While I could not make the ceremony, as a Veteran, I really like the concept and wish I could've been there
Novemeber 11th as kingpotato2000 said it is about war. Veterans day is a political evolution of Armistice day which was founded to commemorate the armistice treaty signed by the word war I allies and Germany. Armistice day was started in the hope that all wars would be ended forever. Slightly ironic and has history has shown, that armistice treaty was in no way fair and was the catalyst for world war 2. Today we celebrate, in the US, veterans day which is a little at odds with the whole "end all wars" sentiment from which armistice day came about. "ADDRESS TO FELLOW-COUNTRYMEN The White House, November 11, 1919. A year ago today our enemies laid down their arms in accordance with an armistice which rendered them impotent to renew hostilities, and gave to the world an assured opportunity to reconstruct its shattered order and to work out in peace a new and juster set of inter national relations. The soldiers and people of the European Allies had fought and endured for more than four years to uphold the barrier of civilization against the aggressions of armed force. We ourselves had been in the conflict something more than a year and a half. - With splendid forgetfulness of mere personal concerns, we re modeled our industries, concentrated our financial resources, increased our agricultural output, and assembled a great army, so that at the last our power was a decisive factor in the victory. We were able to bring the vast resources, material and moral, of a great and free people to the assistance of our associates in Europe who had suffered and sacrificed without limit in the cause for which we fought. Out of this victory there arose new possibilities of political freedom and economic concert. The war showed us the strength of great nations acting together for high purposes, and the victory of arms foretells the enduring conquests which can be made in peace when nations act justly and in furtherance of the common interests of men. To us in America the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with - solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service, and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of nations. -Woodrow Wilson, one of the most filthy presidents we have ever had" Giving a speech that talked in circles while both praising war and peace simultaneously woodrow was able to give a speech with zero substance to his speech. he was able to hit as many buzz words as possible in as short of a time as possible, inciting emotion on some odd level while completely ignoring his inability to appeal to intellect. World war 1 was a horribly bloody battle of attrition and the "cause" for which we entered is questionable at best. Meanwhile families all over the WORLD were trying to cope with reality, having lost their loved ones to a war that was indeed meaningless. Unaware that the next generation was set to repeat the horrible period in which they had just overcome. War is terrible, its dirty and it's sad. People are destroyed and everyone is effected. If you want to honor your veterans don't praise their service but appeal to them and their leaders to bring them home and end the wars, for good. The day the last war is fought is already long overdue.
Please close this thread before I blow up some sheep. That is all. --Edit The more I stew over the above... I just simply have to say I am very 'offended' by the above. Extremely. I 100% support the right to voice said comment, I 100% have no ill-will. But I 100% disagree and would encourage everyone that wishes to share opinions to think about what the intent of the OP was - create another topic if desired.
I too am offended by it. When you take all the frills and ruffles off it isn't so pretty. :-/ dressing up peace day as war day has had to have effended a lot of people. Those that don't realize what it was though, persist unabated and continue the offense.
Gawadrolt - I am offended by YOUR comment. I ask you kindly to discontinue in this thread meant TO HONOR our vets.
My point is simply this is not the thread for Pro-War / Anti-War sentiment. "If you want to honor your veterans don't praise their service..." <--- that there pretty much is the crux. Regardless of your beliefs, I genuinely thank you for your service. Please keep in mind, not all of us vets are disenfranchised or disgruntled, I was / am proud to have served. Please, start another thread about War/Peace - I would love to try and calmly have a debate about the topic. Just NOT here.
Thank me for my service? What does that mean? You are appreciative that I went into a corporation that terrorizes the globe under false pretended only to have my best friends die trying to fight for their life while they are more frightened than they ever have been? My service isn't anything that deserves praise, nothing I did in the name of the US or the military was praiseworthy. I got to do a lot of cool "flashy" stuff but it will never make up for the fact that my friends died invading another country for profit. Meanwhile being told that they are hero's and defending the US. Not one person my friends killed and not one of my friends lives was taken defending the US. That is beyond a fantasy. We were all poor kids that went to do this for two reasons. 1. So we wouldn't starve 2. We were told we were serving a higher purpose and defending our loved ones. I would rather starve than die in a foreign land I'm which I'm invading. Not one person I know or love was made safer by my service. there are more people that want my family dead, and yours, because iI signed up for something not knowing what I was doing and being lied to. I am not your vet. I am a vet. If you want to honor me or any of those I lost then end the wars. That's the only cause worthy of justifying what we went through. And that is the only thing veterans day should be about.
I'm struck by the irony that Gawa is saying how much suffering he went through while simultaneously telling people off for thanking him for doing so. What branch were you in, dude?
Yes it is ironic that I would rather end the perpetuation of suffering than to praise and romanticize it. I have dealt with you before buffalo, I understand I will get no where by entertaining you.
Believe me, talking to you is nowhere near entertaining, but I thought that talking it out might help. If you enjoy being an angry little man fighting people for thanking others on the internet, please, continue. If you want to talk, though, I'm here. You never know.
Angry little man: reference my last three pages of forum contents versus your last three pages of forum content. Who that comment applies to is obvious. I am not fighting anyone for making a comment thinking anyone for their service. If you read my posts you would see that I'm providing information and stating how veterans day should be used to bring light to veterans, not cast them in with a stereotype that belittles the reality of what they had to endure while giving those that have no experience with war some kind of fantasy that its not a terrible thing that we should all be ready to do away with.
I agree with Gawadrolt, that it can barely be considered "protecting freedom" when forcefully or secretly intervening in a foreign country without UN mandate (1,2). While I share Gawadrolt's pacifistic point of view, we really might want to lift this discussion to a different thread. 1 Cannot come up with one war in the last 60 years of the countries that celebrate the day where they actually "defended" their country or the "freedom" therein 2 Even if the UN mandate was granted, I wouldn't be sure if it was the right way to respond with armed forces
You have done nothing but tell kids that they're wrong to enjoy a celebration on their server. You want to change things? Go talk to a politician, or become one. You're the one who has offended people here, and you're the one carrying such a chip on your shoulder that it takes paragraphs of exposition to get it out. All I did was try to talk out your issue, not argue the pros and cons of war. As to not fighting anyone for thanking vets? Maybe you're the one who should read your posts. 'If you want to honor your veterans, don't praise their service' comes across pretty clearly. If you want to talk, again, I'm here. If you want to keep carrying that shit around forever, then carry on.
erhm. Pretending to not be trolling while obviously trolling is trolling. Becoming a politician would do absolutely nothing for anyone else, would put a pretty penny in my pocket though. I didn't just say don't praise their service... hold on, you did see that: So, you see, I said much more and you acknowledge that. It is not my fault that of everything that was said you want to take away just that. Edit: As I said before... I am more than familiar with your horribly covered attempts to feign like you intend to be genuine.
Have to agree. Watching a veteran get attacked for posting his thoughts on a veteran's day thread is absurd.
Hey, that was unexpected, I'm in time, for once, it's open! Hello! I have questions to ask, but I agree that this thread is probably not the appropriate thread to ask them, even though they are closely related.
