Anonymous #1 19w

We also have to remember for a long time the military consisted of poor people that were drafted, purely elective military service is only a recent devlipment

1

Anonymous #1 19w

I never forgot that my grandfathers existed. Doesn’t mean we need to celebrate their complicity in war crimes

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Anonymous OP 19w

It’s not their existence, it’s what they did. For us. Freeing people from slavery like??

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Anonymous #2 19w

I think that’s all the more reason to memorialize them. But the national draft is a pretty new thing to be fair. Even back in the civil war you’d volunteer at your local office for your state militia.

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Anonymous OP 19w

Idk, I celebrate my ancestors that fought for the Union lmfao

1

Anonymous #1 19w

Freeing ppl from slavery? Ur talking about the civil war? You think they actually cared about slavery?

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Anonymous #2 19w

Thank god my ancestry doesn’t go that far back here

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Anonymous OP 19w

Yes, people actually did. It wasn’t the official reason for the war politically, because of how tense of an issue it was at the time. However, it was probably the *BIGGEST* “propaganda” campaign to get union soldiers to enlist and to get international support.

6

Anonymous OP 19w

After Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation it became pretty clearly about slavery yeah

0

Anonymous OP 19w

alr it’s disingenuous to try to argue literally no soldier has ever fought for moral reasons

1

Anonymous #3 19w

No American has fought for moral reasons since WWII. And even during wwii they were misguided

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Anonymous OP 19w

you do know they also do more than war too right like emergency medical assistance or evacuating civilians. it’d be illogical to say nobody is the army has ever done anything good while serving

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Anonymous OP 19w

I think a vast majority of people who fight (not necessarily officers) do it for moral reasons. It’s just now it’s easier to misguide people into thinking that “American values” are the moral good

1

Anonymous #1 19w

a whole lot of people who enlist due it out of necessity though and lack of opportunity so it’s exploitative in that way

1

Anonymous #3 19w

I 1000% agree. But I still think that’s more reason to memorize the people. Not only victims of war, victims of a system designed to keep them down. I’m all for reframing how we think about the service, but like these people still fought and died for the system and their beliefs.

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Anonymous #1 19w

yea i agree that requires a reframing because i feel like its more of a day of mourning over all the people the government used as pawns and don’t respect as much as they pretend to

5

Anonymous #3 19w

Oh for sure. For the government it’s a way to foster patriotism and support for military action. Whereas it could be used be used to show the good of the past, the bad of the past/present, and how we need to be careful with power and all that. How Americans can do great good when motivated to do so, or great evil. But that comes from the decisions at the top, much less from the actions of those at the bottom

1