Do you serve in the military?

[Ayreonia]

It's a good thing you're doing. I'm considering joining the local Regional Forces, since FDF reservists get little action, thanks to the Defense Forces being underfunded.

FDF? Would that be Florida Defense Force? Or something esle entirely?

Sorry!
Finnish.

[The Rebel Alliances]

FDF? Would that be Florida Defense Force? Or something esle entirely?

Sorry!
Finnish.

I really should have guessed. Your flag has the Scandinavian Cross in it. Like my flag is an obvious referance to the Southrern United States, or Dixie as we locals call it.

So, I looked up the FDF on Google. How are the regional forces different from the Finnish Defence Force? The Georgia State Defense Force is very unique in two big ways from the rest of the United States Federal Military. Like I mentioned earlier we are unpaid. More so it costs us to be a member as we buy nearly all equipment which takes away from our funds to pay bills, rent and food and such. It is part time and it cannot be federalized by the President of the United States. I love that last fact, as me serving on Active Duty I will be serving at home. Helping my fellow Georgians. I will never be more than a few hours from where I live.

So are your Finnish Regional Forces similer to what I do in the GSDF?

[Ayreonia]

Sorry!
Finnish.

I really should have guessed. Your flag has the Scandinavian Cross in it. Like my flag is an obvious referance to the Southrern United States, or Dixie as we locals call it.

So, I looked up the FDF on Google. How are the regional forces different from the Finnish Defence Force? The Georgia State Defense Force is very unique in two big ways from the rest of the United States Federal Military. Like I mentioned earlier we are unpaid. More so it costs us to be a member as we buy nearly all equipment which takes away from our funds to pay bills, rent and food and such. It is part time and it cannot be federalized by the President of the United States. I love that last fact, as me serving on Active Duty I will be serving at home. Helping my fellow Georgians. I will never be more than a few hours from where I live.

So are your Finnish Regional Forces similer to what I do in the GSDF?

There are three layers, simply put:

Every Finnish male has to serve as a conscript for six to twelve months, depending on the difficulty of their training. After this, they have a choice to study to become a CO or senior NCO, and basically become career military. The ones who don't get transferred to the reserves, to be mobilized if need be. These reservists (myself included) participate in training exercises, but very rarely these days.

Then there are the Regional Forces, who are basically how you described yourself: volunteers who train in their local area, and can be called upon to assist the local police or fire departments. They get no pay, but are at least equipped by the state.

[Wallonochia]

Then there are the Regional Forces, who are basically how you described yourself: volunteers who train in their local area, and can be called upon to assist the local police or fire departments. They get no pay, but are at least equipped by the state.

In some US states the State Defense Forces do receive a certain amount of equipment from their state, budget permitting.

To go off on a bit of a tangent here, the State Defense Forces are either unknown or misunderstood to most people, who often mistake them for crazy Michigan Militia anti-government types. I think the best way I've been able o describe them to people has been that each state's military is somewhat parallel to the US military. The US Army has the US Army Reserve and the Michigan National Guard (an example because I was in the Michigan Guard) has the Michigan Volunteer Defense Force as a sort of reserve force. Here's an excerpt from the laws of my home state of Michigan:

The organized militia of this state taken collectively shall be known as the state military establishment and constitutes the armed forces of this state. The organized militia consists of the army national guard, the air national guard, and the defense force when actually in existence as provided in this act.

If I had stayed in Michigan, or even another state in the US I probably would have considered joining a state defense force. They work solely for the state and aren't allowed to go off and fight in foreign countries, even if they could theoretically do so in the case of an invasion from a neighboring foreign state, but that's never going to happen. Most of what they do is help out at natural disasters, big events (the Utah Defense Force did good work at the Olympics in Salt Lake City) or occasionally other missions, like the Alaskan Defense Force guarding the oil pipelines up there. Many people find these missions to be a lot more morally acceptable than those of the Federal military.

[Yankee Empire]

Then get out of my country asshole, because treason is a crime.

Only if they lose.

Had Washington failed he as well as all the other founding fathers would have been impisoned, tortured, hung and exected like the criminals they were.

Using your logic.

They did commit high treason against the British Empire. So they were nothing more than common criminals.

