I really dislike the idea of going into the armed services. I personally would never do so. And my attitue towards veterans is borderline. Sometimes war is necessary, and we do need people to protect our freedoms (what about protecting them from our own government though?), but the idea of voluntarily giving up your life to someone else for them to tell you what you are going to die for, well that seems very stupid. I don't worship veterans like everyone else seems to, because all they have shown themselves to be are people who can take orders very well. Fight for what you believe needs to be fought for, but I'm not going to feel indebted towards military people because they can put aside their own brains to just blindly follow orders.

I agree.

I would like to also add that a veteran is here because he didn't blindly follow orders. He used his brain and stayed alive.

Aye.

Military personel do more critical thinking on average than most civilians. If anything, civilians 'blindly follow orders' more than military personnel. Most orders are given for a very good reason, the reasons may not always be obvious at the time, but in a firefight, one doesn't really have time to sit back and think about something, you have to act and act quickly if you wish to stay alive.

The idea that military personnel are all drones with no individuality is patently false. It is conformist but it's for a reason, unlike the civilian herd that is conformist for fear of being ostracised for being 'too different'. The reasons for military conformity are not always readily observable, until a later time when it becomes more than obvious that in combat, order and discipline are your best friends. The ensuing chaos of a firefight, you need this order and discipline to survive.

Those that stick out, and appear different in combat, often get their head blown off. Pretty simple concept. You make yourself stand out, you will get shot at.

I don't worship veterans like everyone else seems to, because all they have shown themselves to be are people who can take orders very well. Fight for what you believe needs to be fought for, but I'm not going to feel indebted towards military people because they can put aside their own brains to just blindly follow orders.

Personally, I have far more respect for an individual that knows the importance of following a given order and doing so even though it puts them into harms way, than for a person who smugly claims superiority because they attend a university that wouldn't even exist but for the efforts of those in the military. It would seem that you take many things for granted. Some of the most intelligent individuals I have ever had the priveledge of associating with were in the military, and they did not blindly follow orders, as you say.

Do you "blindly" attend the university and do as your professors tell you to do (follow orders)? If you do not you will fail your courses, yes? Should I disrespect you for being a slave to their indoctrination? I find your attitude to be very immature and ignorant. A little gratitude never killed anyone. No one says you have to worship veterans, but acknowledging their sacrifice for YOUR security, would certainly be a nice gesture wouldn't it? Or are you too "superior" in intellect to feel it's necessary, because you are so much "better" of an individual, than the men and women of our armed forces?
Grow up little girl.

Some people mistake discipline with obedience. But those are two different things.

Obedience is the average Joe following the dictates of another, generally out of laziness, since most people prefer to be lead than to think for themselves.

Discipline is another thing. Following the orders of a superior officer is necessary for the functioning of an army as a hierarchy and even for the survival of the soldier himself. An undisciplined army will be crushed. An organized one will conquer.

So while obedience implies weakness, discipline can mean strength.

With out those men enlisting in our armed forces, with out those men fighting, with out those men dying....

You would not have the ability to protest it. We would be speaking one language, that of the king. And we would all be his slaves.

WE sacrifice ourselves for you, every god damned day, so you don't have to...and that's the thanks we get...swell.

I think my fellow countrymen need to lay off the US military as well and start laying in on our politicians to fund ours, but thats for another forum.

I have very little to add to this that has not been said already. However, do yourselves a favor and get in touch with The Trident magazine....the forthcoming issue is a Military theme.

You need to look at the bigger picture here. The military isn't the Borg collective, wherein you lose your individual indentity to the greater whole. All armies and fighting forces are necessary for the security of any nation that wishes to remain one. And the necessity of any war is justifiably determined by whoever wins it. You might think it's more satanic to fuck everyone else over and only ever look out for your own ass, but without the protective shield of this country, you'd be easy prey for the truly satanic who've banded together in cooperation to ride you down as their enemy. Remember, the strong rule the weak, and the cunning rule over all. Our military folks aren't idiots, they're just doing a very respectable job. Point fingers at the politicians, whose very job it is to control the people.

I recently left active military service. I was in a Combat job (MOS 19D) and served in the gulf during all the non-sense. I Proudly wore Satanist on my dog tags everyday, regardless of all the shit i took for it. Like most things in life you get out of it what you put into it, you don't have to be mindless or even do what they say with out question. If you have any magical ability you will quickly figure out they are just people like everybody else and how to use it. Whether you like the idea of the military or not they really do give you the freedom you have to even be a satanist. I lost a few close friends to that sand covered dump, and it saddens me to think people take their freedoms (what little ones we really have) for granted without at least appreciating the sacrifice others make.

I served my country for 8 years (US Army) and proudly proclaimed myself a satanist, even though at the time I was not a CoS member, I took all the bad looks and attitudes that were thrown my way, and gave em right back, in the form of doing my job, which at times wasn't pleasant, getting promoted faster than some, being recognized for performing above and beyond what was expected of me.

By the time I left the armed forces, many who looked upon my religion in distaste, looked upon the man who lived it with respect. Any person who lives their life by the tenets of Satanism, eventually gains much from it. In my opinion and experience, despite what the christian-right wings think.