The difference between rules for civilians and the military is that our rules are written in blood. The training is technical, one must learn how to do thing properly, but to reinforce that message we are also told why something must be done in a particular manner. Why don't you wear a wedding ring when handling a line while mooring a ship? Have you ever seen a ring finger with the flesh ripped clean off and nothing but bone remaining? I have. Why do you keep the pistol pointed down range at all times? Because those plastic dividers between the shooters won't slow down a bullet much before smashing into the person firing next to you. Why do you visually confirm that the magazine is empty and the chamber is clear before taking possession of a weapon? Because somebody did not do so and they ended up putting a bullet in themselves for a comrade on accident. Why do you loosen the dogs nearest the hinge side of the hatch first? Because if there's pressure on the other side you do not want to get caught between a bulkhead and a 200 lbs. hatch when the pressure blasts the hatch open after the last dog is loosened.
Whether we know the specific reasons or not, we know there is a good reason for our rules, laws and customs. We obey the laws and the orders for that reason, one doesn't need to know the reason to be disciplined, ultimately it doesn't matter, decisions are not made arbitrarily or on a whim. I do not understand why you keep coming back to discipline, ad hominen attacks will get you nowhere, especially when arguing against those who are in uniform. After my active time I went back to school, at a meeting I was asked the difference between the military and civilians, my answer was one word, discipline. The rules are almost identical for the military world and the civilian world, they really are. The only difference is the military has the discipline to follow the rules without demanding an explanation. Let's move beyond the discipline part here, we're getting nowhere by continuing to discuss it and calling a service members discipline into question is about the same as calling them a traitor.
As for your caricature, I'm not going to argue with it. War is a dirty business, you have mentioned ancient battle in your posts, but what did the aftermath of a battle smell like? Blood, sweat, piss and ****. Today it's pretty much the same, but add cordite and jet fuel to the mix. One of my favorite quotes, which I couldn't truly appreciate before enlisting is supposedly from Orwell although the origin is debatable, it goes as follows, "Men sleep peacefully at night because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." To me that is a beautiful quote, I probably treat that quote as most would treat Shakespeare. We're not pretty, we don't smell of roses, and we may not be the most enjoyable company at times, but we get the job done, and that's what matters.
I only mentioned the cultural aspects to show that we have grossly different perspectives. At least in regards to your views on sex, you really are coming across as a romantic. For me, I'm fine with a drunken rendezvous in a bar. I'm only 23 years old, three months away from graduating and receiving a commission. I have plenty of living left to do and right now I am not looking for my soul mate or trying to find a future wife, I'm just out to have fun. When I do find a girl I like, I do not rush into the sack with her, I wait, dating is kind of like a dance. It's also a game, to compare it to a board game, it'd be like Stratego. That can backfire though, when we get down to it, women and men have a lot in common and sometimes, women, like men, just want to f***. I'm not talking about making love or even sex, just rough, dirty, and loud just absolutely pound it out and take care of business.
The true debate that has stemmed from this original topic, and I think this is the point other military members here have been trying to make, is that we don't believe prostitution should be illegal. There are safe and legal means of making it work, and it's not all women in the trade, the market exists for men to become prostitutes as well. Nobody here has said we are going to go out and pay someone for sex, damn the consequences! We are just voicing our opinions that we disagree with this decision. If you want to continue that debate, I suggest we create a new thread, since this discussion is quite off-topic. If you do create a new thread, I would like to recommend not implying or outright saying using the services of a prostitute represents a lack of discipline as that would only entice further responses like that from 03USMC. I however likely will not be participating in such a thread, I feel like we've both said our peace, and have really no hope of changing each other's view points and I'm content to move on to another topic.
