Honest Opinions about Military People

I've always thought myself to separate the person from the organization.  So while I have the utmost respect for a person willing to enlist to fight, I do not hold such respect for the organization as a whole.  Mainly, I think no matter how bad a war is, when a soldier comes home there's no reason to ridicule him- a'la what happened when alot of the vietnam guys came home to the US.  Sure, there might be reason to protest the war and the government's choices, but that's no reason to attack individual soldiers.  To me, the same reason people enlist is the same reason people protest.  Out of a feeling of dedication to their country, dedication that says "serve" or dedication that says "our government should be more responsible"  And while as a single person it's hard to hold both these views at once, I at least begrudge others to have a view different than mine.

@coakroach said:

I have very little respect for the armed forces. As an Australian/New Zealand dual citizen my countries military history is made up of naive kids being shipped halfway across the world to die for someone else's empire, something that some people down under are proud of for some reason. Most wars are countless young people being butchered for the interest of a handful of old men, willingly being a part of such a monstrous system is something I cant help but find morally wrong. 

Not most... all wars. As for the pride, it's about overcoming colossal challenges that other countries couldn't do. The British called the lone pine untakable and only committed a few ANZAC's to it as a diversion. Not only did they take it, they held it for three days without support. It's pride in the resourcefulness of our men. It wasn't the British the stooped the Germans in Africa, it was the rats of Tobruk. In ww1 Australia committed the 3rd largest amount, only behind Germany and France, respective to our population and GDP and the most in ww2, again respectively.  It is also often tempered with hate towards the British. Churchill was one of the commanders on the gallipoli campaign and made sure the English troops had the easy beaches and naval support but fuck the ANZAC's. I personally make it a point to tell the English that we were the ones that stooped the Germans, not them. They like to say they stood alone but they didn't. Slight rant over.

Let me put it this way: I support the troops, but I don't support any war

@ElBarto said:

I'm in the process of joining the military.

You're 14 :|.

Soldiers tend to be dicks or rude people. That's not to say that there are upstanding military men out there, but most are low level jug heads with little else better to do with their lives.

For those who fervently believe that what they're doing is right, even if I don't agree with it, I have nothing but the highest respect. But I have never seen an American soldier who actually believed in what is being fought for in Iraq. This is what saddens me. That people would kill and risk being killed for nothing more then a solid job. It is not a job like any other; even if you're not the one holding the gun, you're still advancing and participating in something political that you have no personal stake in. 

Depends what military you join if you join the American English Israeli and nato countries Imperialist military i think your a bad person and if you die you would get what you deserv IMO 
 
The western military (mostly Israel and American with help from europe) have killed millions of civilians around the world  just in Vietnam alone American soilders have killed 2.5 million civilians 

Drafted soldiers who had no choice in the matter (the greatest generation for example) have my utmost respect and eternal gratitude. Anyone who chooses it...not so much.

I am actually in the process of joining the Air Force right now and I see where your coming from. I, however, don't have friends that have opinions like that. From what I have seen, those that opinions that reach that high on hatred towards the military forces are generally narrow-minded and get their information from a biased source. I have many relatives and friends in the military, and sure, they can do some shady stuff, but we are the back-bone of safety to this country and are just mis-represented. The media has labeled the military horribly through their need-better-ratings editing systems and that's really where it all comes from.

My mind is all jumbled and I am not sure I got my point across throughout that paragraph. What I am trying to say is your friends have their own opinion and until they actually represent or experience the military, tell them their opinions are invalid. It's like a single 18 year old girl trying to tell a mother about childbirth; The mother isn't going to listen to a word she says because she hasn't experienced that life style yet.

Pretty much everyone I've met that's in the service or has been in the service has been pretty cool honestly.

Honestly, I don't care about the military at all. They made a choice, and they know all the consequences that come with being in the military. Its a job, i give them no more respect than I do the person behind the fast food counter taking my order.

it seems alright to be in the army. not going to say hey you have nothing worth in life since your in the military.  a job is a job. you get to see the world or at least a lot of it when your in the army.

@Loose said:

The late Bill Hicks summed up my opinions about the military pretty well with this bit.

Personally, I've had nothing but negative experiences with military-folk (not that that's necessarily indicative of what all of them are like).

This.

@Giantstalker: One of my best mates is an officer cadet in the Australian Army and is getting his engineering degree at ADFA (he's currently at RMC). I know enlisted don't necessarily like officers all that much, but he's a good bloke.