But somebody who could actually grasp the concept of a tyrannical State and Government would look past the common title of "Treason" and see theat they sacrificed all to do what they knw was right. Even if it was Treason.

So, treason can be a good thing.

Totally different, as the Empire wasn't treating them as equal citzens but as basically a sort of profit making colony, if they don't treat them as citizens then how can it be treason to rebel against them? If the Empire had treated them as citizens and they still rebelled then you may have a point but that's not how it happened.

[The Rebel Alliances]

Only if they lose.

Had Washington failed he as well as all the other founding fathers would have been impisoned, tortured, hung and exected like the criminals they were.

Using your logic.

They did commit high treason against the British Empire. So they were nothing more than common criminals.

But somebody who could actually grasp the concept of a tyrannical State and Government would look past the common title of "Treason" and see theat they sacrificed all to do what they knw was right. Even if it was Treason.

So, treason can be a good thing.

Totally different, as the Empire wasn't treating them as equal citzens but as basically a sort of profit making colony, if they don't treat them as citizens then how can it be treason to rebel against them? If the Empire had treated them as citizens and they still rebelled then you may have a point but that's not how it happened.

They were just colonist in a colony whose only purpose was to benefit of the mother country. A colony lacks any sovereignty as it is not a State. A State is both independent and Sovereign. But for people who believes that true sovereignty resides with the people and is only 'loaned' to the State or Province or wherever they reside can see the colonist rebellion as legitamate.

Those that believe that the State is the final retainer of sovereignty would see the colonist that revolted as nothing more than criminals.

But as for the colonist being oppressed they really were not that oppressed. The taxes that were placed on them were not crippling and were even seen as fair by many colonist. And only 1/3 were 'patriots' and it is believed there were just as many 'loyalist' as patriots. The rest were undecided.

The only real complaint they had was representation. But no colony has any real representation in the parent government. The colonist knew this.

Would you support the people of the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa launching a revolution?
I doubt that you would.

Even the UN recognizes them as Non-Self Governing Territories.

And Treason has been commited by patriots and heros around the world. Another example would be the failed plot to kill Hitler by Col. Stauffenberg and other German Commanders. Would you call them Traitors? If you say no, you are wrong. Because Treason only means to act in a way to harm the State. And Hitler was the State. But that does not mean just because they were traiters to the Government that they were not valient men or heroes.

So in short. Treason is not always bad. And usually it is positive. But it depends on the people behind it and the current condition of the state.

[The Allied States of North America]

Totally different, as the Empire wasn't treating them as equal citzens but as basically a sort of profit making colony, if they don't treat them as citizens then how can it be treason to rebel against them? If the Empire had treated them as citizens and they still rebelled then you may have a point but that's not how it happened.

They were just colonist in a colony whose only purpose was to benefit of the mother country. A colony lacks any sovereignty as it is not a State. A State is both independent and Sovereign. But for people who believes that true sovereignty resides with the people and is only 'loaned' to the State or Province or wherever they reside can see the colonist rebellion as legitamate.

Those that believe that the State is the final retainer of sovereignty would see the colonist that revolted as nothing more than criminals.

But as for the colonist being oppressed they really were not that oppressed. The taxes that were placed on them were not crippling and were even seen as fair by many colonist. And only 1/3 were 'patriots' and it is believed there were just as many 'loyalist' as patriots. The rest were undecided.

The only real complaint they had was representation. But no colony has any real representation in the parent government. The colonist knew this.

Would you support the people of the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa launching a revolution?
I doubt that you would.

Even the UN recognizes them as Non-Self Governing Territories.

And Treason has been commited by patriots and heros around the world. Another example would be the failed plot to kill Hitler by Col. Stauffenberg and other German Commanders. Would you call them Traitors? If you say no, you are wrong. Because Treason only means to act in a way to harm the State. And Hitler was the State. But that does not mean just because they were traiters to the Government that they were not valient men or heroes.

So in short. Treason is not always bad. And usually it is positive. But it depends on the people behind it and the current condition of the state.

