Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Pastimes : Let's Talk About Our Feelings!!! -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Michael M who wrote (52765)	8/22/1999 6:51:00 PM
From: Dayuhan	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

I thought X's point was well taken: she didn't suggest that soldiers want to die, only that, as you said, they do their duty. They do it for a reason: because they believe that they are protecting something of immediate value to them. The attitude of the soldiery toward combat, and the prospect of death, is often directly shaped by the degree to which this belief is plausible, as is often noted in comparisons between front-line morale in Vietnam and, say, World War II. Wouldn't you agree that the willingness of citizens to volunteer as soldiers, and the willingness of soldiers to take risks "above and beyond the call of duty", is to some extent shaped by the degree of perceived direct threat to their homeland, families, etc.? Re. the hypo -- there was no indication either of the two have to die; just mate or refuse to mate. This is of course true, and the comparison is strained. But if I recall correctly, it was you who made the comparison, not X. To go back to the hypothetical, it would be interesting if someone had suggested an that an extreme sacrifice would be appropriate to save an endangered non-human species, then balked at suggesting the same degree of sacrifice for a human. Nobody on the thread did.

To: Michael M who wrote (52765)	8/22/1999 6:52:00 PM
From: epicure	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 108807

Extreme sacrifice is in the job description for soldiers, they sign up TO DO THEIR DUTY, part of that duty is to die if dying is required- it attracts many people to whom that appeals. Therefore I think your example was not apt. I have no idea why you are telling me about the ocean- my family is full of military men- I have seen them, and I know what motivated them- of course everyone's story is unique, but there are common threads in the reasons why the military men in our family chose to serve, and I see no reason to suspect that the motives of the military men in our family were in any way unique.