While I'd never want to do the stuff he has to do, he seems to like it for the most part. As to my opinion of military personel, well I've seen enough drunken ADFA clowns to last a lifetime.

But I don't blame the military for anything. They're just another branch of government doing what they're told to do because there's probably a good reason for it; and for the most part they do a good job.

I'm just glad they're the ones trained to use guns, so I'll never have to.

While I may not always agree with the use of the military, I respect the men and women who are enlisted. So what if they know the consequences, that doesnt make it any easier of a job to do. For the most part, these soldiers fight for the freedom of the people back home. Without the military we would have probably been speaking German and long time ago. While not every war is just, some are necessary for not only of the protection of the people back home but for the people where the war is being fought. The Libyan rebels would not be able to accomplish what they are doing now if it were for NATO. It is not our war to fight but it is our responsibility, as human beings, to ensure the safety and just treatment of others.

Im not trying to say that every problem should be solved with a war, in fact if I could have my way we would not need a military and there would be world peace but that is simply not a reality.

War is not glamorous, the military is not glamorous, but it they are two unfortunate facts of life. There have been wars in the past, and there will be wars in the future. The men and women who choose to serve, while have agency in that decision, offer their safety for that of others. On this assumption alone, I believe the military servicemen deserve some form of respect. You don't have to like the military, you dont have to like the people who serve, but you should have some respect for the sacrifices they make because at the end of the day their decisions, both past and future, are for your freedom.

Here's my opinion, and this is coming from a vet- all these people that're complaining are listening to the socialists and VOTED FOR the Socialist that we now currently have in office. 
 
Put a better way- if the US military were allowed to do what it had done before in conflicts like WWII then we'd have no problem whatsoever accomplishing our mission.

I don't blame the military servicemen themselves for all the wasted money and resources we throw away needlessly.  It's the politicians who are to blame.   
 
As for how I feel about military men as individuals, well...I respect them for doing something that I wouldn't.  Not too big on the machismo that seems to go along with joining the armed forces, but that's another issue entirely.  I don't have a lot of respect for police officers, because I feel like they think they deserve the same level of respect as soldiers (they don't).  Basically, I think soldiers are deserving of the respect they get, but that respect doesn't really transfer to the military as a whole.  I respect the individuals, I guess. 
 
What annoys me is people who act like these servicemen all joined up for noble and awe-inspiring reasons.  The reality is that a lot people join the military because it pays and provides for your education.  
 
@Rusputin said:

I have nothing but respect for anybody in the military.  A lot of people like to think of the armed forces as full of degenerates and idiots who couldn't hack it in civilian life, but in reality it's more like these degenerates and idiots are smart enough to realize "normal" everyday zombie civilian life isn't far off from being dead. A lot of people don't truly appreciate what people in the military do.  They dedicate a minimum of several years of their life to the service of their country in exchange for bad pay.  You should always take comfort in the fact that if the shit ever really hits the fan, all these guys bashing on you are going to be the ones hiding under a desk while you're out saving lives.

I grew up in the military and I have to say that most of the time when I hear people making blanket criticisms of the military and the people in it they're usually talking from an abstract, academic, or limited perspective.   For one thing a lot of people don't realize that the vast majority of people in the military don't have actual front line combat functions.  Most are in technical/support roles.  Yes, they support combat operations but those members of the military also have a big hand in helping out in things like disaster relief and peacekeeping roles.  Many eventually leave the military and bring those skills and disciplines to their civilian employment.  There's also a world of difference between short timers and people who are in the military for the long haul.  That's something that might not be obvious from the outside.
 
The lowest tier military definitely has its issues and poorly managed basic infantry can get themselves and others into serious trouble because it's a job and mentality that attracts a certain demographic and encourages behavior that can't just be switched off back in the civilian world.  That can be somewhat managed with proper support and monitoring services but this is an area where the military has fallen short.  Personally I'd like to see less resources dedicated to spending on certain categories of military equipment and more on managing and helping personnel do their jobs effectively and minimizing the bad side effects. 
 
