Military Reenlistment and the general public

[Flyndaran]

Course not. Ideals are all well and good. Tis when they will drive you straigh to the grave that you may have to put them on hold..

That is horribly offensive and a good reason for you to never ever ever be in the military or a position of authority.
It's when they aren't convenient that ideals NEED to be upheld. Your projected mentality is what gave us american soldiers committing torture and murder rather than simply killing enemies in self defense.

...
The world isn't all pinky happy happy. There is plenty of bad people going around, and some have more power than you do. You can face them and die, or give them what they want and live to fight another day.

It has nothing to do with fair, it's reality. plain and simple.

Yes, yes. We all know the joke about how the bible says that the meak shall inherit the earth, but not how the next day the strong will take it back.

Reality is what we make it. Promote cruelty, kindness, torture, aid... all our personal and group decisions make the world what it is. Crying that life isn't fair is not an adult retort to those of us who demand our people in power of weapons act as if america was watching them personally.

My father upheld lofty ideals working as a police officer until the day he died in duty. Witnesses said that once he saw that the car seemed to be gunning for him, he left the civilians and went to open road.
I don't expect anyone on earth to live up to him, but I sure as hell demand military personel obey geneva conventions and such or get thier asses out.

[Rapscallion]

It's when they aren't convenient that ideals NEED to be upheld.

Depends on the ideal.

As long as your ideals are the same as mine then we're all happy and smiley.

Rapscallion

[Flyndaran]

Depends on the ideal.

As long as your ideals are the same as mine then we're all happy and smiley.

Rapscallion

I might have confused ideals for convictions. Ideals are often considered impossible to hold faithfully, while convictions have to be held when under stress or they aren't convictions just would rathers.

Ideals lead to convictions pretty readily, so I won't beat myself up about it.
Considering that just last night I accidentally put my milk in the freezer, I am perfectly happy with a slight word choice error.

[Slytovhand]

As long as your ideals are the same as mine then we're all happy and smiley.

No, Smiley is a Gar down in Utah. I'm a Sly in Australia...