My brother in law is an ex-marine, no college and now easily makes 4x what I do. Free network, free training, free career, low-interest loan on his house. I promise I’m not bitter… But if that’s not socialism I don’t know what is.
Believe it or not, there are a subset of us that understand this and want those things for the citizenry (we’re now part of) too. Seeing taxes tangibly invested back into you is a wonderful thing.
Yeah I get it, he’s a good dude and you sound like one too. The only real resentment I harbor is towards our government. Because the military seems to offer the only real path to a life like that if you don’t have the means to get on that track yourself. Plus, it’s such a perilous one, not for everyone. My bil was lucky enough to serve at an allied base during peacetime - he still ended up half-deaf from all the live-fire drills.
I know a handful of military folks who are now doing so much better in their lives. Came from a shitty background, and now work IT or management.
Unfortunately, I also know a lot of military folks who didn’t make it. Some are in prison. Some suffer from issues in society. Many still work for the military/government because they have no other skills.
The most common bond: they tell their kids not to join the military.
Soldiers are a great analogy because the American military is one of the most socialist endeavours in the world. Everything they need is tax-payer funded. It’s incredible really.
Socialism is anti imperialism. Just because something is socialized doesn’t make it socialism. If the military was socialists it would have cut the head off the military and formed a workers militia. No wars for oil or opium, no military bases all over the world.
The military itself isn’t run for profit, but profits flow from military imperialism, which opens the door for financial I action and mass extraction and forced austerity for less developed countries.
If anything the military proves that such mass socialization is possible, which makes capitalism obsolete. But the military is not an example of socialism, don’t muddy the water with goofy opinions. Words have meanings, politics has consequences. Stop trying to have takes, fight for worker internationalism instead
It’s not free. It comes from our taxes. School lunch is free for the kid, and paid for by taxes.
And if you think that’s a bad thing, then why does the military give free lunches to its soldiers?
They get free clothes and free housing too.
My brother in law is an ex-marine, no college and now easily makes 4x what I do. Free network, free training, free career, low-interest loan on his house. I promise I’m not bitter… But if that’s not socialism I don’t know what is.
Believe it or not, there are a subset of us that understand this and want those things for the citizenry (we’re now part of) too. Seeing taxes tangibly invested back into you is a wonderful thing.
If anything, being in the military keeps driving me further to the left
Yeah I get it, he’s a good dude and you sound like one too. The only real resentment I harbor is towards our government. Because the military seems to offer the only real path to a life like that if you don’t have the means to get on that track yourself. Plus, it’s such a perilous one, not for everyone. My bil was lucky enough to serve at an allied base during peacetime - he still ended up half-deaf from all the live-fire drills.
But if everyone got it no one would have a reason to join the military
The most desperate wouldn’t join, but plenty still would.
The bigger question is; if we were a smarter more generous country, would we need such a big military?
I know a handful of military folks who are now doing so much better in their lives. Came from a shitty background, and now work IT or management.
Unfortunately, I also know a lot of military folks who didn’t make it. Some are in prison. Some suffer from issues in society. Many still work for the military/government because they have no other skills.
The most common bond: they tell their kids not to join the military.
I feel like soldiers are a not great analogy here as they’ve literally signed over their lives and autonomy.
Soldiers are a great analogy because the American military is one of the most socialist endeavours in the world. Everything they need is tax-payer funded. It’s incredible really.
Socialism is anti imperialism. Just because something is socialized doesn’t make it socialism. If the military was socialists it would have cut the head off the military and formed a workers militia. No wars for oil or opium, no military bases all over the world.
The military itself isn’t run for profit, but profits flow from military imperialism, which opens the door for financial I action and mass extraction and forced austerity for less developed countries.
If anything the military proves that such mass socialization is possible, which makes capitalism obsolete. But the military is not an example of socialism, don’t muddy the water with goofy opinions. Words have meanings, politics has consequences. Stop trying to have takes, fight for worker internationalism instead
Fascists hate socialism for others, but greedily extract from others.
Actual socialism is equal for all.
Whereas the children are just missing their autonomy without signing it over?