The issue of vets who can't seem to make it in the civilian world after their service is pretty complicated and to say it's just about who joins the military is extremely shortsighted.   There certain experiences where you need help to adapt and adjust and people need to push for services like psych and jobs counselling.  The trauma of these experiences is somewhat independent of whether they happened in the course of a "bad war" or a "good war".   Whether you're fighting the Nazis or fighting insurgents when you see your buddy, whose spouse and kids are known to you, die (whether by gunshot, explosion, or accident) it can seriously mess you up. To be honest military culture is part of the problem but it is changing (too slowly IMO) and is something more people need to be made aware of.  Also why people get discharged is a huge issue.  There's a lot of mental illness that goes unreported and when you let the mentally ill out in the world homelessness is a common consequence.  That's a tough one especially in the current economic climate and people's opinions on healthcare.  What's definitely wrong is to support putting troops in harm's way then to simply give them a pat on the head and say, "Good luck."
 
In the US a lot of the worst things I see the military involved in I feel actually have a high component of civilian responsibility involved.  Don't like the idea of the military being used in a particular war or used in a particular way?  Say something.   More importantly say something more than just "War is bad" anonymously in a random post on the internet or a throwaway conversation in a bar.  Look at a situation, examine it with an eye for the complexities involved, and comment or criticize honestly with some intelligence and nuance.
 
Also it's easy (and probably right) to blame politicians for using the military but in a democracy if the civilian populace is apathetic, uneducated, or reckless about who they elect into office then what do they expect is going to happen when the military is put into use by politicians?    
 
Finally, I personally agree there's a problem with calling all soldiers heroes.  With all due respect and love I just don't feel it's an appropriate label for all solders.  It's a label that even the best people just can't live up to most of the time and maybe it's not fair to put that kind of pressure on people.  That doesn't diminish the extraordinary things that ordinary soldiers do but I feel it should be reserved for the truly rare and exceptional.

I have a huge amount of respect for anyone who wears our country's uniform. It's a tough job which they are asked to do, made all the tougher by the idiot politicians who are unworthy of commanding them.

I was really interested to see if anyone in the previous posts actually identified themselves as military. Enlisted or commissioned.

Kind of surprised to be honest.

I've never come across this machoism I've heard about in a few posts. I think people hear the word military and think Rambo or Solid Snake. Which is Far Far from the truth at least 90% of the time. Maybe even 95%.

And by the way,

Army = Solider

Marines = Marine

Air Force = Airman (get this right for me please :D)

I will tell you all from personal experience that our nations military are true professionals. You may witness the occasional scumbag every now and then, but that's the same with the rest of the job market.

When someone takes the time to thank me for my service, never have I laughed it off or taken it for granted. Doing so would dishonor those who came before me.

I really think people have the wrong perceptions about the military, which I'm not bitter about one bit. People will never understand what it takes without experiencing a deployment, basic training, or any one of the hundred different regulations us military folks have to adhere to. For a fun read, take a gander at the UCMJ.

All in all, I love my country. It took me awhile to realize what that really meant. Thank you everyone who had words of kindness, it does not going unappreciated.

My dad is in the military. He enjoys and appreciates when people thank him for his service. And when they don't, he knows they don't know what it's like. As much as I thought the movie was meh, I do like the quote in Jarhead where Jake's character says "Every war is different; every war is the same." My dad's met with other veterans from various times and says it's different now from how they describe their time. But I don't know.

As far as respect and all that, judging from my dad's experiences and meeting people at parties over the years and such, there are all kinds of people in the military. Adept and asshole alike. I even fought with one dude once. True story. lol. But he was drunk, so... You can guess which one he was.

Interesting. In an ideal world there would't be an army because there wouldn't be wars. In a way soldiers can be a symbol of a sad reality.

Plus, most Army people I've met are self-righteous egotistical assholes so :P

I wouldn't belittle them for their profession, though, but definitely for their attitude.

While I respect those who choose to serve I do not trust the government one bit.

@Makoto_Mizuhara_Sakamoto: You really really reaaaaally don't know what socialism is huh?

@Giantstalker: That's kind of a strange question. It's hard to lump everyone with a certain profession into a group and judge them. Everyone that I know personally who is serving or has served in the military are outstanding individuals. They're also all well educated. I don't happen to know anyone who didn't go from college to the military or from the military to college.

But like I said, you can't judge a whole group by the people you know. Unless they're visitors of Giant Bomb. We all know what kind of jerks they are.

I have nothing but respect for the armed services. They do a job that the fair majority of us wouldn't ever want and deal with some of the most stressful and adverse job conditions possible. If someone is a dick, chances are they would be a dick no matter what their career was. I find it wholly irresponsible to blame the military for the bad behavior of individuals.

