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Wasn't most of the LOTR series was based on what was happening in Tolkien's time? I think I read something about where the Shire and it's surroundings was based on his childhood home.

Some things yeah, like the hobbits being reflections of himself and his ideal lifestyle.

But he explicitly said in the letters that the LotR is not an allegory for something else - not for WWII, and not for religions of any kind.

but it does have strong anti-industrial undertones, thats why it was so successfull, all the hippies read it and made it populas

Wolfarmin wrote:

this makes me scared to go to the army now

You joining too? Perhaps on a joint training excercise we'll hopefuly meet up some time

Let me tell you, army isn't worth it...

Going to the army is basically you shouting to the jackasses leading your country: "HEY! I WANT TO DIE IN A FAR AWAY COUNTRY, PROTECTING YOUR OIL INTERESTS! PLEASE ENFORCE ME TO SHOOT INNOCENT CIVILIANS, PLEASE MAKE ME YOUR SLAVE! I SO BADLY WANT IT!"

Dying is okay if you believe in the cause and don’t have anyone depending on you. The problem is the high rate of psychological disorders among soldiers. Being trained for becoming an elite killer surely has its consequences in one’s social life.


I would join the air force, though

That's the stupid thing - wars are fought for completely retarded causes. Who would want to die for them?

Yeah, I'd rather die doing research on philosophy, which might very much happen if universities keep going as they are. Much more useful for mankind, in my opinion.

Very true.

im using the army as a fall back incase life doesnt go as planed and as far as the being fucked in the brain i think ill be ok i mean things dont effect as much as other people so i should be ok but its a fall back last resort type of thing so if i go i aint coming back anyway so social thing doesnt matter

Well, that's an interesting view. I could never imagine going to the army, even if I was down to nothing. Maybe it's sort of a consequence of our European social systems, because if life doesn't go as planned, some national welfare system will take care of you, so you don't have to join the army in order not to starve. Seeing that welfare systems make society more pacifist in that regard I'll have to adjust my opinion about them to the better, I guess.

PS: The army would straightforward shoot you for completely ignoring punctuation

For me the army/navy(most likely)/air force are simply the next logical step in my career path since I'm learning computer forensics. Any private sector job needs experience and only the military or police will take me without it. I do four or five years with them and go to work for a corporate entity or law firm assisting in legal matters.

I'm taking army over police to see if I can get shipped out of the country and experience new things, get out of my shell a little. I doubt I'll be getting sent to any hot zones as a forensic specialist either.

The US have some army schools that either offer tuition for a university or teach you themselves. Then you graduate as an officer, which is way better than regular soldier.

Quick search in google gave me this:

http://www.tradoc.army.mil/Schools.asp
http://www.military-school.org/

Besides, there is always the Foreign Legion.

We also don't have welfare state. But there are plenty of free technical and commercial schools to provide knowledge for a quick placement in the market, and social mobility is more merit-based than the usual in other countries. One of my brothers couldn't get into the university and now does that in webdesign, for example.

I think you mean officer .
And that only applies to some fields. Other fields may see you enter as a Sargent or Corporal which is still better than a base level grunt.

Edited. I'm clearly not from the US.

Marcus the Shadow Fighter wrote:

That's the stupid thing - wars are fought for completely retarded causes. Who would want to die for them?

If my country (US) ever was to engage in a war, where a foreign force stepped on our soil, seeking to kill or threaten my loved ones and friends, then I would gladly be at the recruitment station signing on, fully understanding the risk of my death.

I will agree that there are wars that aren't worth it, like our current wars, but there are wars that are worth fighting.

Being Catholic I fear I have to disagree on that, but in fact this is a question that has been discussed for actual ages without a satisfying conclusion.

Iskar wrote:

Being Catholic I fear I have to disagree on that, but in fact this is a question that has been discussed for actual ages without a satisfying conclusion.

I am Catholic as well, I have not realized a solution for that question either, but I know in my heart, that God will understand that me participating in a war for my children, is out of love. In the bible, you can see the Israelites exterminating the Canaanites, not out of hate, but for their better future, for their kids.

The only war, that I would fight in, is one to ensure my family's safety, of defense.

And here we are again, fooling ourselves totally.

Everything we do, we do because we want to SURVIVE. That is the most basic urge behind everything we do.

And well, Aranor, I would say that the States are going to fall into chaos in just a few years - but no country will never, EVER have the power or guts to sail over the atlantic and attack US by themselves. It would be pretty much a suicide mission, just sayin'

Marcus the Shadow Fighter wrote:

but no country will never, EVER have the power or guts to sail over the atlantic and attack US by themselves. It would be pretty much a suicide mission, just sayin'

Or Pacific for that matter.

...I don't think it's actually possible to invade the US.

Not only because of logistics or their number of powerful allies, but also because they are the biggest gear in the world's economic machine and the attacker would suffer so much financially that war would become unfeasible for him.

On on contrary: it has been long taken for granted that the real dangers the US face are those stemming from misuse and misinterpretation of constitutional rights. So it is much more plausible that you will join future rebels and fight the goverment than that you will join the army and fight someone else.

My fallback fallback plan was always navy diving, as I already have half the qualifications, and it's a good springboard to a commercial career.
Of course, you do have to defuse things, but that mainly involves attaching lots of explosives to old sea mines.

wow, navy diving.....

I was one year enlisted in the german navy, but then quit because of my new job..... I met some Navy divers there, and I have to say they are awesome, if can do such things... maximum respect

I should think before they get a civil war because of misuse of power they go completely bankrupt because of their Keynesianist approach to national economy. Recently a member of the Greek gouvernment depicted what would happen to Greece in case of a total bankruptcy of the state and it effectively was an extreme raise in crime rate, failure of all social systems, collapse of public order, etc. Now imagine the whole US in that situation. Good night...

But, luckily such thoughts are rather of an eschatological quality, as despite all Cassandra-esque predictions the western world is still complaining on a fairly high level.

Quote :

But, luckily such thoughts are rather of an eschatological quality, as despite all Cassandra-esque predictions the western world is still complaining on a fairly high level.

Although we should remember that the US are not only the East Coast, Seattle and California we see on the TV - heavily urbanized and with high quality of life. There is a whole country in the middle, with different values, beliefs, lifestyles and ways of solving problems...