h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I don't find your time in the armed forces distasteful at all - in fact I didn't even know you did that. However, wishing random deaths on people is in poor taste, whoever they are.

As for comments like "the reality of what I did to preserve your democratic right to hold the views you do - well tough!" - don't even go there. I can't make my mind up if you're trolling or not, but for someone who accused me of being a wafty liberal, your views so far fit in nicely with the subject of my original post.

Not trolling, or so I like to think. I'm merely attempting to engage you in opening your own mind. The wafty liberal bit was tongue in cheek Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. You are throwing a lot of stones for one who fits in nicely with the subject of his first post. A little devil's advocacy is the best way, I find, to try to open the closed and bigoted minds, Fords. I thought perhaps you were better than that, I'm beginning to think I was wrong.
Perhaps it is better we ignore one another, I see I am engaging in a lost cause.

No offence mate but you obviously don't know me that well, otherwise you wouldn't accuse me of being a bigot. IIRC, you were the one who came to this journal entry chucking your half baked opinions and bizarre accusations into the mix, not me.

I'm all for a healthy debate but I do take offence at comments like "I'm merely attempting to engage you in opening your own mind" when people who know me well know that I'm very open minded and open to discussion. You barely know me so the last thing you should be doing is second guessing my values. However, it's still a free country so feel free to say what you will; just don't expect me to appreciate a complete stranger making daft assumptions.

That's better, now we are making progress. I guessed you were a decent bloke at heart To refer back to your first post, and my reply, please apply those principles to your team mate, utilise your views for pro-social modelling. If neither of you can agree, so what, though I am sure you both will learn something from your differing views As I do from your responses

Can we get on with the fun stuff in your journal now, we all know everything we write here has complete public access, including the Let's keep up the witty banter and give them something to entertain them Rather than our boorish mind games

Raise you one Fords, a fart is probably more than I can afford

Just to clarify something. As far as I am aware Fords is still not a bloke.

For someone to tell us that we can vote because they went to war is quite challenging. I'm sure it's what all soldiers are told when they are given an unpalatable job.
"We're doing this because it is good for..."
This is both sides of course not just one.

The open mind in this case is the one that asks questions of this assumption/presumption.

As soon as you can say that there are things worth killing for (rather than dying for) you have to be massively sure of yourself, don't you think?

I actually posted a long reply to this thread via my iPod but it seems to have gotten lost in Apple's ether Luckily it was along the lines of what Vestboy said!

I do consider myself pretty open minded and patient, but I do have a problem with people coming into threads and bossing people around without checking the facts first. I haven't even talked about why I started this post in the first place but nortirascal has proved my point quite well.

The problems of anonymity with our pseudonyms, and it is not my style to on people, no mater how challenging, to surreptitiously gain information. I only go where instructed by Her Maj.

Welcome reasoning Vestboy, I have always been sure of myself and my objectives. Anything that gets in the way of those objectives was removed, without any joy or sadness, it was just done as quickly and effectively as possible - a swift coup de grace.

Raise you one trouser trumpet!

Norti - How do you think soldiers should behave if they are asked to do immoral things? The Geneva convention states that following orders is no excuse for activity that would be described as a war crime.

Should a soldier have no conscience in removing blocks to their objectives?

In WW1 generals seemed to send endless young men to their deaths without batting an eyelid. What was the objective they were trying to achieve? I think those generals had closed minds.

Einstein said that a definition of madness was to repeat things that did not work. Is the world a safer place because people are killing one another? If I killed someone, whom I considered to be a terrorist, and that meant that his brothers, cousins and children all wanted me and my kind to be killed will that lead to a peaceful outcome?

It has been very interesting to watch the process in Northern Ireland. Nowhere is perfect but the violence has reduced massively since people have started to talk to the enemy rather than kill them. (whichever side you are on).

I am pleased you never had to experience the things I did Vestboy, it is to your credit you maintain a conscience and act as a balance to those such as me Equity is something I accept, but you appear to decline in your defence of Fords.

I don't think of the world as a good or bad place regarding war, it just is and I do what I consider necessary to achieve job satisfaction in my objectives. It is said that there is just enough religion in the world for people to hate one another, but not to love

Northern Ireland, hmmmm, they may well have been a patriotic elemnet in the Irish side, but there was a good deal others who were simply gangsters. Perhaps it's better not to go there, some secrets should remain secret. I won't be drawn on that further, thanjk you.

Tracers work both ways, did you know

Watch yourself, Vestie; I've just unearthed this gem...

"On the subject of Fords, just playing a little mind game. Keeps me entertyained especially after she called her team mate a "bigot"
I must confess I find those that leap straight to the moral high ground, to pontificate their views to the rest of us, bring out the devil in me. The usual tactic after I challenge them, is moral and emotional blackmail, it can be very dangerous when handling me and probably doesn't work anywaywinkeye They are so convinced their thoughts are the only right ones anyone who has the temerity to say "Hang on a minute, shall we debate this" is immediately denounced as a racist, bigot, mysoginist, fascist, war lover, scoundral, dunder haed (sic)...................etc. You get the idea biggrin
I always invite reasoned debate from them, inviting them to open another thread for such, to date none have taken up my invitation? shrug Is it because they fear being exposed as bigoted against those they denounce so loftily? huh "

However for the record - my initial reacion?

I don'tstoop to as I said before. I'm well aware everything we publish is public, sometimes messages/gems are posted for a reason.

Well played both Thanks for being such good sports May i add you both to 'friends' list. Stops me becoming too complacent and blinkered, like some

There is but one task for all.
One life to give.
Who will stand should freedom fall.
Who will die that England live.

Hi Norti, I may not have seen as much of the cruelty which we inflict on one another as you. I have, however, worked in Hospital theatres and seen the gory side of life and some of the unpleasant things that do go on.

I know that some soldiers see the world with a more open mind than others. I guess that the individual has to develop some cynicism to cope.

This (insert name of region) is a really bad situation caused by politicians.
Big business and politicians have armed the (name enemy) with weapons they should never have had access to.
The (name enemy) have put these weapons to the purpose they were designed for.
The politicians now need the army (other force) to do something.
I, the soldier, do it because it is what I am trained to do and I do it well.

The assumptions have to be
1, supplying weapons/using force will make things better.
2, the army will always be willing to do what they are asked to do without question.

As you know in some parts of the world children soldiers are recruited because they are more compliant and are more willing/persuadable to do things that many adults would not be able to do.

Ah, at last we reach entente cordiale Your post is quite correct, though I do refer you back to the poem at the end of my last post I do wonder if Fords concurs, when not

None of us should under estimate the ferocity and danger of child soldiers, despite being badly trained. When under attack, try to remain inconspicous, they may be low on ammo. One for you fellow hootoo'er - Drawing enemy fire will not endear you to your comrades.

I break 'em, you fix 'em in your operating theatre, everyones a winner!

I don't concur because I'm not English for a start.

I'm also a tad insulted with the 'good sports' jibe. You came along to deliberately provoke me, that's fine, but it seems to me when you realise you're not going to make me angry you back down and make silly comments like the one above.

I'd rather you didn't add me to your friends list to be honest. Might sound like sour grapes but so far I haven't seen any qualities that would enamour me to add you as a friend.

Ooooh, very self opinionated and pompous. You do indeed have a closed mind and I'm clearly wasting my time with you.

Yea, fords... it is obviously some character flaw on your part.

Seriously, nortirascal thinks YOU are self opinionated and pompous.
Hello, Pot, meet my friend Kettle.

Oh well, so much for healthy debate!