The job you choose to have and the organizations you take a part in do say something about you as a person. You can't ignore that. Hell I'm in the military but I'm bothered by the idea that all soldiers are treated as morally infallible and if I say "hey that soldier right there is a shithead cus he threw a puppy over a cliff and filmed it for youtube" suddenly I'm attacking everyone in the military. There's a fascist streak when it comes to the US military in general. Just like with most militaries. It basically another form of governance living in concert with democracy. So when I see "I hate the government but I support our troops" it kind of strikes me as :have your cake and eat it" bullshit PC speak.

@ryanwho said:

... when I see "I hate the government but I support our troops" it kind of strikes me as :have your cake and eat it" bullshit PC speak.

I have to agree with you there, it's jarring for people to say that but I'm usually too polite to disagree

That strikes me like saying "Dentists are great, but man fuck teeth". Kinda defeats the entire reason for the profession.

The work defines the worker, and the current missions are definitely not popular ones. It's part of why I asked in the first place

But at the same time you can not like what someone does, and still respect them for it because it is difficult or dangerous or unique or whatever.

I had respect for what insurgents were doing because it posed a credible threat but it didn't mean I liked them, or was less inclined to take action against them

1)  The world would be a better place if no one ever wanted to be a soldier.  Let's face it.  There are some professions that are needed like doctors and farmers.  Others that are for fun like singers and game designers.  And well the military, it is a necessary evil if you will brought on by the evil of man.  Just a fact. 
2)  Some military personnel can be real heroes, admirable people.  Others, the ones I know personally, are retarded assholes.  Good people to party with but the definition of douchebag.  Just because you wear a uniform doesn't mean you are not a punk ass. 
3)  I don't like how some people post up on facebook about the pay of a soldier and how the president gets paid more and stuff like that.  Look, let's be real here.  Real real.  Being in the military is less special than being president.  There are millions of soldiers in the world, so lots of people do what you do.  You want more for what you do?  Make sure you realize that what you have is a job.  You are not a power ranger. 
4)  Military conflicts that the US has gotten into are retarded.  Don't Cut and Run!!! The republicans yell.  My motto is fuck em.  THe military should not be propping up governments or helping people that don't help themselves.  Take the oil fields and look out for numero uno.

It's mostly a well respected profession in the UK nowadays. Our armed forces are pretty small now, so they no longer need to take the dregs of society like they used to - they can actually afford to be pretty picky about who they take, given the lack of work around. Also I guess it's easier to love them when they're half a world away getting shot at on your behalf, rather than sat around at home getting drunk and smashing the place up.

@ryanwho said:

... when I see "I hate the government but I support our troops" it kind of strikes me as :have your cake and eat it" bullshit PC speak.

I have to agree with you there, it's jarring for people to say that but I'm usually too polite to disagree

That strikes me like saying "Dentists are great, but man fuck teeth". Kinda defeats the entire reason for the profession.

The work defines the worker, and the current missions are definitely not popular ones. It's part of why I asked in the first place

But at the same time you can not like what someone does, and still respect them for it because it is difficult or dangerous or unique or whatever.

I had respect for what insurgents were doing because it posed a credible threat but it didn't mean I liked them, or was less inclined to take action against them

The job you choose to have and the organizations you take a part in do say something about you as a person. You can't ignore that. Hell I'm in the military but I'm bothered by the idea that all soldiers are treated as morally infallible and if I say "hey that soldier right there is a shithead cus he threw a puppy over a cliff and filmed it for youtube" suddenly I'm attacking everyone in the military. There's a fascist streak when it comes to the US military in general. Just like with most militaries. It basically another form of governance living in concert with democracy. So when I see "I hate the government but I support our troops" it kind of strikes me as :have your cake and eat it" bullshit PC speak.

@ryanwho said:

... when I see "I hate the government but I support our troops" it kind of strikes me as :have your cake and eat it" bullshit PC speak.

But at the same time you can not like what someone does, and still respect them for it because it is difficult or dangerous or unique or whatever.

