(March 8, 2026 at 5:57 pm)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: I’ve never worn the uniform of any country, and I’ve never been in (formal) combat. That said, I’m aware the most countries have a custom similar to what is called in the US a ‘dignified transfer’, where the remains of slain troops are returned home.

What kind of narcissistic, self-aggrandizing, absolute horror of a human being wears fucking campaign merch to such a ceremony? Almost as infuriating is that not a single, solitary one of his putrescent hangers-on took a chance on trying to talk him out of it?

I didn’t think it was possible that my level of disgust with this bunghole could have increased.

Boru

Funny, Fox News used a stock photo of the president instead of showing him at the ceremony.

(March 9, 2026 at 6:48 am)Fake Messiah Wrote:

(March 9, 2026 at 5:46 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote: ^Any attempt by Trump to re-instate conscription (tech speak for 'slave army') would likely be met by a veto-proof congressional revolt.

Boru

You mean the Congress that gave its power to Trump? The Congress that is too chickenshit to impeach as everything he does is so blatantly illegal? The Congress that begins and ends with Trump being a perfect godlike being who can do anything he wants and can never be questioned?

Or Trump could just call a draft while telling Americans who do not answer they’ll be arrested by federal law officers, while his team does everything to tie up the lawsuits.

The Congress that delivered a veto-proof law to release the Trump-Epstein Files.

Charlie Kirk got the flags lowered half staff, didn’t he???

Wtf?

It's not just a concern for the individuals who are drafted.

Nobody currently serving has known conscripted service members. I joined the Air Force 1n 1985 and I never met one. Lots of the old guard had experience with them though and were in awe at the quality of an all-volunteer force vs. conscripts. They marveled that it was just night and day. Hopefully there are enough civilians in power who remember that lesson. The quality of a conscripted force really sucks.

(March 9, 2026 at 12:56 pm)h4ym4n Wrote: Charlie Kirk got the flags lowered half staff, didn’t he???

Wtf?

That’s an executive decision, not a legislative one.

Boru

(March 9, 2026 at 2:05 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: It's not just a concern for the individuals who are drafted.

Nobody currently serving has known conscripted service members. I joined the Air Force 1n 1985 and I never met one. Lots of the old guard had experience with them though and were in awe at the quality of an all-volunteer force vs. conscripts. They marveled that it was just night and day. Hopefully there are enough civilians in power who remember that lesson. The quality of a conscripted force really sucks.

I’d rather have someone guarding my flank who was there because they wanted to be than someone who was there only because the alternative was prison.

Boru

(March 9, 2026 at 2:05 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: It's not just a concern for the individuals who are drafted.

Nobody currently serving has known conscripted service members. I joined the Air Force 1n 1985 and I never met one. Lots of the old guard had experience with them though and were in awe at the quality of an all-volunteer force vs. conscripts. They marveled that it was just night and day. Hopefully there are enough civilians in power who remember that lesson. The quality of a conscripted force really sucks.

That's right. In any military, there are three important factors for success: 1) morale 2) leadership and 3) equipment (in that order, in my opinion). A major part of morale is motivation -- motivated troops will fight harder.

How motivated can a soldier be when he or she is essentially an indentured servant? And on the other hand, how is it that Ukraine's forces were able to withstand the initial Russian onslaught? In large part because when you're fighting for your homeland, you're well-fucking-motivated.

A draft only works out well when the civilian population that will be providing the conscripts already approves of the war and war-aims. And even then there will be morale issues.

(March 9, 2026 at 3:05 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote:

(March 9, 2026 at 2:05 pm)AFTT47 Wrote: It's not just a concern for the individuals who are drafted.

Nobody currently serving has known conscripted service members. I joined the Air Force 1n 1985 and I never met one. Lots of the old guard had experience with them though and were in awe at the quality of an all-volunteer force vs. conscripts. They marveled that it was just night and day. Hopefully there are enough civilians in power who remember that lesson. The quality of a conscripted force really sucks.

That's right. In any military, there are three important factors for success: 1) morale 2) leadership and 3) equipment (in that order, in my opinion). A major part of morale is motivation -- motivated troops will fight harder.

How motivated can a soldier be when he or she is essentially an indentured servant? And on the other hand, how is it that Ukraine's forces were able to withstand the initial Russian onslaught? In large part because when you're fighting for your homeland, you're well-fucking-motivated.

A draft only works out well when the civilian population that will be providing the conscripts already approves of the war and war-aims. And even then there will be morale issues.

(Bold mine)

As evidenced by the use of conscription in both world wars. In both cases, the draft was used less to get people to fight that it was to manage the crush of people who couldn’t wait to get ‘over there’ and give the Hun what for.

Compare with the other two big conscripted wars of the last century. Unpopular wars make for unhappy slave soldiers.

Boru

(March 9, 2026 at 3:05 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: How motivated can a soldier be when he or she is essentially an indentured servant? And on the other hand, how is it that Ukraine's forces were able to withstand the initial Russian onslaught? In large part because when you're fighting for your homeland, you're well-fucking-motivated.

In march of 2022, near the start of the full scale invasion, the local residents of a small farming town called Voznesensk blew up a bridge and attacked the russian brigade trying to cross it with bricks, hunting rifles, and construction equipment.  They were joined by a small team of ukranian soldiers on atvs and dirtbikes with shoulder fired rockets - at this point they were very busy stopping the attempted air bridge.  30 armed vehicles, one helicopter, and 100km worth of retreat later, the russian brigade collapsed.  It was later claimed on telegram (from the russian side) that the fracas began when a bulldozer came out of an alley sideswiping the command vehicle, taking the crew and one of the two working radios they had brought to the bottom of the river.

"It's hard to explain how we did it. It's thanks to the fighting spirit of our local people and to the Ukrainian army" - The Mayor of Voznesensk

(March 9, 2026 at 9:17 pm)The Grand Nudger Wrote:

(March 9, 2026 at 3:05 pm)Thumpalumpacus Wrote: How motivated can a soldier be when he or she is essentially an indentured servant? And on the other hand, how is it that Ukraine's forces were able to withstand the initial Russian onslaught? In large part because when you're fighting for your homeland, you're well-fucking-motivated.

In march of 2022, near the start of the full scale invasion, the local residents of a small farming town called Voznesensk blew up a bridge and attacked the russian brigade trying to cross it with bricks, hunting rifles, and construction equipment.  They were joined by a small team of ukranian soldiers on atvs and dirtbikes with shoulder fired rockets - at this point they were very busy stopping the attempted air bridge.  30 armed vehicles, one helicopter, and 100km worth of retreat later, the russian brigade collapsed.  It was later claimed on telegram (from the russian side) that the fracas began when a bulldozer came out of an alley sideswiping the command vehicle, taking the crew and one of the two working radios they had brought to the bottom of the river.

"It's hard to explain how we did it. It's thanks to the fighting spirit of our local people and to the Ukrainian army" - The Mayor of Voznesensk

These people command my respect, and our support. I'd do the same goddamned thing in their shoes, I like to think. Motivation matters. Trump thinking that his little air campaign against Iran will motivate conscripts to fight thousands of miles from home, well, that's just crackhead logic.