Journal perfessor multigeek's Journal: Military Service - A Veteran Speaks 4
"Military service today will corrupt any man if there's anything in him to corrupt. You know children like to play at war. During the childhood of our civilization there was a time when men roved around in bold, joyful gangs, when war was the profession of the brave and the daring, when the most reckless and cunning men were picked as chiefs and lasted until they were killed by the enemy or by their own men for incompetence. But now civilization has come of age - people join the army not in pursuit of a dangerous, exciting life, but for security. The chiefs are no longer fearless adventurers, but miserable little officials who must make their measly pay suffice. Their military dash is a blouson front, their discipline is based on the human weakness they profess to despise the most - cowardice."
Alexander Kuprin, The Duel, published 1905
Kuprin was commissioned into the Tsar's army in 1890 and left seven years later to wander Russia and pursue his writing. As an anti-Bolshevik, he had to leave Russia in 1917 and is generally agreed to never have written as well again. Other works of his include Yama, The Pit, and The Breaking Point.
Rustin
Alexander Kuprin, The Duel, published 1905
Kuprin was commissioned into the Tsar's army in 1890 and left seven years later to wander Russia and pursue his writing. As an anti-Bolshevik, he had to leave Russia in 1917 and is generally agreed to never have written as well again. Other works of his include Yama, The Pit, and The Breaking Point.
Rustin
Check (Score:2)
Even if we assume that all militaries are the same worldwide--which isn't necessarily a fair assumption, but it's not entirely unfair, either--Kurpin was writing two epochs ago.
In 1905 the military was still designed to push uneducated warm bodies into a meat grinder of other uneducated warm bodies. Around the time of the first and second World Wars, the military became a function of pushing
Relevance of this quote now (Score:2)
As to your question, I'ld say that the response to Abu Ghraib mak
Re:Relevance of this quote now (Score:1)
You're assuming things without proof. If we ran only by anecdotes, we might have a hard time finding ANYONE who has their family fortune secure and turned down Stanford becaus
Re:Relevance of this quote now (Score:2)
Re "ask any veteran about...", that was no more then a way of phrasing the issue. You know me well enough by now to know that I have studied the statistical data as well.
The best solution to this, IMO, is to more cleanly separate the "national worldwide police" and the "American offensive organization." Combine the four offensive branches with the coast guard, and sequester all security forces (prison guards, border