My opinion is that I respect what military people do for my country and I believe most do it out of a pride for who they are and what they believe in. If you're willing to put your life on the line to save the country and people, almost all you will never meet, then I think you deserve the respect of everyone who you keep safe, they may not agree with war, and violence, but to know that while I sit in my cosy house playing games on a big sofa and tv, there is someone out there fighting to protect me, my family, friends and country. I feel very proud

I think soldiers are complete scum, especially those of big invading armies such as the Israeli / US Army 
 Sure, call me an asshole or whatever, doesn't change the fact that they're inhumane savages. Complete stone cold dudebros given the permission to kill, rape and abuse defenseless human beings, right after invading their countries and massacring their societies and mutilating the core base of their lives, crippling their cultures and setting their fucking lives' timer to 00:00:00. 
 
I've seen way too many brutality videos to believe your "it's only a corrupt minority" argument. Fuck those soldiers and their armies, and fuck the governments that allowed those horrible no-good men to toy with other nations' lives and bodies and purity, i hope they die the most gruesome deaths known to man. There's my opinion. 
 
Sure, there are good people in the army, and there are also those serving for whatever economical or social reason without enjoying their "power" too much or being psyched about taking another man's life, but they're not the smashing majority, oh no.

I really only have respect for people that join the military. I have never really thought that the people that decided to enlist did it because they agreed with some political view. I was under the impression that it was more a decision about protecting his/her country, friends, and family, and that seems like an admirable goal to me. 

I am a senior in an Army ROTC program so I am soon to be a commissioned officer. I have encountered numerous examples of resistance or plain ignorance in the face of my decision and it takes a strong resolve to brush it aside. It does not help that I attend an extremely liberal college, I have been attacked verbally by student groups as well as liberal arts professors. We volunteer to protect the people of the United States and regardless of their opinion of us most enlisted individuals believe they are doing those people a service that is necessary. I will listen to any argument and can see valid logic in many but the armed forces is a necessary profession and respect should be given to those who dedicate even a part of their lives to it knowing the risks. I am not trying to accomplish anything with this message beyond letting you know there is another person enduring some abuse with you and also supporting your decisions and dedication.

I think soldiers are complete scum, especially those of big invading armies such as the Israeli / US Army  Sure, call me an asshole or whatever, doesn't change the fact that they're inhumane savages. Complete stone cold dudebros given the permission to kill, rape and abuse defenseless human beings, right after invading their countries and massacring their societies and mutilating the core base of their lives, crippling their cultures and setting their fucking lives' timer to 00:00:00.  I've seen way too many brutality videos to believe your "it's only a corrupt minority" argument. Fuck those soldiers and their armies, and fuck the governments that allowed those horrible no-good men to toy with other nations' lives and bodies and purity, i hope they die the most gruesome deaths known to man. There's my opinion.

Some people join the military to serve and protect. Total respect! Some join to have a job that might offer an education then get out. I still have respect that you took on THAT job to get something better for yourself. It's not the military personnel that I distrust, its the ones in power(military and government). The people in power are the ones f'ing stuff up, you are there doing your job.

I went to a recruiter about 17 years ago. My interests were to get an education and get out of my job. I went to the testing center on a Friday, and because of a blizzard I got stuck there until Monday. Through the experience I learned the military was NOT for me. I'm a free spirit/ vagabond in life and being there and having to report and sign in just to take a dump was too much for me. I scored high on the ASVAB (I think that's it) test and was asked to take another test. Out of the 60+ people in my group 7 of us got to take the second test. I bombed the test on purpose because I just want to get out of there. After the second test my recruiter chewed me out but called for months afterwards to get me to try again. The military is not something I would willingly just give up my personal freedom. If I would have been drafted I would have showed up and done my part but given the choice....

I'm glad people are willing to make a career out of it. Thank you.

I don't think the military is as relevant as it was say 25 years ago, but obviously they still have a purpose to serve I guess.

Although it is a shame, I only know people (from high-school) who joined due to shit grades and having the wrong idea of what the army does. They went in thinking they could do know better and that they'd be killing all those dirty towell-headed terrorists, which was a disgusting view, even if they were only joking. Now 5 years later half of them regret it and half of them have grown the fuck up.

Off topic: The thunder above our house sounds like it is about to topple the house. Fuck man.

I think soldiers are complete scum, especially those of big invading armies such as the Israeli / US Army 
 Sure, call me an asshole or whatever, doesn't change the fact that they're inhumane savages. Complete stone cold dudebros given the permission to kill, rape and abuse defenseless human beings, right after invading their countries and massacring their societies and mutilating the core base of their lives, crippling their cultures and setting their fucking lives' timer to 00:00:00. 
 
