Gamers avoid military service

[df0notfound]

although the army teaches people to kill to protect the country, fact

Although I'd do anything I could to get out of national service

[MartyG]

Hmm - was Manhunt not released in the US?

I am a believer in VGV. - support the cause.

[anephric]

That's complete and utter bull****.

Legal age for entering UK Army = 17.

I'd consider sticking a gun in a 17-year-old's hands and commanding him to shoot at targets teaching him how to kill.

[Super Stu]

What's your point?

[Sergeant Syphillis]

I'd consider sticking a gun in a 17-year-old's hands and commanding him to shoot at targets teaching him how to kill.

I'd be more inclined to believe that is actually teaching someone how to fire a weapon....ridiculous. Take fencing for example, you are given a leathal weapon and taught to thrust it at a real person (read: not a target), yet nobody classes that as teaching someone to kill people. The army is not a place where people are simply taught to shoot guns or more specifically kill someone, the army is a way of life and yes there are times when killing is part of that life however it isn't the main focus by a long mile.

[Commander Marklar]

Thank you, Sarge

[anephric]

I'd be more inclined to believe that is actually teaching someone how to fire a weapon....ridiculous. Take fencing for example, you are given a leathal weapon and taught to thrust it at a real person (read: not a target), yet nobody classes that as teaching someone to kill people. The army is not a place where people are simply taught to shoot guns or more specifically kill someone, the army is a way of life and yes there are times when killing is part of that life however it isn't the main focus by a long mile.

Fencing is a sport hinged on a previous way of killing people, yes. No-one expects you, once you're an accomplished sportsman, to go and and stab people (if you're sane). I used to fence, btw, and wouldn't have a clue how to kill someone on point with a sabre. I know how to score in a tournament, though.

It's all for sport in the army, then, is it? The target shooting (and, in the US Army, targets that bleed) is all for sport, then?

The army teach you to shoot so you can use those "skills" in combat and kill people. How you can rarify said training to the above argument is bizarre.

[Commander Marklar]

No-one expects you, once you're an accomplished sportsman, to go and and stab people (if you're sane).

Once leaving national service, did all those trained killers go our and kill somebody? Ever had any experience of the Army?

The army teach you to shoot so you can use those "skills" in combat and kill people.

Guess not then...

[anephric]

I was in the cadets and that was more than enough, thanks.

I have mates that joined and left (or, rather, were chucked out, one for being a tranny )

I don't want to argue with you about something that is endless: I'm just not a militaristic person and I don't see the need for a country's finances to be endlessly poured into its capacity to wage war (the percentage of America's GDP that is funnelled off into the defence budget is scary).

[Super Stu]

Heh, might have been easier to state that rather than bemoaning folk who are trained to do a job.

[killing_floor]

No it ain't evolved to have economies based on war ; but it's also as not evolved to prevent people who do want to be trained properly in survival and related activities from being able to do so as they would wish. My eyesight means I couldn't be a pilot, so right away that's eliminated from something that I could have learned to do. And, because the only sort of thing availible not full time is the TA, it's not as if someone like me who would like to drive and pilot all kinds of vehicles for example, will be able to have done that.

The armed forces are like everything else, whe they are done right they are spot-on. Think of chivalry. Armed forces for real are very spiritually evolved - the Bible (OT - Torah) and the Upanishads are full of references to mech suits of the olden days. I've even got a 60s published paperback called 'the spaceships of Ezeikiel' - about that book in the OTs visions of vehicles. It was written by a NASA scientist, back before all the crap that clouds things these days was around and scientists were allowed to be scientists.

[anephric]

It's scarily reactionary in here...

I was trying to appease people who are obviously militaristic and ameliorate the tone a bit: but, as Chamberlain well knew, such tokens are pointless.

I'm diametrically opposed to all things martial. Touting chivalry as a reason for joining the army is as bizarre a notion as I've ever heard. I can understand if you need to feel part of a team and placing your life in your mate's hands and all that, but chivalry? It's about as likely as it was in the Middle Ages. More likely a paladin would knock you over with his stallion and **** your wife.