good post

https://twitter.com/BadEmpanada/status/1661212920938737665

  • Abstraction [he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    This seems a little silly. If the problem is that even the veterans who regret their actions for whatever reason still function as part of the tools for imperialism, why frame this in terms of repentance? Who cares if they "truly repent", are we some kind of a religion now? Should we not try to use these people to actually fight imperialism instead of asking them to go let themselves be killed as revenge for moral reasons?

    • GarbageShoot [he/him]
      ·
      1 year ago

      He shouldn't put it in theological terms, but he does have a serious point about how disingenuous that shit almost always is. Look, if someone wants to agitate against recruitment and doesn't want to travel to Iraq to get lynched, that's fair, but sitting around moping about your PITS without the slightest interest in actually improving the world, while constantly bringing up your status so people can venerate you, that's fucking bullshit.

    • corgiwithalaptop [any, love/loves]M
      ·
      1 year ago

      I think the implication is that if they don't truly repent, then we aren't able to use them for our own ends. Not gonna argue this idea very much since I spent all of half a second with it, but thats kinda where my brain went.

      • Huldra [they/them, it/its]
        ·
        1 year ago

        Thats basically one of several points BE makes, if you get back and all your efforts are about gaining acceptance from your homeland and to improve your homeland, then that isnt meaningfully different from your decision to go abroad and assist in imperialist slaughter for personal gains and benefits.

        Or at least thats my way of putting it.

    • AssortedBiscuits [they/them]
      ·
      1 year ago

      Should we not try to use these people to actually fight imperialism instead of asking them to go let themselves be killed as revenge for moral reasons?

      In my experience, the vast majority of vets are broken people, whether it's physically broken, mentally broken, or emotionally broken. It's not us who need their help but them who need our help. We should not see them as heroes who will save the day but victims who need saving. There's no need to put them on a pedestal.