Would You Die For Your Country?

I said "no" on Nov 17, 2010 and whadya know? My answer still is

I gotta admit, one thing I do like about PA (or the net in general) I can say things like this without people freaking out an presuming I'm the anti-christ:

I never really felt a passion about my country. Even when I was younger, especially the months after 9/11 and "proud to be an American" tattooed across the nation. IDK, just never felt anything. It was like high school to me. I'm there
Or the frat I (regretfully) joined in college. I was gunna make some post about how I really don't like nationalism and patriotism but it's more than that.

I just can't feel loyalty for no reason. It does not matter the institution! I felt some for my university but I also chose to go there, unlike my other schools (or country) where it's just always been. Or that dumbass frat (that lied to me it turned out) I guess I'm a cold person I need an organization to earn my loyalty and love! I have no natural affection for it otherwise.

So I would not die for my country. Only time I could see it happening is if there was some honest, fight for my life, invasion and even then...am I fighting for my country??? Or is it for myself? My family and friends survival? Protection for our land and stuff?
Maybe something to keep in mind when we think of others fighting "for" their country or "against" us.....




Edited by JJLehto - December 29 2011 at 19:36

It has always struck me as being a dumb question - what fking use am I to my country if I'm fking dead? Surely the best way to lose a war is to die for your country - wars are never won by the side that died the most - sure, some battles are, but  they are called pyrrhic victories. If you want to be patriotic - stay alive.

I'd much rather die for no reason than to die for my country (meant government here). I wouldn't serve in the military even if I was guaranteed I wouldn't die. 

Even if there was a system and government I loved, I still can not see myself willing to make such a grand sacrifice. Ultimately, it is just imaginary lines on the ground.

Finnforest wrote: An alternate question might be....if your country were attacked by another, would you enlist to defend it? I would.  Not that they'd take my scrawny carcass.

A lot depends on the circumstances. What government attacks it? What's their quarrel with me? I'd be more likely to in that situation, but I would rather operate outside the military.

Even if it occurs, we should have learned that decentralized resistance to invading forces is much more effective. 

Dean wrote: No I wouldn't enlist to defend my country, even if I were 30 years younger and wasn't in a profession that was more useful behind the lines than in front of them.   Haven't we learnt anything from the stupid wars of the 20th Century yet? What government of what country is going to be idiotic enough to "invade" America, or any other of the major nations of this planet?

You answered it in your first part.  Your second part wasn't needed.  Doesn't matter that no country is idiotic enough to invade us.....I'm asking you pretend they are for the purpose of the question.

It's just a hypothetical to get at the base question.....if attacked, would you defend?  You answered it straight, so fair enough.. 

Finnforest wrote: Dean wrote: No I wouldn't enlist to defend my country, even if I were 30 years younger and wasn't in a profession that was more useful behind the lines than in front of them.   Haven't we learnt anything from the stupid wars of the 20th Century yet? What government of what country is going to be idiotic enough to "invade" America, or any other of the major nations of this planet? You answered it in your first part.  Your second part wasn't needed.  Doesn't matter that no country is idiotic enough to invade us.....I'm asking you pretend they are for the purpose of the question. It's just a hypothetical to get at the base question.....if attacked, would you defend?  You answered it straight, so fair enough..

The second part of my answer wasn't aimed at your question - as you say, I answered it straight in the first part, hence the paragraph break. I was merely posing two questions of my own (both rhetorical perhaps) that indirectly suggested that your question was a little out-dated rather than being hypothetical. However, hypothetical questions are somewhat pointless in my estimation, just as "would you kill to protect your family?"  cannot be extrapolated to "would you defend your village or town?" which in turn cannot be extrapolated to "would you die for your country?" - circumstances and context are not commutable and cannot be transferred up and down a chain of consequences and love of your family cannot be projected onto love of your country.

Equality 7-2521 wrote: Finnforest wrote: True, about circumstances.  Let's ignore the fact that future wars will be nontraditional probably, and for the purpose of the question, try to keep it simple.  If another country invaded ours (with our Govt as it exists) on foot, the old fashioned way, just because they wanted to dominate or take control of the land/resources, would you fight? I don't know. It still depends a lot on circumstances. I would protect my small geographical area and my family. If I felt that could be done morally and most efficiently by defending my country, then I would do so. I would suspect no though.

This is probably a good description of how I feel about this topic.

Even if I did join up...it would NOT be for my country.

edit: aw crap Pat beat me to the punch.
Well yeah, what he said.


Edited by JJLehto - December 29 2011 at 22:50