Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was not necessary

Several service members told advocacy groups they felt like pawns in a political game and assignment was unnecessary

California national guards troops and marines deployed to Los Angeles to help restore order after days of protest against the Trump administration have told friends and family members they are deeply unhappy about the assignment and worry their only meaningful role will be as pawns in a political battle they do not want to join.

Three different advocacy organisations representing military families said they had heard from dozens of affected service members who expressed discomfort about being drawn into a domestic policing operation outside their normal field of operations. The groups said they have heard no countervailing opinions.

“The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn’t the kind of national security we signed up for,” said Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative, which represents the interests of military spouses, children and veterans.

  • HugeNerd@lemmy.ca
    0·
    2 months ago

    How about invading a country halfway around the world that didn’t do anything to us?

    That should be a great morale booster, historically.

    • Tarquinn2049@lemmy.world
      0·
      2 months ago

      The main difference there is that they can be unfamiliar with that country and believe what they are told about it.

      Hard to be unfamiliar with the country you grew up in, and only 30% of the population is willing to believe what they are being told about it now despite their life experiences not showing that to be the case. I mean since when have those types of people been “scared” of Californians?

      • Echo Dot@feddit.uk
        0·
        2 months ago

        Hard to be unfamiliar with the country you grew up in

        If anyone can do it, it’s Americans. I’ve had arguments with Americans who insist that New Mexico is in Mexico despite it being called New Mexico.

    • StupidBrotherInLaw@lemmy.world
      0·
      2 months ago

      I think the primary difference here is they know the population they’re oppressing so it’s difficult to wholly believe the propaganda.

      When being imperialists abroad, they’re fed a steady stream of propaganda about how they’re the hero, that they’re saving democracy, babies, capitalism, and what not. Most of them don’t speak the language and have difficulty relating to the local population. Americans are notoriously ignorant of everything outside the US (fine, in the US too) and the locals they’re defrauding are understandably afraid and/or hostile, so many don’t learn otherwise or don’t want to accept otherwise. Imagine the blow to the psyche of switching gears from “great American saviour” to “brown kid murder machine to make rich people richer”. That’s tough.

      Now the lies are much harder to believe. They speak the language, share the culture, and some are at least vaguely familiar with the events leading up to these protests. While 1/3 of the US population are utter numpties, the remaining 2/3 are at least likely redeemable and some of that larger fraction is likely present in the military. They know what they’re doing is wrong and don’t believe the propaganda telling them otherwise.

      Now we’ll see if any have the courage to stand against this. I’m not holding my breath.

      • CherryBullets@lemmy.caEnglish
        0·
        2 months ago

        This is part of why Russian troops faced and still face severe morale dips in Ukraine, because Ukrainians can speak directly to them and ask them what they are doing and why they are killing them.

  • Vanilla_PuddinFudge@infosec.pubEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    Parade starts, all going textbook, rioters get into the fray, national guardsmen take up defensive positions, then the more conflicted national guardsmen are like nah and back off and some of the less ones are peer pressured into it, then the police force gets into it with both sides, then the rioters quell the police, and then all eyes turn to the man himself…

    God, I don’t ask for much, but, just this once maybe?

    • barneypiccolo@lemm.eeEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      And also boost retirements of career members who manage and operate the military. Which will be okay with the MAGA Nazis, because eventually they’ll have an entire military of followers who will happily kill ANYONE for HitlerPig.

      My Dad was a helicopter pilot in the Army, during the late 50s, and wanted to do that for his entire life. Then Vietnam heated up, and he was going to train pilots to go to over there, and might have ended up there himself. Nobody could explain to him why this was happening, and he didn’t want to train young men (like himself) to go off and die for a war that nobody could explain, so he quit flying, retired from the military, and got into the insurance game.

      I would imagine that a lot of career military are questioning their career paths.

  • Allero@lemmy.today
    0·
    2 months ago

    That’s one of the key issues with army in general, aside from, y’know, killing people.

    Soldiers are always pawns in someone else’s political game, they don’t get to choose what to fight for and have to follow whatever orders they receive. It’s weird that only now they realize that.

  • bitwolf@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    I keep looking for cries for help on their shields.

    I can totally see a scenario where they deploy but have protest messages on their shields, and maliciously comply to orders.

  • Bluefalcon@discuss.tchncs.de
    0·
    2 months ago

    Just going to say, I have a bad feeling about Sat. I feel there is a deeper plan about to happen and Jan 6 ppl might be a part of it.

  • Olhonestjim@lemmy.world
    0·
    2 months ago

    They’re welcome to come defend the American people from the criminal gangs known as the police and ICE.