Is there a difference: military/mafia service?

[societyisthematrix]

Is there a difference between being in the military and being in the mafia?

Think about it: Both require total obedience to superiors, both require you to kill when ordered, both require you to lie, cheat, and steal when ordered.

I can't really see a difference, what do you think?

[Anders Lindman]

Interesting observation about similarities between the military and the mafia. Yet the military is generally legal activity while the mafia is infamous for its illegal activity. The military offers protection for citizens in exchange of taxes. The mafia has another form of protection to offer. The mafia works for the benefit of its members. The military works for the benefit of corporate interests. :rolleyes:

[societyisthematrix]

The mafia has another form of protection to offer.

It's interesting that you mention that because I thought of this after my initial post:

Another similarity is that in both cases you're sworn to serve and defend a family (as a nation is in fact an extension of a family).

Yet the military is generally legal activity while the mafia is infamous for its illegal activity.

Right, torture is now a legal activity in the USA. What's legal and illegal has nothing to do with right and wrong. For thousands of years TPTB have been declaring their pillaging, raping, and murder "legal" while no one else's was legal. That means that a "military man" is different from a mafia member by fiat only!

The military offers protection for citizens in exchange of taxes.

There's little difference between paying for protection from the government (i.e. organized crime) and the mafia (organized crime) except that the mafia is probably more trustworthy, imo. I posted this recently on another board and I want to repeat it here because I think it fits:

In a western called "The Quick and the Dead", Gene Hackman plays a ruthless individual named John Herod who is the owner, leader, and "ruler" of a little town in the wild west. He puts together a "gun-show-off" where some of the best shootists in the old west have a chance to win a huge amount of money. Herod discovers that the town had hired an assassin to kill him in the gun-show-off and, after killing this man, Herod gives the following speech which perfectly sums up the situation the whole world is in (if you take Herod for the metaphor of all governments that he is):

I'm confused.
All I hear from you weak cowards is how poor you are.
How you can't afford my taxes, my protection.
Yet somehow you've all managed to find the money -
- to hire a professional gunfighter to kill me.
Where's all this money coming from?
What am I to think?
If you've got so much to spare, I'm gonna have to take more off you.
This is my town!
If you live to see the dawn, it's because I allow it.
I'm in charge of everything.
I decide who lives or who dies.
Your gunfighter's dead.
Old news.

Does that not sum up the situation that nearly all people in the world are in? We allow the wickedest people to rule us because we're too cowardly to really stand up to them.

I recommend "The Quick and the Dead", it is a perfect allegory for the world system. There's a lot more to it than this but I think that this is the most important point.

You can read the script here, it's quite enlightening and true art: http://www.script-o-rama.com/movie_scripts/q/quick-and-the-dead-script.html


The military works for the benefit of corporate interests.

Right, the mafia and the military both have big business controlling them. That's another example of how alike they are.

[societyisthematrix]

This thread shouldn't be ignored. :confused:

[purple is a fruit]

and why is that?

[societyisthematrix]

and why is that?

Why is what? Do you have an answer for the question at hand?

This topic had a good run at alien-earth, in case anyone is interested: http://alien-earth.org/forum/message.php?message=43156&mpage=3&showdate=2/2/07

[purple is a fruit]

not my cup of tea but, thanks anyways

[societyisthematrix]

not my cup of tea but, thanks anyways

I'm sorry if I hurt your feelings. http://clicksmilies.com/s1106/fragend/confused-smiley-014.gif

[purple is a fruit]

hahahahahahaha