I've seen way too many brutality videos to believe your "it's only a corrupt minority" argument. Fuck those soldiers and their armies, and fuck the governments that allowed those horrible no-good men to toy with other nations' lives and bodies and purity, i hope they die the most gruesome deaths known to man. There's my opinion. 
 
Sure, there are good people in the army, and there are also those serving for whatever economical or social reason without enjoying their "power" too much or being psyched about taking another man's life, but they're not the smashing majority, oh no.

@Makoto_Mizuhara_Sakamoto said:

Here's my opinion, and this is coming from a vet- all these people that're complaining are listening to the socialists and VOTED FOR the Socialist that we now currently have in office. Put a better way- if the US military were allowed to do what it had done before in conflicts like WWII then we'd have no problem whatsoever accomplishing our mission.

I don't think "our mission" is to use antiquated tactics from a war that ended over 60 years ago in a completely different situation.

Forewarning, this gets a little personal. Back when I was a lad, not really knowing anything, I ended up enlisting right out of school in my nation's armed forces. It's been my career ever since.  Years later, I'm very happy to have secure employment but I've come to realize that a lot of people have really... interesting opinions about the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Because these organizations are so linked to politics, and often the (bad) news, it seems like most people trust their forces (and by extension, their governments) less and less as years go by. The places we've been told to go to aren't improving very much, we cost everyone a lot of money, and the oft-reported collateral damage we incur is considered barbaric if not outright negligent. To many, being a soldier is a lazy job for the uneducated or unmotivated. They feel it's a free pass from the government; get paid to waste money and hurt innocent people.  What really drove this home the other day is when I talked to a friend I had from high school. We took very different paths, he's earned a degree and really made a place for himself. But the people he associates with had negative views about what I represent, and even though they humored me with minor complements, as soon as any serious conversation started it immediately became them vs. me in a debate about the very legitimacy what I do. Things got pretty heated and I left sorta angry because I'm not very good at arguing my point, but I tried and ended up sounding arrogant and unjustified. Haven't talked to him since. Do you have any kind of view on the military profession as a whole? Is being a soldier a career for a failure in your eyes, or is it something that you have some respect for? Not here to start a debate, just like hearing other points of view on the matter.

We will always need soldiers, and I personally respect the ones i've met.

@Ahmad_Metallic said:

I think soldiers are complete scum, especially those of big invading armies such as the Israeli / US Army
Sure, call me an asshole or whatever, doesn't change the fact that they're inhumane savages. Complete stone cold dudebros given the permission to kill, rape and abuse defenseless human beings, right after invading their countries and massacring their societies and mutilating the core base of their lives, crippling their cultures and setting their fucking lives' timer to 00:00:00.

I've seen way too many brutality videos to believe your "it's only a corrupt minority" argument. Fuck those soldiers and their armies, and fuck the governments that allowed those horrible no-good men to toy with other nations' lives and bodies and purity, i hope they die the most gruesome deaths known to man. There's my opinion.

Sure, there are good people in the army, and there are also those serving for whatever economical or social reason without enjoying their "power" too much or being psyched about taking another man's life, but they're not the smashing majority, oh no.

Nothing is good about war, but its going to keep happening, people will die, lives will be ruined, as they have been in war for the last several thousand years, and assuming all armies do nothing but rape and pillage is a little naive. We've come a long way from what war used to be, at least today there is some oversight in most nations, and today when an atrocity happens, people find out about it, they put up youtube videos, contact distant friends, protest, or travel to other parts of the world to tell their story. I get where your coming from, but also keep in mind that many men go to war and are destroyed by it, they kill others and get shot at themselves and become emotionally distraught, alot of soldiers are just a little too kind.

@Turambar:  I'm Israeli 

I respect most soliders but a lot of them that I know are real douche bags.

Well, I don't know, really. It's weird, as I'm from Sweden and the last war we were involved with as a country was against Napoleon, almost two hundred years ago. I mean, we basically don't have an army anymore, we used to have conscription, but that disappeared before I became eighteen. 
 
Joining the military in Sweden is... surely different from joining the army in a country where there is actual fighting going on. I don't know a single person who works for the military, at all. It's just weird. My uncle was a captain when he was young, but that was when the Cold War was still looming over Europe. Still, there's a lot of weapons manufacturing going on, we are as of this year the second largest exporter of weapons in relation to population, and the eight largest exporter overall. That's just weird, and I don't think it's a good thing.

Well there are definitely some honest opinions around here rofl.