The included descriptions of the battle’s aftermath are haunting.
As much as movies and documentaries usually reflect the horrors of combat itself, they rarely deal with the aftermath - not lights out in an adrenaline fueled moment, but lying for hours in a random patch of land no longer having a mouth, trying to cry for help knowing that no one will come until dying from exposure and maggots.
This was the reality for millions of young people; still is. Let’s hope we never see it firsthand.
These days there are drone recordings of wounded soldiers in Ukraine sometimes ending their lives using a hand grenade or their gun.
And several weeks ago whole Russia celebrated a video of knife fight between an Ukrainian soldier and a Russian soldier lost by the Ukrainian who at the end dies from his wounds.
The video of the russian drowning in a ditch.. haunting..
Such deformity and mutilation may result from an errant jump on a dirt bike. I intend to fly because it is there, it is the right of children to be free. Do a flip. And, yes, some will break a jaw or crush a testicle like a grape. We are not meek souls.
You point out agency yourself, which is indeed the differentiator. Combatants in wars are rarely on the battlefield by their own choice or design.
Everyone has a choice.
This is the kind of belief that people with the luxury of choice often assume applies to everyone else.
Semi-irrelevant comment, but I think it is required for the wider topic on battle/luxury/comfort zones/etc. I don't like to 'tell people what to do', especially on massive scale. I am of the opinion though that ALL (able) MEN must go basic military training (and why not.. women too).
I have ran one of them 'obstacle courses + distance + mud + pain + cold' some years back. I was by far NOT the stronger man there, and I saw some guys that were STRONG (hulk-smash dudes) and they couldn't crawl in the mud to save their lives, or they were skipping leg day, or.. or.. or.. I could see men that were 'normal/average' with military training and plowed through (perseverance to the max) while gym-boys an gym-girls were (rightfully afraid) of injuries as their bodies were 'too clean'.
So, in my 'checklist' of 'basic military training' (fully able/healthy people should/would/could..)
And then... many of the 'free spirit' people might get a new perspective in life. many of the city-dwellers might start seeing the benefits on being in/near nature> Know/practice rucking with 50kg for a 20km brisk walk (maintain speed 7-8 km/h) on uneven terrain, and no water (speak to your doctor first)
Ermm..... This is so far beyond basic militarytraining. Did you mean 5kg? And no water? There are special forces units that wouldn't be able to do this.
Full kit loadout is like 20 kilos, maybe 25-30 if you are the LMG/Nlaw carrier in your unit.
>Fast for 3-4 days (just to see what it feels like)(speak to your doctor first)
>Thirst for 1-2 days (just to see what it feels like)(speak to your doctor first)
No water for 2 days is MUCH worse than no food for 4.
> Water Yes. I can easily fast for 4-5 days once a month with no problem. Water, I've only done it a 3-4 times in my life, just to see how I react on it. I 'imagine' (not really) the scenarion of being in some country that is frequently earthquake-struck and being without access to water because of damaged infrastructure, etc. Again, the purpose is to know one's limits and _not_ to harm oneself.
How many people live in such zones where strong earthquake are frequent, and they have the real/possible risk of being trapped under some rubble for 1-2-3 days without access to food or water? Knowing your limits and not panicking helps.
>50kg What if you got a kid and you new to carry it for some distance? What if you have to kill an animal and bring it back to chop it and eat it? Again, the purpose is to do it a couple of times in your life to know what you can and cannot do. Not ruin your spine aimlessly.
2 days without water sounds completely idiotic. It could seriously affect your health.
The idea that everyone should do some basic military training is a good one, but the above seems focused on some over the top macho stuff.
Some basic first aid training however should probably even be taught in schools, and then repeated at least every decade.
I never wrote "do it every week for the fun of it". This is more like 'do it once in your life so you know what thirst feels like'. Knowing one's limits, _without_ putting your life at risk is good in life. I foresaw silly/scary/scared responses thus the 'speak to your doc'.
The comment of yours is likely in good spirit, but it mixes reasonable things with completely outlandish ones.
From experience, averaging 8 km/h for 2.5 h with 50 kg on the back is just not possible for most people, and likely not for you or me either. Doing it in uneven terrain sounds completely unrealistic no matter how fit you are.
Just suggest something realistic instead, like 20 kg and 5 km/h in easy terrain for healthy people, and and least it would be something possible to discuss.
Going 4 days without food is something you can absolutely try if you like, if you are healthy or otherwise secure. But going 2 days compeltely without water is stupid. Don't do it on purpose, ever, no matter how fit you think you are.
Your choice was to resist the kings men and die, or take the spear and maybe die.
Well, in the olden days, your choice was between being drafted, or being executed on the spot.
No, there were always ways. Folklore is full of stories of people avoiding being drafted. You can only draft someone who is there (and who is healthy).
> No, there were always ways. Folklore is full of stories of people avoiding being drafted. You can only draft someone who is there (and who is healthy).
And the stories people tell are about the exciting and unusual things. You're not going to have folklore about people being harshly punished for resisting the powers that be, because it the likely outcome and expected.
Actually, also yes. I was not just refering to fairytales. And unlike people seemed to assume about my comment, that it was easy, nor convenient. Just that draft dodging is as old as the concept of forecfully drafting.
Just shy of swimming across the English channel, very few excuses actually helped people escape impressment. If the press gang had you, the only way you could become less desirable would be to permanently disfigure yourself. Desertion could mean execution, the only safe path to freedom was by doing your service.
>Folklore is full of stories of people avoiding being drafted.
Mulan!
Also there was a fellow down the way one time, who caught a talking fish and the fish was like don't eat me, and he said, well I need to because the king needs me fit for military service, and the fish made him lame and go blind right then, so he let the fish go!
Just have a rich dad and pay a doctor to say you have bone spurs! easy!
You are a free spirit, and the very first to take a bullet in the head when someone (in time of war) will tell/order you "do _this_" and you will say "no". Better a corpse than a naysayer.
I don't know how many here are Iron Maiden fans/listeners, but for those who don't know their work, I propose a read at the lyrics of The Trooper [0]
[0]: https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ironmaiden/thetrooper.html
War is hell.
War is worse than hell. In hell there are no innocent bystanders.
Hell technically is a bunch of people who didn't repent. Might be pretty much like normal life, people wise.
Saw Warfare tonight at the cinema. Brutal doesn’t really get very close. Definitely seems like hell.
Where could you possibly get that idea?
[dead]
Okay? What a weird flex. How does this relate to anything being discussed?