this post was submitted on 13 Aug 2023
119 points (91.0% liked)

Asklemmy

43959 readers
1398 users here now

A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions

Search asklemmy 🔍

If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!

  1. Open-ended question
  2. Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
  3. Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
  4. Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
  5. An actual topic of discussion

Looking for support?

Looking for a community?

~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~

founded 5 years ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] 1984@lemmy.today 74 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (5 children)

The entire idea of fighting "for your country" is ridiculous to me. It's not my country.

Almost the entire human race has no influence on the events that occur at all.

[–] FredericChopin_@feddit.uk 44 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (2 children)

Everyone I know thinks I’m a weirdo because I’m not patriotic to my country. The way I see it, I was born here by chance and so I don’t particularly love my country more than any other, except that it’s more familiar I guess.

I’ll happily ~~through~~ throw as much shade at my own country as I will any other.

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 24 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Exactly, we get randomly born in a spot on Earth and then we are supposed to feel love for our country? Why?

Is there anything to be proud of for each country? All I see is politicians trying to gain popularity by lying, wars being started and finished with lies and propaganda, and citizens being generally unhappy and ignored.

[–] FredericChopin_@feddit.uk 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It’s the same for religion too, it’s incredibly fortunate that most people are born in the right place for their religion of choice.

I do think every country can be proud of some things they do, but they should also be equally ashamed of other things they do.

Politicians are only really interested in the length of their term(s), they’re not invested to do anything outside of that.

Hardly anybody cares and I don’t know if I envy, resent, or pity them for it.

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I think I feel anger about it, but I have also given up on them. The future will only be worse. I think we were much better off in the 70s and 80s.

[–] FredericChopin_@feddit.uk 5 points 1 year ago

I was born in the 80’s so don’t recall a lot, but what I do know is that my dad worked in a warehouse, my mum didn’t work and we had pretty much whatever we wanted, went from the UK to Orlando on holiday every year. And I had two siblings too.

You couldn’t even support yourself now working as a professional let alone a warehouse worker.

Nobody seems to acknowledge it though they’d always be like yeah but we got paid less.

[–] dandroid@dandroid.app 7 points 1 year ago (2 children)

I’ll happily through throw as much shade at my own country as I will any other.

I'm more likely to throw shade at my own country because I am more informed about the goings on of my own country. If I were to talk shit about France, I would just be talking out my ass. I have no idea what's going on there.

[–] Nemo@midwest.social 9 points 1 year ago

If I criticize the US, it's because I demand better from the nation that I live in and support. If I criticize France, it's just for funsies.

[–] FredericChopin_@feddit.uk 1 points 1 year ago

For most countries I would agree. I would say I know just as much, if not more, about US politics compared to the UK (my country of residence).

[–] mobyduck648@beehaw.org 4 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

For me my country is things like the institution of the local pub, liberal use of gallows humour, and deeply despising the idea that cities and fields ought to be organised on regular grids rather than things like Parliament or the monarchy. I love my country in the sense of the former, I think I’ll live out my days frustrated and pessimistic about the latter.

[–] masquenox@lemmy.ml 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

It’s not my country.

Yep... it's always "our country" this and "our country" that when they need you to play cannon fodder - and when it's all over, it just goes straight back to being their country. No different than rich people telling us how we're "all in this together" during COVID.

[–] 1984@lemmy.today 0 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

It's cute how they tell everyone we can just go vote to have a lot of influence on things too. :)

As if any of us has any influence on what's going on whatsoever.

[–] Zippy@lemmy.world -4 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Do you think you deserve to live in a country if others fight to save your life but you won't do the same for them?

[–] richieadler@lemmy.myserv.one 9 points 1 year ago (1 children)

The only requirement to live in a country is to be born in it. You shouldn't expel a citizen just because you can't brainwash him to your liking.

[–] Zippy@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago (2 children)

So your ok with other people fighting and dying in Ukraine but you think if you lived there you shouldn't have to defend our risk your life in any way? You think after the war you should have the same standing as any other citizen? You think you should get the same benefits as those families that lost loved ones because you didn't feel you should risk your life?

[–] Ranjeliq@programming.dev 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Let me provide you with the second side of the same coin.

Would you be ok with fighting on Russia's side? Do you think that after the war you should have the same standing as the ones, who were doing anything to avoid being conscripted?

Because, see, every war is at the very fucking best (read: not realistic) consists of one side that is righteous, and one that is not. Realistically, the chances of you being on the "right" side of it are excruciatingly small. But given conscription, you are denied of choice during that time, your feelings and believes on that matter are not considered at all - you are just a cog. And nobody gives a damn about cogs.

[–] Zippy@lemmy.world 1 points 1 year ago

Russia's country is not being invaded. Ukraine is. That is the reality. If you don't defend your country and are fine with your neighbor doing so and dying, what makes you think you should have the same benefits as him?

[–] richieadler@lemmy.myserv.one 2 points 1 year ago

I would be forced anyway and die on the first week, so my rights would not enter in play anyway.

But your attitude suggest that you advocate revoking rights from draft evaders. What rights should Trump lose, then?