• sOlitude24k@lemmy.myserv.one
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    1 month ago

    It’s always awkward to respond to it, too. Like, my service sucked. Don’t thank me because I was poor and needed a job and healthcare, lol. Most of the people I was in didn’t give a shit about patriotism. We just wanted to not starve to death and go to college.

    • ChickenLadyLovesLife@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I watched a documentary at a film festival a few years ago about a Vietnam vet, who was there for the premiere and took questions from the audience afterwards. The vet mentioned how much he hated hearing “thank you for your service” all the time. Another Vietnam vet stood up and asked him a question, and the first vet started off his answer with “thank you for your service”.

    • diskmaster23@lemmy.one
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      1 month ago

      Like 10-15 years ago, I contacted the air force to join and become an officer (I have a degree). I wanted to do a gs-1102 job. The recruiter asked why I wanted to join. I said for a job. They said no, they wanted patriots. Guy, ask service members, they aren’t there to “serve their country,” they are there for a job.

      • captainlezbian@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I once got a call back about a job I applied to online informing me I’d have to commission as an officer in the Air Force for it, but that they really liked my resume. It was awkward af because I had rejected the Air Force industrial complex but it met my ethics (it was something like an environmental engineering role), but I had to inform them that as I’m hard of hearing I’m ineligible for the military. Sucks, I really could’ve used the stability, permanent health insurance, pension, and free extra college…

    • SlapnutsGT@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      It’s very awkward for me especially since I was only an electrician fixing lighthouses, I wasn’t getting shot at overseas or anything.

  • N0body@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    1 month ago

    That’s why you shouldn’t thank them for their service with mere words, but with song. A rousing round of God Bless America sung by the entire room is how you properly thank service members. Remind everyone in the audience that if they don’t join in, it’s because they hate America.

  • Mossy Feathers (She/They)@pawb.social
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    1 month ago

    I’ve heard it’s Schrodinger’s virtue signaling. Most military guys get annoyed, but then when you don’t virtue signal, it just happens to be the one guy who actually enjoys it and gets upset that you didn’t say, “thanks for your service”.

    • Samvega
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      1 month ago

      “Thank you for aiding a corrupt military-industrial system.”

    • Xtallll
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      1 month ago

      That guy spent 4 years fucking up people’s pay in finance never deployed, then didn’t reenlist, fuck that guy.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      To which you respond, “I don’t know, what have you done for me lately?”

      You know, if you don’t care about the next 5 minutes of your life or you wanted to tank the reviews for your workplace.

  • psion1369@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Thank you for your service and here are your awards and medals. Your family will thank you even more when you die and they hawk your medals at my pawn shop for a few extra bucks of inheritance.

    My father in law used to run flea markets on the side. Used to say that in the service he worked hard as hell and never got a medal of honor, but working the flea markets he had a jar full of them. Nobody gives a shit about service.

    • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      I mean… Medals are like candy in the military. There’s 4 medals that make people pay attention. A purple heart, a silver star, a service cross, and the congressional medal of honor. Most people won’t be awarded any of them, and of those who are awarded, they will likely not receive more than one their entire career.

      There’s like 20 other medals that you’ll receive more than once and amount to, “I was on active duty at X time and didn’t get in trouble”. So a lot of soldiers don’t really care about their own medals.

  • Olhonestjim@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    It’s only the virtue signalling that annoys me. If you’re just trolling me, then it’s good for a laugh.

    I swept for your freedom.

    • evidences@lemmy.world
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      1 month ago

      One of the guys I work with now won’t stop sweeping at work it’s annoying as all hell. Now every time I see a broom outside of work I have a negative response to it, I might have PTSD. Anyways thanks for your service.

  • Aeao@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    I don’t believe in wars (don’t message me, yes there was a way to end your specific example thru diplomacy. Look it up on google)

    Anyway I always go with “I admire you’re bravery” because that doesn’t go against my beliefs but still shows respect for what they had to do.

