• finitebanjo@lemmy.world
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    1 hour ago

    “A serious problem in planning against American doctrine is that the Americans do not read their manuals, nor do they feel any obligation to follow their doctrine.”
    – Soviet observation during the Cold War

  • asg101@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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    2 hours ago

    These soldiers spend their days doing important work to defend our nation.

    The U.S. military has done nothing to defend their “nation” for over 100 years. They ONLY defend the corporate oligarchs’ ability to steal resources and use slave labor in third world countries.

    • Dr. Moose@lemmy.world
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      35 minutes ago

      Lmao yet Ukraine still stands thanks to American intelligence and military apparatus.

      I’m not even an American but this kindergarten sentiment on Lemmy is so exhausting.

  • troglodytis@lemmy.world
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    5 hours ago

    The band played “Fortunate Son”. They all knew exactly what they were doing.

    If shit ever does hit the fan full send (I very much doubt it) he doesn’t have the army.

  • NigelFrobisher@aussie.zone
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    6 hours ago

    If I could march in a brass band after very limited practice, these guys can. They just didn’t want to.

  • Deflated0ne@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    From what I’m hearing from coordinators and people inside its not that they can’t march. It’s that nobody wanted to. They had to be there. So they phoned it in. Malicious compliance.

    Like the squeaky tanks. That was a choice made in the motor pool. They could have greased them up and tested to make sure they were smooth. But they made a different call.

    • YappyMonotheist@lemmy.world
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      3 hours ago

      100%. I’m the most uncoordinated guy I know and even I learned (French army but the cadence/the mere act of marching is similar enough), like not even that far into basic either. Maybe not everything is lost for the common American!

    • thermal_shock@lemmy.world
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      5 hours ago

      Lmao I didn’t think about that. Probably didn’t think it would be quiet enough to hear it squeak either.

      • FordBeeblebrox@lemmy.world
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        2 hours ago

        Same, considering its age that thing is in mint condition and barely made any noise, really highlighted how much crowd noise wasn’t there

  • NutWrench@lemmy.world
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    8 hours ago

    They deliberately half-assed the parade because they don’t like the way Trump treats them. Trump calls them “suckers and losers.” He cuts their benefits Why would you show any loyalty (or enthusiasm) to someone who treats you like that?

    More Trump quotes: “You fucking generals. Why can’t you be more like Hitler’s generals?” 2017

    On the burial of US Army private Vanessa Guillén: “It doesn’t cost 60,000 bucks to bury a fucking Mexican!” December 4, 2020. Trump has denied having made the remark.

    “We’re not going to support that loser’s funeral.” August, 2018. Trump has denied having made this remark.

    re: John McCain, who was captured and tortured for five years: “He’s a war hero because he was captured. I like people that weren’t captured, okay? I hate to tell you.” July 18, 2015.

    “But, you know, during the Vietnam War, I got very lucky. I had a very high lottery number.” November 9, 1995.

    On the 1,800 US Marines who died at Belleau Wood in France during World War I “Suckers.” November 11, 2018. Trump denies having made this remark.

    On US soldiers in World War I “Who were the good guys in this war?” November 11, 2018. Trump denies having asked this question.

    “I don’t get it. What was in it for them?” November 11, 2018. Trump denies having made this remark.

    On disabled veterans “Why do you bring people like that here? No one wants to see that, the wounded.” September 30, 2019.

    “Look, I don’t want any wounded guys in the parade. This doesn’t look good for me.” Summer 2017.

    • chaogomu@lemmy.world
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      5 minutes ago

      I can understand why someone would ask who the good guys were in WW1.

      It’s a question that shows a childlike understanding of war in general, but that’s how war is often sold. A team sport with body bags.

      That said, WW1 is hard to pick a “good” side. It was a mess of a war, but no side was particularly vile when compared to the others…

      But for a US president, there’s only one valid answer.

      A US president can admit that Vietnam was not a shining moment is US history, but the world wars? No.

