50 year mortgages
It sounds like the only military personnel you've seen are in movies. The vast majority are not bloodthirsty. Most aren't even bootlickers. They're doing it because it's a good opportunity to get out of a shitty spot.
You need to just shut the fuck up. You don't know anything and you're just making things worse. If you want to win whatever comes next (election, war, etc.) then you need allies. A lot of those allies will be military personnel. If you can't deal with that then you aren't a useful ally. Alienating people based on some stupid idiology you hold that you have tested is the dumbest thing I've seen.
Oh please. The military always fall in line. They won’t risk their lives or their pension by stepping out of line.
They don't though. If they did then no one ever would have been court martialed.
Can you name a time in US history when the military as a whole rose up against the Federal Government?
No. And there's also never been a large reason to. Military coups normally don't happen multiple times in the same nation, but to imply they can only happen if it's happened before would be to say they never happen, which is obviously wrong.
There have been many cases of service members standing up though. You're saying they're all bad, but that would be ignoring those people.
The fact of the matter is you're ignorant, but you're also weaponizing your ignorance to hate people that you don't understand. That's called bigotry. I don't handle bigots well.
I’m not weaponizing anything. I’m saying there won’t be a military coup. I’m saying the military will not stop a fascist US government.
This is the MOST LIKELY BY FAR scenario.
Saying otherwise is weaponizing ignorance.
No, because you're creating a situation where they won't be allies. I keep saying this and you keep ignoring it, but if you treat them like enemies then they will be your enemy. You're weaponizing your ignorance because you don't know shit and you're using it to kill allies. Being open to them being on the same side is not weaponizing anything because it can only be helpful.
Tell me, what good does the shit you're saying do? Maybe it makes you feel good because you're depressed, but maybe just shut the fuck up and keep it to yourself. Find a better outlet than one that's actively damaging.
The shit I’m saying will hopefully remind people that this is just the tip of the inevitable iceberg.
Frankly, you sound like a right-wing voter.
I know you keep saying I’m “weaponizing ignorance,” but that’s just simply not accurate. I’m not wrong—and you saying I am has no authority.
I'm incredibly left. I fall somewhere on the Anarchist group.
You are wrong. At minimum, there will be some military personnel who turn against the government. It's taken a lot less for this to happen in the past than the government ordering the killing of its own citizens. Will all of the military? Of course not. Will all citizens? Of course not. Does that mean we should write everyone off? Also, of course not.
There will be no movement if we disregard everyone who doesn't agree with us fully. I'm not a right winger. I'm practical. I'm not an idiot who would cut off his nose to spite his face. Even if I don't agree with someone, if they're willing to work together to fight Fascists then I'll take their hand.
So leverage it. We don't need the military to band together in an act of unified defiance, we need a single one of them to start paying attention to those doubts spinning around in their noggin and do what they're being paid for.
Yeah some people join because they're horrible people that get off to committing crimes against humanity; but others join because they've been duped into thinking it's the right thing to do. Being evil is something to hold against someone; being duped isn't. Again, propaganda's a hell of a drug, but this is a potentially powerful teaching moment.
Stop looking at the military as a single personality - some of those are potential allies.
OK, feel free to give me instructions on how I can leverage it. Meanwhile I’m working on emigration, fuck this place.
You saw my previous two posts: stick with an assumption that they joined over some logic that's actually defensible like a sense of patriotism; and point out that they can still act on the duty they agreed to.
That oath carries a lot of weight for some of them. So far, not enough weight to spur them into action, but calling them murderers isn't going to move any of them toward the introspection and reflection on their actual duties that we need from them right now.
Best of luck with the emigration, cuz, yeah fuck this place.
The oath… to protect against antifa? The vague threat? Cause that’s what it’s gonna be sold to them as. How many bodies does it take for the military to do what they should? In my opinion, we have already passed that point… I feel everybody has chosen their sides.
I think it’s probably best that I don’t speak to some mentally ill jarhead. I’m liable to get shot— which would not surprise me in the least.
...dude, what's your goal here? Why would YOU want to spin antifa as a domestic threat? I don't actually need to tell you it's the 'fa' part that's the domestic threat, you know that already... right? You're spitting out Fox news talking points like they're some kind of inevitability that we all just need to bend over and take.
Fuck that.
You don't need to lead the charge against the bullshit happening in this country, but if all you've got to offer is defeatist whining, then maybe keep that shit to yourself?
You’re not listening. You want dopamine. Read it back knowing you got it wrong and we can pick it up if you figure it out.
I'm listening, but I'm definitely not understanding what you're trying to accomplish, unless you're some kind of accelerationist who thinks all that's left to do is give up and let the Nazis win... to which I disagree.
We all want dopamine - that's how our brains work. And 100% I'm looking forward to the bolus that'll be administered if and when we finally get some justice for Trump's crimes. Are you not looking forward to that same hit?
I've gotten a shit ton wrong - even my second sentence in this thread acknowledged that. I learn from it and do better. And that's where I see potential in our active duty military: they're just as capable of acknowledging they fucked up, learning from it, and doing better. Can I expect the same from you?
The oath they are protecting is vague. The definition of the enemy could be described to them as “antifa.” I’m not trying to summon the Fox News Demon or anything.
But let’s pretend they don’t fall for the bullshit.
If enough isn’t enough now, when will it be? I have strong doubts we will never see any assistance from the military.
So it's vague and has some potential to be applied malevolently... so what? It's also vague and has some potential to be applied beneficently. Again, leverage that.
You could do a lot of damage with a screwdriver if you picked it up and stabbed it into your abdomen... that potential doesn't mean you should avoid screwdrivers, it means you shouldn't use them that specific way. They have a lot of potential to be used for something constructive, too.
When is enough enough? You want my opinion? Very early into Trump's first presidency... but I'm not the one we need to convince. I share your doubts, but acting on them is self-defeating.
Look instead for the potential to do good - not just in this specific situation, but in general - act on that. Doesn't always work. That's fine. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try.
“So what?”
It could be used for good, it could be used for bad, who cares right?
Well, I care. And you have failed to convince me that the military contains good people Who will choose the citizens over the benefits they get from being in the military and the punishment that will happen if they refuse to obey.
I will double down on my opinion.
You're not acting like you care. And you're not responding to what I posted: so what if it can be used for bad - it can be used for good, so do that.
Literally anything can be used for good or bad: if any potential for misuse is a deal breaker for you, then wtf are you doing here on the Internet?
We have a lot of tools at our disposal. Use them to nudge the world closer to one you'd actually want to live in. Don't shy away from the screwdriver just because it can be used as a weapon.
Your opinion is only helping the Trump regime. I'll ask again, what's your goal here? Cuz you're pushing for people to give up. If that's not what you're after, maybe take some time for some introspection of your own. Or, if convincing people to just give up is your goal, then you are a traitor right in rank with the MAGA dipshits that landed us in this mess in the first place.
I’m not acting like I care how a vague oath can be used for good or bad depending on who has their hand up the jug-ass?
If that’s your comprehension, then you have zero comprehension skills. You’re perfect for the armed forces.
Goodbye