      • Aeao@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        I mean… That is a theory. I don’t like it but it’s still better than war. Arguably the cold war and proxy wars prevented a major war…

        I dont think of it as a perfect win obviously because of the proxy wars like Vietnam and Korea. Those wars specifically gave me a bucket full of nice medals but cost me every single one of my uncles. There were other proxy wars though.

        Anyway my point is 2 fold.

        1. Arguably that strategy prevented a much bloodier war between Russia and the US but there were still better ways to handle that without any war.

        And 2) if you ignore the proxy wars the “cold war” approach is one way to avoid war, I guess. The government equivalent of the obnoxious drunk guy flexing his muscles and saying “you don’t want none of this bro”… It’s better than a war but not my favorite strategy. Although I might not like that approach it did prevent a war, it was better than a war… So… Good job?

        Again the proxy wars ruin that but they were unnecessary and didn’t change much for the US or Russia. Obviously they did a lot of damage to the countries we fought in. My point is the cold war approach didn’t need that to prevent the war. It actually pushed us closer.

        I’m just saying the “I’ve got a bigger gun” diplomacy… Well it’s definitely a strategy that is better than war…

      • Aeao@lemmy.world
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        1 month ago

        We could’ve stopped the Nazis by… You know… Allowing Jewish people to move to America…

        But bombs are cool too I guess. If you only want to be slightly less racist than Nazis and are fine with a lot of unnecessary death.

          • Aeao@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            If someone is running from a burning building, I don’t feel sending them back inside the building while you decide what if anything you want to do is a well planned strategy.

            My point isn’t “take the Jews, problem solved” my point is “here’s one strategy off the top of my head that would’ve helped a lot. If I can think of one easy solution so effortlessly then we clearly put no effort into fixing the problem without a war. No effort at all”

            If you want full details of how exactly we could’ve prevented war listed out by experts… Google it. Like I said at the beginning. The info is out there. Why should I copy and paste it for you. Go read it yourself.

            I’m not here to hold your hand.

              • Aeao@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                I’m plenty informed. I just have no desire to educate you. I don’t feel id get a fair return from that investment.I said that from the beginning.

                If you want to know the answers, google it. If you don’t want to know, why should I try to force you. I’m a busy man. Do your own research.

                If you want more sarcasm keep replying. that’s all I’m willing to offer you.

        • Wirlocke
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          1 month ago

          So just allow Hitler to take over europe and make an ethnostate through mass exodus?

          If you’re talking about the nukes, I agree, they were unnecessary as Axis Japan was already on the decline.

          But to argue the entire war was preventable by just displacing jewish people is naive and borders on antisemitic.

          There might’ve been ways to prevent the war from starting, like not destroying Germany’s economy as a scapegoat for WW1 would have done a lot.

          But after the Nazis siezed power there’s nothing you could do to diplomacy the Nazis into being peaceful.

          • Aeao@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            It’s one of many easy things we could’ve done but didn’t do. If you want a complete answer you can Google it. I said I don’t have the time to list it all here but the information is easily available.

        • Match!!@pawb.social
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          1 month ago

          just getting jews out of germany would specifically not have worked because hitler mostly cared about german imperialism and used jews as a scapegoat. this would not have stopped the nazis, though it would have saved jewish lives

          • Aeao@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            No one single thing could have fixed the complex situation. If you want the complex answer, Google it. Better people than me have explained it. I don’t have the time or energy.

          • Aeao@lemmy.world
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            1 month ago

            There what is?

            “War is unnecessary. Don’t message me about war you like. Just look it up yourself”

            “What about this war”

            “Unnecessary”

            Shocked Pikachu face

              • Aeao@lemmy.world
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                1 month ago

                Yet you asked the question anyway just so you could say “there it is” and pat yourself on the back like you uncovered something.

                It’s like if I said “I don’t believe I’m the death penalty”

                And you responded “what about for really bad people”

                “Yes even for really bad people”

                “There it is!”

                It’s nonsense.

  • DrMorose@lemmy.world
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    1 month ago

    Jokes on you, I could care less either way. I was in but I feel I didn’t do much to be thanked for.