I am having this conversation with my wife. I’m 16 years into a military career (so 4 years from retirement), and she was talking about moving to Canada. So for a thought exercise, I looked it up, and with my skill set it would be pretty doable.
But I reminded her that we aren’t the ones in danger. A cis-het white family of natively-born Americans in the military with the economic stability to fly to Canada on a moments notice for an abortion (she was worried about our daughter) is not in particular danger. But us leaving means we can’t fight against this, and makes it worse for those who can’t just leave.
We’ll see how it is in 2029 when I’m due to retire, if the country can pull its head out of its ass or if Project 2025 goes full swing followed by no legitimate election. But for now, we’ll stay and push back.
Genuine question: The Republicans would like to use the US Military against its own people, as well as disband institutions like the FBI. What would you do if they actually went ahead with that?
I am not in the part of the military they would send for that. But if it were to happen in general? I am not going to pretend to know what I would do until the event actually came up.
Incidentally, when I joined the branch I did, one of the recruiters asked me why I specifically wanted the Coast Guard. I told him if I decide to join something, and doing that put me in a position where I had to do something morally reprehensible to survive (like shoot a 12-year-old protecting his home in some far off country), the fact I had no choice in the moment would be irrelevant, as my choices put me in that position. There’s nothing morally ambiguous about saving a person from drowning. (Side note, he thought that was a terrible reason, and I think that guy can fuck himself). So not being put in a position to be used against my own country can be added to that as well (except enforcing boating safety, PUT A LIFE JACKET ON YOUR KID GODDAMMIT).
Oh, and all that was before I learned about the migrant and drug interdiction missions in the Coast Guard, so now I just try to avoid Florida and Southern California for where I get stationed.
I am having this conversation with my wife. I’m 16 years into a military career (so 4 years from retirement), and she was talking about moving to Canada. So for a thought exercise, I looked it up, and with my skill set it would be pretty doable.
But I reminded her that we aren’t the ones in danger. A cis-het white family of natively-born Americans in the military with the economic stability to fly to Canada on a moments notice for an abortion (she was worried about our daughter) is not in particular danger. But us leaving means we can’t fight against this, and makes it worse for those who can’t just leave.
We’ll see how it is in 2029 when I’m due to retire, if the country can pull its head out of its ass or if Project 2025 goes full swing followed by no legitimate election. But for now, we’ll stay and push back.
Genuine question: The Republicans would like to use the US Military against its own people, as well as disband institutions like the FBI. What would you do if they actually went ahead with that?
I am not in the part of the military they would send for that. But if it were to happen in general? I am not going to pretend to know what I would do until the event actually came up.
Incidentally, when I joined the branch I did, one of the recruiters asked me why I specifically wanted the Coast Guard. I told him if I decide to join something, and doing that put me in a position where I had to do something morally reprehensible to survive (like shoot a 12-year-old protecting his home in some far off country), the fact I had no choice in the moment would be irrelevant, as my choices put me in that position. There’s nothing morally ambiguous about saving a person from drowning. (Side note, he thought that was a terrible reason, and I think that guy can fuck himself). So not being put in a position to be used against my own country can be added to that as well (except enforcing boating safety, PUT A LIFE JACKET ON YOUR KID GODDAMMIT).
Oh, and all that was before I learned about the migrant and drug interdiction missions in the Coast Guard, so now I just try to avoid Florida and Southern California for where I get stationed.