Donald Trump on Friday downplayed the toll on American sailors enduring nearly nine months at sea on the USS Abraham Lincoln as concerns escalated about mental health and supply issues aboard the aircraft carrier supporting U.S. operations against Iran.
In a brief exchange with reporters before flying to New York for an event to highlight falling violent crime rates across the U.S., Trump refuted that family members have raised concerns about the deployment’s length and even said that the deployment — which includes a record-setting uninterrupted time at sea of more than 240 days — is “not nearly long enough.”
Not the only, but a very attractive one. You don’t need any tools or skills, they will pay for all your relocation, training, food, housing, and you get the TSP and GI Bill.
If it wasn’t for the whole war thing, it’d be damn near a fairly good implementation of socialism.
Except for the role of being an imperialist soldier, a cog in the murderous machine. Sure.
You have to know that’s not in the brochure or spiel they give to these impoverished kids who barely have enough of an education to read a whole sentence.
And even if it was, it’s not like they would have any of the tools to even start understanding the concept after 18 years of living under US conservative media as the sole source of information and perspective.
These kids sign up literally not knowing any better, for the promise of something better on the other end. It’s stupid to suggest they’re doing it to choose to advance American imperialism after surveying all other options and considering the moral and tangible outcomes of all the choices they think they have at 18 years old.
You’re right. It’s a tempting prospect when college isn’t an option. It really is socialism on the surface:
They’ll take you no matter your existing skills or education, teach you discipline and more skills, push you into peak physical condition, constant opportunities for learning, clear opportunities for advancement, and they’ll make you feel like you’re part of something. Plus you get out and the government promises to take care of you.
(Or betray you entirely. Veterans have such split experiences here, it seems like!)
The rest of the country says “Lol no bachelor’s and 6 years experience? Kick rocks and be poor, loser. Lol.”
Thanks to all the DoD (oh sorry “DoW” /s) funded entertainment propaganda, play any Call of Duty game (especially the fun ones) and you’ll start to get that feeling that to be a soldier is to have purpose, to fight evil, to become something more.
It’s freaking dangerous. But heck yeah it’s attractive as any deal with the devil is. I refuse to swear an oath to any authority but my Creator, but I’d be lying if I didn’t sometimes entertain the notion that I could like, monitor weather in Space Force or something for 4 years and reap tons of benefits.
…But yeah, look who’s in charge. Terrifying. I’m SO GLAD I’ve stayed far away.
Well, except for the part about the people doing the work controlling the means of production.
A fair point!
Maybe I was thinking more…“Democratic Socialism” or y’know like the hybrid Nordic models?
Although now that you mention it…I think things could go very badly if soldiers were also their own equipment manufacturers. Worse than it already is? I dunno.
Then again…how many servicepeople do you think hold significant stonks shares in the government contractors that equip them? That’s a weird relationship…
But I’m flustered that a stupid-cyberpunk scenario is frighteningly possible, where corporations like Thiels’ Tolkien-ripoff companies can openly field their own private troops. 😬