America suffers an epidemic of suicides among traumatised army veterans

[bishop]

Quote by: Arawn-ap-Hywel Like life it's not simple and it is sad that we in society cannot acknowledge the work done for us to live in peace by those who are trained to put their live forwards for others.

the soldiers in iraq are fighting for us, and to allow us to live in peace??? really???

if you ask me, the soldiers in iraq are fighting for no tangible purpose, and the consequences of this idiotic war will ensure that the future is rife with continued conflict/instability rather than peace.

and on that note, perhaps another reason for the suicide rate is that the public doesn't even support this war anymore. i don't think the public ought to suddenly support the war, even for the troops' sake. this is a war that should never have happened, and needs to end asap.

[devinmurphy]

You join the army.
Knowing that you might go to war.
You prepare for war.
You train for war.
Then you go to war, but...
you can't handle the war.

Sounds like ill-prepared soldiers if you ask me.

[tinybear]

You are born.
Knowing that you are going to die.
You prepare for death.
Then when the time comes...
You can't handle death even though you saw it coming a long time ago.

Same thing for war. War is like going to hell. No one can be prepared for hell.

[Suburbanite]

Sometimes people's stories should come to an end, and they should kill themselves, I imagine that is how most of these veteran suicides feel. It is like famous ancient samurai story of the Ronin, a wondering samurai avenges his master's death. To kill the demon he has to kill himself; in virtue erasing his dishonor and avenging his oath to his master. To have killed himself, oibara seppuku (hara kiri), without avenging his master would be premature, it would be an incomplete story. These guys have just been floating around a lot longer than a soldier's story is supposed to last. I mean, I guess that has something to do with how modern warfare and technology make the battlefield so unbalanced.

[Chaossaber314]

Quote by: Chancellor Are you saying some of these people would kill themselves just to shirk their responsibilities? Somehow I don't think that accounts for a large percentage of the suicides.

No, I believe he's saying that they see themselves going to war and death as an inevitability deciding to leave life on their own terms. Not quite as simplistic as "shirking their responsibilities".

[Arawn-ap-Hywel]

Quote by: bishop the soldiers in iraq are fighting for us, and to allow us to live in peace??? really??? if you ask me, the soldiers in iraq are fighting for no tangible purpose, and the consequences of this idiotic war will ensure that the future is rife with continued conflict/instability rather than peace. and on that note, perhaps another reason for the suicide rate is that the public doesn't even support this war anymore. i don't think the public ought to suddenly support the war, even for the troops' sake. this is a war that should never have happened, and needs to end asap.

bishop whilst it might seem a an act of inhumanity started by idiots, the troops themselves are in truth fighting for peace, never take that from them,

there will always be killers hidden in uniform, often the training itself exposes them, but most, the troops that is, are doing their job as trained.

please don't harang unjustly the armed forces en mass, better by far to belittle those in charge of them and with a far greater capacity to damage humanity, the politicians !

[bishop]

Quote by: Arawn-ap-Hywel bishop whilst it might seem a an act of inhumanity started by idiots, the troops themselves are in truth fighting for peace, never take that from them,

i simply don't see it that way.. if anything, it's wishful thinking - an attempt to ignore the reality that they're fighting for the establishment's imperial agenda. soldiers are the agents of politicians.

[Arawn-ap-Hywel]

Quote by: bishop i simply don't see it that way.. if anything, it's wishful thinking - an attempt to ignore the reality that they're fighting for the establishment's imperial agenda. soldiers are the agents of politicians.

bishop I am gratefull for those whom see a different view, and can speak so :)

[tinybear]

A soldier tries his best to win the war on the battlefield just as a lawyer does his best to present his client's case in court whether or not he personally believes in the case himself.

[Nono]

Quote by: tiny A soldier tries his best to win the war on the battlefield just as a lawyer does his best to present his client's case in court whether or not he personally believes in the case himself.

Spoken like a true amoralist.