    • Corn@lemmy.ml
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      1 hour ago

      Ok, but 1. fuck John McCain that ghoulish piece of shit is in hell lmao. 2. Trump’s point about soldiers who die on the other side of the planet, fighting for the profits of people like Trump, is absolutely valid. I have no idea what that thought is even doing in an imperialist’s brain.

      • NutWrench@lemmy.world
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        2 hours ago

        During the Vietnam War there was a draft, so you could end up being conscripted and shipped halfway around the world to fight it. One way to avoid getting drafted was a lottery where, if you picked a high enough random number, you could avoid being drafted.

        The thing is, Trump never picked a lottery number. Instead, he got five draft deferments, 1 medical and 4 educational. A lot of rich people at the time were able to avoid military service alltogether by getting a doctor to sign off that you had a sketchy illness. In Trump’s case, it was bone spurs, which apparently healed right up after the Vietnam War ended. Trump kept his 1-Y deferments until after 1972, when he was reclassified 4-F (permanently ineligible for service). By claiming he got a “high lottery number” Trump makes it sound like staying out of Vietnam was an amazing stroke of luck. That was just another lie. Trump had powerful friends and family intervene for him. Luck had nothing to do with it.

        • Corn@lemmy.ml
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          50 minutes ago

          Dodging the draft was the most moral action, after fragging your officer and joining the PAVN. Of course Trump only did it because it coincidentally happened to line up with what served him, but at least he didnt use his connections to pilot a bomber or something.

          🏅"Could have committed more atrocities"

    • BigMacHole@sopuli.xyz
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      5 hours ago

      I’m a PATRIOTIC Republican who PROUDLY wears the American Flag on my Shorts and Truck and TRUMPS RIGHT! Our Soldiers are LOSERS AND SUCKERS!

  • Gerudo@lemm.ee
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    10 hours ago

    I was only in marching band. 25 years later, I promise I could still do it with zero practice. This was on purpose.

    • zalgotext@sh.itjust.works
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      9 hours ago

      If you were in marching band, there’s a good possibility that you had more thorough training in marching than what’s given in basic training, especially if you went to competitions. Marching makes up like half the activity of marching band (it’s in the name). Marching is only one of a plethora of things that are taught during the few months of basic training, and once you’re out of basic, you may never have to march again.

      I also think your expectations on how rhythmically-inclined the average person (or soldier) is might be on the high side based on your experience in an activity with a bunch of highly rhythmically-inclined people.

      • gmtom@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        I was in army cadets for like 2 years about 17 years ago and could still do this with 0 effort and I have a very poor sense of rhythm.

        Trust me, anyone that’s spent more than like an hour learning to march could still do it with ease decades later.

      • Robotsandstuff@lemmy.world
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        9 hours ago

        This isn’t true at all. Marching is really easy, especially when there’s music to March to. I did a bit of drill in basic, and we would get a bit of practice before something a lot smaller than this, and we would be ace in 20 minutes of practice. They are doing this on purpose.

    • undergroundoverground@lemmy.world
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      9 hours ago

      100% and I can’t imagine the effect of basic training and what you learned there being forgotten until long afterwards.

      In the British army, even regular non-guardsman, infantry will usually parade into towns. They love a bit on pomp and ceremony. For example, even now regiments like the black watch regiment would be bagpipes bearing, marching in perfect unison into some place and then roll off to war.

      They didn’t want to be there and their imo their COs didn’t want to kick off at them in front of the cameras.

  • SplashJackson@lemmy.ca
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    6 hours ago

    Somehow I doubt that someone in a professional armed forces can’t fucking march. It’s just left, left, left right left

    • mysticpickle@lemmy.ca
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      6 hours ago

      Anyone can march. Marching in perfect sync with 50 other soldiers in formation is another matter and takes quite a bit of practice and coordination like any other group dance routine.

  • Kazel@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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    7 hours ago

    probably one of the first things every soldier world wide learns is marching. Malicious compliance it is.

  • zieg989@awful.systems
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    13 hours ago

    I am surprised at how many people do not get it. In military you cannot not comply with the orders, especially whan there is clearly nothing criminal with it. The guys doing sloppy marching is pretty much the only agency they have and the only way to protest and boycot that ridiculous parade.