AIBU to not want to go to war

[TemporaryPosition]

It's expensive and it hurts and it helps nothing, it just puts innocent sons, brothers, fathers, uncles and friends through the meat grinder. The only people who benefit are those who make a fortune from selling weapons and are granted contracts for reconstruction.

Haven't we learnt anything? What happened to "never again".

AIBU to really really really not want to be involved in any war?

I agree. This is what Trudeau said and believes. But I don't share his view of that being a positive thing. I do however share his view that that is the direction of travel and we have very nearly arrived, and that English language is a huge part of that.

Have you ever met a person from Scotland @TemporaryPosition?

I am literally a woman in Scotland (not a self identified one)

Well come on! Let's hear the differences!!

Thing is, everyone starts feeling really uncomfortable when they do.... but won't admit why that is

Test my Scottish knowledge then

For the 293764827484929th time @TemporaryPosition having a cultural identity isn’t ’self identifying’ as anything. Two different ideas.

You. Have. Been. Told.
If you live in Scotland you know.
I have no idea why you are persisting with this nonsense.

Celtic or rangers?

I asked have you ever met a Scottish person? Have you?

But it necessarily is. It can be one of two things - a feeling, which is entirely subjective and intangible. OR an objectively verifiable phenomenon. What makes someone something - is it real things which some people simply are or are not, or is it a vague sense, that's available to anyone who claims to feel it

Define "Scottish person" is an English person who has lived here for 20 years Scottish? Even if she says "aye"?

Having an identity isn’t different from identifying as something.
Cultural identity is a person's sense of belonging to a cultural group or community. It's a complex part of a person's identity that's shaped by many factors, including their experiences, beliefs, and values.
I thought you had studied this?

Yes, if they have the sense of belonging to the Scottish cultural group or community. This is shaped by many factors, including their experiences, beliefs, and values.

I am not interested in football, but that's a good example of people who don't know their history. Neither have seen the inside of a church since they were at school, they know nothing about their supposed cultures. Is there any real difference between Celtic and Rangers fans now that the colour of their shirts?

You seem to be struggling with this very simple question @TemporaryPosition. Why is that?

@TemporaryPosition

Ah, the “no more war” crowd. It's a noble sentiment, but one that’s about as practical as asking a lion to become vegetarian. War is tragic, it’s devastating, and yes, it disproportionately impacts those who never signed up for it but history doesn’t give a damn about your sentiments. It rolls on, whether you want it to or not.

And let's talk about this "never again" mantra. It sounds great in theory until you realize that in the real world, peace is rarely the default setting. The world doesn’t operate on ideals; it operates on power. If you don’t stand up to aggression, the bullies just get louder, and eventually, they come for you.

That's how this game works. The people who profit from war? They're always there, true. But here's the kicker: they're not the ones who decide whether a country goes to war they just follow the market forces. You want to stop war profiteering? The first step is to stop the aggressors in their tracks.

And as for the “meat grinder” argument it’s real, it’s tragic, and it’s undeniable. But you know what's worse? Being the country that stands by and watches democracy and liberty get crushed, because you couldn't be bothered to get involved.

A definition of identity from social science (I used Wikipedia for its accessibility, but my degree is 50% a social science discipline and I concur with it) “Identity is the set of qualities, beliefs, personality traits, appearance, or expressions that characterize a person or a group.[
Identity emerges during childhood as children start to comprehend their self-concept, and it remains a consistent aspect throughout different stages of life. Identity is shaped by social and cultural factors and how others perceive and acknowledge one's characteristics. The etymology of the term "identity" from the Latin noun identitas emphasizes an individual's "sameness with others".“

A definition of identity from the dictionary (Cambridge): identity
noun [ C ]
US

/ɑɪˈden·tɪ·t̬i/
identity noun [C] (PERSON)
Add to word list
who a person is, or the qualities of a personor group that make them different from others

Hope this helps.

And that answer says you are not Scottish. At least, your not like any Scottish person I have ever met.

My guess at this point is that you are not being honest.

Wait, you started by blathering on about not wanting war (no one wants war, ffs, except bloody Putin) and you've moved on to "Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland don't have cultural identities"?

Are you drunk, posting for a bet or just profoundly ignorant of the history of these islands?

It's 6 Nations season right now. Is the entirety of the stadium in Cardiff singing Hymns and Arias enough for you or shall we add Ar Hyd Y Nos as well?

My father fought in WWII with Patton's army in Europe. My dh and I, like 16 million of our fellow Americans, are veterans. The US currently has 1.3 million active duty forces and 800,000 reservists. As I type this the US has troops deployed to 168 countries, and altogether we spend almost a trillion dollars a year on defense.

We Americans understand war a whole lot better than you think. And we're damned sick and tired of it.

You had me up until "democracy and liberty" - if you can see that "peace" is an historical anomaly you can see too that "democracy and liberty" was never much more than an illusion and one that is crumbling fast. It's quite thrilling to watch the pendulum swing back again in real time, you made me think of Julius Evola's quote "the blood of heroes is closer to God"...

I already told you I'm not ethnically Scottish.

In what way am I wrong

It's quite vague though and doesn't really tell us anything meaningful.

Ah, yes, there it is the disillusionment. The grand epiphany that everything we’ve been told about democracy and liberty was a carefully crafted narrative. You know, I respect that. It’s a hell of a lot more honest than the typical high-minded rhetoric about “freedom” that politicians love to drone on about when they’re courting the masses.

You’re right democracy, liberty, all those pretty words? They’re fragile. Like glass, they shatter under the wrong conditions, and right now, the cracks are starting to show. But let’s not kid ourselves, those ideals weren’t ever fully realized for most. They were always a concept, a veneer over a much messier, more selfish reality. And frankly, it’s far more entertaining to watch it unravel than to pretend it was ever the utopia we wished for.

As for the pendulum, I get it. History’s rhythm is a dance between order and chaos, and right now, it’s swinging back to something darker, more primal. A bit of Julius Evola in the mix? The blood of heroes, the sacrifice, the glory yeah, that’s where we’re heading, isn’t it? The question is: who gets to write the next chapter? Because, make no mistake, someone will.

@cardibach, I meant to add, in Sociology we're taught that nations don't really exist. They're modern artificial constructs created to serve political and economic ends, think Hobsbawm and Benedict Andersons "Imagined Communities". As per the dictionary definition you supplied "the qualities of a person or group that makes them different from others," - this is at direct odds with the values of inclusivity - to acknowledge difference between peoples. This also is verboten.