I would fight in a war if...

[Royal Tenenbaum]

What would lead you to fight in a war?

[FartinMowler]

I really don't think I could kill another person but If someone came into my country and started killing people, like for example in the movie "The Piano" I would rather die fighting than be herded into holding pens.

[Immortal Goat]

I'd fight against a justifiable enemy because not all enemies can only be a threat when invading. Countries with far-reaching missiles are a threat and they don't even have to set foot in the country they are waging war against. However, I sincerely hope it never comes to that. Nuclear weaponry was the biggest mistake ever.

[punkgrrrlie10]

other:

For those of us coming from a family which has a lot of military in it and having alot of friends in the military you fight a war if you are enlisted and called up. Your job is to be a soldier whether you want to be fighting against another or not. It's not an intellectual exercise. There is a commander in chief and you go when called. It's your job. You may not agree with why, but that's not your place.

[davinxtk]

With respect, that's the most retarded thing I've ever heard.

As a human being you have the right to choose whether you want to lay your life on the line for a cause.
Being so numb to it is what allows for words like "fungible" to be applied to humans.

I voted that I'd go to war if we were being invaded. I don't necessarily mean active, on-land invasion, though. I would fight in a war if my way of life was literally in question. If my first ammendment rights were in question (wait a minute...), if my fourth ammendment rights were being challenged (uhm...), if America was for some reason no longer able to hold fair elections, if we were being governed by a force of religious doctrine... wait a minute.
Where the fuck is my war?
"Old white men wielding martinis and wearing dickies have occupied our nation's capital." (Michael Moore)

Yes, I'd fight in a civil war if one were to erupt with cause and promise behind it. Yes, I'd fight in a war against a country that was literally a challenge to the United States, invasion force or not. No, I would not fight in a war to protect any people from any political party; spare the possiblity that there was some form of mass-genocide or further atrocities being carried out.
However, I wouldn't want to fight a war overseas without international support. I don't necessarily mean literally, I would really just want more than a few rinky-dink countries to agree with the cause.

[Bobo Adobo]

I voted for the Invasion choice, same reasons as Davinxtk.

[ScruU2wice]

Definatly if someone was invading.

And if some one kidnapped helen of troy...

[AChimp]

I would fight for whichever side was winning.

[Royal Tenenbaum]

I voted for only if it was in my country. At least that way I would be protecting something that was important to me.

[Perndog]

Other: I would fight in a war if I really wanted to kill someone OR if we were being invaded and I couldn't leave the country safely. I don't have a sense of national pride. I have a sense of self-preservation. So I would fight if and only if I thought killing another human or destroying property would be a fulfilling experience in its own right (and you can be sure there are several members of the Special Forces who do what they do for this very reason).

[FartinMowler]

Other: I would fight in a war if I really wanted to kill someone

You just get more stupid as the day's go on

[Anonymous]

Stupider. Not "more stupid," you stupid.

[Pub Lover]

'Anti-Grammer Police'

[Anonymous]

Just when it's ironic.

[CastroMotorOil]

Isaid agianst a jsutifieable enemy, such as if china decided to actually start launching shti our way, and we went over to stop them or something. bad example i know. The point being that if there is a significant threat to my famlies' and my well being and way of life, then i'd go to war for my country.

[punkgrrrlie10]

If you make the choice to become a soldier, you haven't put restrictions on it by saying "only if i agree with the cause". It is still a choice.

[AChimp]

I think it goes without being said that if you're already a soldier, you don't have any choice about where you are going to be sent. I believe that the spirit of this thread is, "What would motivate you to enlist?"

[El Blanco]

Originally Posted by AChimp

I would fight for whichever side was winning.

Are you Canadian or Italian?

I went with justifiable enemy. Of course, "justifiable" is pretty vague. I believe in the old "the best defense is a good offense" line of thinking, so many of you will probably disagree with what I see as justifiable.

[Brandon]

Against invaders.

[AChimp]

Are you Canadian or Italian?

Well, since chimps are decidedly hirsuite, I will have to go with Italian.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

I chose "just cause." Chimpy is right, what would drive me to enlist would be a war that I felt was necessary, although precautionary as a last resort.

Some examples, had I been alive, throughout the 20th Century the 20th Century:

Justified (relatively speaking): WW II, the Korean War, the first Gulf War, and (perhaps) the war in Afghanistan.

Unjustified (relatively speaking): WW I, the Vietnam War, and "Operation Iraqi Liberation."

I think the choice to defend while being invaded is sort of superfluos, in that you'd certainly be "justified" in defending yourself, your family, your loved ones, etc. Unless you're perhaps French.

EDIT: On a side note, I must admit that this entire thread has put B&S's song "I fought in a war" in my head.

[punkgrrrlie10]

Originally Posted by AChimp

I think it goes without being said that if you're already a soldier, you don't have any choice about where you are going to be sent. I believe that the spirit of this thread is, "What would motivate you to enlist?"

Are you sure b/c the first thing that popped in my head when I read this was the conscientious objectors to Iraq who were already enlisted and serving.

[KevinTheOmnivore]

Which I think is a relatively small list, especially when compared to those soldiers who are reenlisting in order to do more rounds in Iraq.

I think the real question was what would drive people to fight in a war, thus enlisting, thus going through b.t., etc....

[Immortal Goat]

Originally Posted by punkgrrrlie10

other:

For those of us coming from a family which has a lot of military in it and having alot of friends in the military you fight a war if you are enlisted and called up. Your job is to be a soldier whether you want to be fighting against another or not. It's not an intellectual exercise. There is a commander in chief and you go when called. It's your job. You may not agree with why, but that's not your place.

Obviously she's never heard of being a "conscienious (sp?) objector".

[El Blanco]

Being a conscientious objector doesn't mean you don't go. You just get put in a noncombat role. You still get shipped out. At least, thats how I understand it.