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Comment on "Thank you For Your Service"... During the Revolutionary War!

This public „thanks for your service“ thing is so weird to me… Here in Switzerland you have actual soldiers sitting next to imyou in the trains at the beginning and end kf the week. Most of them haven’t joined voluntarily and even the ones who did, no one would ever think about thanking them for thei service. It’s a job like any other, or a mandate for most. Same for surrounding countries who don’t have mandatory military duties.

I find it particularly weird in the US where the most common reason for someone to join the military is to pay of debt or because they pay for your education. My responds to that would be “Stop thanking me and maybe vote for people who wanna change the system so I don’t have to put my life at risk to be able to study.”

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GregorGizeh@lemmy.zip ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
The simple answer is that it is much cheaper and easier to make a Veteran holiday once a year, and thank people for their service instead of actually caring for them when they develop ptsd or are crippled in the line of duty. Especially when you have such an overblown military like the United States.

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Diprount_Tomato@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
I mean, the Swiss army hasn’t been doing too much for like 200 years, even though it would probably have been needed if it didn’t exist

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- themoonisacheese@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  To be entirely fair the us military hasn’t been of that much use to the American public since it’s inception.
  
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  - Diprount_Tomato@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    If it was so useless you would still have your 1790 borders
    
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    wieson@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Which wouldn’t be too bad.
    
    The citizens didn’t gain much through the conquest.
    
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- FiddlersViridian@sh.itjust.works ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  They did invent a pretty useful knife, so I suppose it would be nice to thank them for that. /s
  
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  - Diprount_Tomato@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Remove the /s
    
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galloog1@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
Therein lies the difference. In your system it is compulsory. In ours it is ultimately voluntary, hence the thanks. That being said, folks should know better than to thank a sailing ship hat wearer unless it is the USS Constitution.

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- Omentree@sopuli.xyz ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
  Even if it is voluntary, what exactly are you thanking them for when you thank them for their service? Very confused.
  
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  - PaperTowel@lemmy.blue ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    For me its just how we were raised, my dad did, my grandpa did, his grandpa did. It’s more like blessing someone after they sneeze more than anything. However if its in older person I do make sure to be more sincere when thanking them, just out if respect
    
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  - galloog1@lemmy.world ⁨1⁩ ⁨year⁩ ago
    Their service to the country. It’s not a great deal to put your life on the line for an average paycheck. Public service is still viewed as service, even if of military.
    
    This doesn’t apply when you are forced because you didn’t choose to do it.
    
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