Paradoxes largely resolve themselves.

I'm not sure what your point is about crimes committed by soldiers. It's mostly just speculation on their motivations and psyches. Soldiers are human, a cross-section of the society from which they're drawn, and certainly not perfect. However, the percentage of them who commit crimes is far lower than that of the general US population. You're negatively painting a large group of honorable people by the acts of a few. I would love to live in a world where we didn't need people to volunteer to serve and protect society. But that world doesn't exist yet. You seem to be in denial of this fact. Regardless, those who serve protect you anyway.

I realize you didn't say money. I was conflating your post with another's who said money was the only motivator.

Distrust of authority should be part of a healthy skepticism. To a point I'd even call it a virtue. But when you use that as a justification to vilify or denigrate those who choose to serve in a more authoritarian system and claim you can't be friends with them, I think that points more to your character than theirs. A mid-rank officer, such as an army captain, knows how to lead, follow, and get out of the way, while respecting both those he serves, and those who serve under him. While he is expected to follow orders, when lawful, he is also expected to use his brain and values (including his own healthy skepticism) to determine the best solution to a problem, and how to employ his people to execute the plan. And if unlawful orders are received, he is duty-bound to disobey. (Note: the word "obey" is not in the oath of office). You may not understand such a structure or those who volunteer for it, but nothing beats the experience of working with a committed team of folks who trust each other with their lives. To say it's only about money is to be truly ignorant of what it means to serve something bigger than yourself.

Still not meta enough. "I saw through their BS but applied anyway. I thought I'd be clever during the interview and point out their BS to them. For reasons I can't fathom they denied my application. Doesn't matter. They're all corrupt, group-think circle-jerkers. Don't bother asking me why I even bothered to apply in the first place."

Let's see if I can rephrase your post: "They wouldn't let me in their club because they discovered I was lying, convicted of a felony, or had significant financial trouble. Those guys are ALL just a bunch of sheep without honor, ethics, or critical thinking ability. I'm glad they wouldn't take me."

The difference between the subscription and the F2P model, at least in LOTRO (Lord of the Rings Online): Subscription = rental when you stop subscribing, any content (mostly zones) unlocked by the subscription becomes locked if you haven't purchased it. Pay = own You only pay once and will always have access to the content as long as the game is available. Note that both models require you to pay extra for expansions.

Somebody showed me the moves in the 80s and I was able to play the entire game on one quarter. A good time waster and entertaining for the kids hanging out who hadn't learned it yet. But, definitely no variety or real skill involved. It's on Steam now. I got it on sale a few months ago. It plays very well on the PC and I was able to get back in the rhythm quickly and finish it again after a few hours.

In a lot of cases they're getting the stuff for free

Concur. I'm approaching 100 Steam games purchased over a 4-year period, plus another 20+ on GOG. I'd purchased maybe 5 games a year before that (after I stopped being a hardcore gamer in the 90s with a closet-full of large shrink-wrapped boxes; I don't miss those days).

I could lose everything from Steam and still consider myself ahead for what little money I spent.

"good-enough" = "passable to play most games". I'd even say "plays most games very well for most people"
Tom's also has a mid-tier and high-end system, which get you to your level of "good" for around $1,000. There's absolutely no need to pay more than that today.

This coming from a guy who spent thousands every year in the 90s to keep a PC (ok, a home LAN of PCs) at the bleeding edge, because new games always pushed the performance envelope and took advantage of rapidly-advancing tech. Those days are gone. Since most games these days are ports of console titles designed for 1080p on legacy hardware you simply don't need to spend top dollar anymore to get an enjoyable gaming experience. There's nothing wrong with wanting more. Just acknowledge it for what it is: indulgence.

One is just one point to the right of 360/0 on a compass...

It's come full circle. That makes this release literally revolutionary!

Tom's Hardware has a good-enough gaming PC build for $600.

Concur. Blink is the episode everyone talks about. Great time travel and humor. And also some very suspenseful horror elements. Those angels are plain creepy.

People sign up to serve for many reasons. I'm sure there are some who seek war, but they are rare, thankfully.

No one prays for peace more than the soldier.