As a vet of the occupation of Iraq, I somewhat share your sentiment. I feel that if I'd been killed over there it would have been justified and morally correct.
However, I don't really hope for their deaths. What I hope for is that they have a radicalizing experience like I did.
When I speak critically in public about the empire, chuds and libs listen pretty intently. I think it would do a hell of a lot of good if there were more of us speaking up about the evils of the American empire with first hand knowledge. I wish it didn't happen this way because I participated in a great evil, but people love to hear a story of change and reform. Sometimes it takes a story of drama and peril for average people to start thinking critically.
It was kinda death by a million cuts honestly. But the beginning I think was actually watching the film Iraq for Sale. My command being pieces of shit didn't exactly help engender any feelings of good will either.
the only problem with hoping they get radicalised is how much damage they can do in the meantime. I truly hope as many as possible die quickly. they made their choice to serve the death machine
I mean, yeah, but if they were anything like me in my situation they didn't know better. And I'm a firm believer that when people know better, they do better (at least among working class folks). I was wildly insulated from critical thinking, literally in a cult lite evangelical area.
I hope more for the destruction of the machines, internal infrastructure, and economic support of the military. That would of course be the death nail. But like you said, in the mean time... Fish food is fine.
I guess I feel for them in their ignorance because I can see so much of myself in them. And I try to be charitable to individuals, but hold a ruthless contempt for systems. I try to keep a sense of humility in all this, because I think any one of us could be like that if we were placed in the right material conditions, it's sad really. Then there's the kids just trying to escape poverty. Shits fucked up yo.
At the end of the day, what I'm saying is... Death to America.
but if they were anything like me in my situation they didn't know better.
sorry, but for all vets (you included tbh) not knowing better is not good enough for me. I think being ruthless to imperialists is the way. when a troop occupies a country, I stop caring why they've chosen to do that. the side that causes the destruction gets to explain and hand waive why they did it and I think that's wrong
Yeah, as someone is actively doing imperial violence, all bets are off. Like I said, I would have deserved to get got for being over there. I don't think it's an excuse, it's context of how the war machine consumes human souls and as fuel to take human lives and converters it into treats and slop. The better we understand these processes, the better we can apply pressure on every weak point.
I'm trying to keep a materialist analysis in mind, it's how we're going kill the beast.
As a vet of the occupation of Iraq, I somewhat share your sentiment. I feel that if I'd been killed over there it would have been justified and morally correct.
However, I don't really hope for their deaths. What I hope for is that they have a radicalizing experience like I did.
When I speak critically in public about the empire, chuds and libs listen pretty intently. I think it would do a hell of a lot of good if there were more of us speaking up about the evils of the American empire with first hand knowledge. I wish it didn't happen this way because I participated in a great evil, but people love to hear a story of change and reform. Sometimes it takes a story of drama and peril for average people to start thinking critically.
What was your "Are we the baddies?" moment, if you don't mind me asking?
It was kinda death by a million cuts honestly. But the beginning I think was actually watching the film Iraq for Sale. My command being pieces of shit didn't exactly help engender any feelings of good will either.
the only problem with hoping they get radicalised is how much damage they can do in the meantime. I truly hope as many as possible die quickly. they made their choice to serve the death machine
I mean, yeah, but if they were anything like me in my situation they didn't know better. And I'm a firm believer that when people know better, they do better (at least among working class folks). I was wildly insulated from critical thinking, literally in a cult lite evangelical area. I hope more for the destruction of the machines, internal infrastructure, and economic support of the military. That would of course be the death nail. But like you said, in the mean time... Fish food is fine.
I guess I feel for them in their ignorance because I can see so much of myself in them. And I try to be charitable to individuals, but hold a ruthless contempt for systems. I try to keep a sense of humility in all this, because I think any one of us could be like that if we were placed in the right material conditions, it's sad really. Then there's the kids just trying to escape poverty. Shits fucked up yo.
At the end of the day, what I'm saying is... Death to America.
sorry, but for all vets (you included tbh) not knowing better is not good enough for me. I think being ruthless to imperialists is the way. when a troop occupies a country, I stop caring why they've chosen to do that. the side that causes the destruction gets to explain and hand waive why they did it and I think that's wrong
Yeah, as someone is actively doing imperial violence, all bets are off. Like I said, I would have deserved to get got for being over there. I don't think it's an excuse, it's context of how the war machine consumes human souls and as fuel to take human lives and converters it into treats and slop. The better we understand these processes, the better we can apply pressure on every weak point.
I'm trying to keep a materialist analysis in mind, it's how we're going kill the beast.