Sorry for jumping in but its my opinion that Treason in it's self is neither good nor bad depending on the circumstances in the years after the event. You brought up the July 20th plot, during that period of time what those officers did was the highest mark of disgrace a German could have ever achieved however, as time progressed and the situation changed they have now been exonerated and are considered heroes not only of Germany but crusaders against tyrants everywhere.

As they say, To the victors go the spoils of war, of which includes how the history books are written.

[Defensor]

I served years ago. Not anymore.

You served Big Jim?

[Defensor]

They were just colonist in a colony whose only purpose was to benefit of the mother country. A colony lacks any sovereignty as it is not a State. A State is both independent and Sovereign. But for people who believes that true sovereignty resides with the people and is only 'loaned' to the State or Province or wherever they reside can see the colonist rebellion as legitamate.

Those that believe that the State is the final retainer of sovereignty would see the colonist that revolted as nothing more than criminals.

But as for the colonist being oppressed they really were not that oppressed. The taxes that were placed on them were not crippling and were even seen as fair by many colonist. And only 1/3 were 'patriots' and it is believed there were just as many 'loyalist' as patriots. The rest were undecided.

The only real complaint they had was representation. But no colony has any real representation in the parent government. The colonist knew this.

Would you support the people of the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa launching a revolution?
I doubt that you would.

Even the UN recognizes them as Non-Self Governing Territories.

And Treason has been commited by patriots and heros around the world. Another example would be the failed plot to kill Hitler by Col. Stauffenberg and other German Commanders. Would you call them Traitors? If you say no, you are wrong. Because Treason only means to act in a way to harm the State. And Hitler was the State. But that does not mean just because they were traiters to the Government that they were not valient men or heroes.

So in short. Treason is not always bad. And usually it is positive. But it depends on the people behind it and the current condition of the state.

Sorry for jumping in but its my opinion that Treason in it's self is neither good nor bad depending on the circumstances in the years after the event. You brought up the July 20th plot, during that period of time what those officers did was the highest mark of disgrace a German could have ever achieved however, as time progressed and the situation changed they have now been exonerated and are considered heroes not only of Germany but crusaders against tyrants everywhere.

As they say, To the victors go the spoils of war, of which includes how the history books are written.

Treason is treason. It being a good or bad thing depends on your view of morality.

[Big Jim P]

I served years ago. Not anymore.

You served Big Jim?

Yes. Army back in the 90's.

[Defensor]

You served Big Jim?

Yes. Army back in the 90's.

Nice. MOS? And did you enjoy it?

[Big Jim P]

Yes. Army back in the 90's.

Nice. MOS? And did you enjoy it?

74C, and yes I did.

[Defensor]

Do paramilitary units like militias count as military?

Depends on the group. Blackwater? Sure, that would count.

[Defensor]

It would depend on the militia I guess. Some are legitimate, National Guard-esque organizations, some are a bunch of mall ninjas with semi-automatics, and some, afaik, are no shit domestic terrorists.

I'd say state-sanctioned militias are. As for the rest, we could start a NS militia right now. Fight for some very shady goal.

I'm all for this, we should get a group together ASAP

[Yankee Empire]

They were just colonist in a colony whose only purpose was to benefit of the mother country. A colony lacks any sovereignty as it is not a State. A State is both independent and Sovereign. But for people who believes that true sovereignty resides with the people and is only 'loaned' to the State or Province or wherever they reside can see the colonist rebellion as legitamate.

Those that believe that the State is the final retainer of sovereignty would see the colonist that revolted as nothing more than criminals.

But as for the colonist being oppressed they really were not that oppressed. The taxes that were placed on them were not crippling and were even seen as fair by many colonist. And only 1/3 were 'patriots' and it is believed there were just as many 'loyalist' as patriots. The rest were undecided.

The only real complaint they had was representation. But no colony has any real representation in the parent government. The colonist knew this.

Would you support the people of the US Virgin Islands and American Samoa launching a revolution?
I doubt that you would.


Even the UN recognizes them as Non-Self Governing Territories.

And Treason has been commited by patriots and heros around the world. Another example would be the failed plot to kill Hitler by Col. Stauffenberg and other German Commanders. Would you call them Traitors? If you say no, you are wrong. Because Treason only means to act in a way to harm the State. And Hitler was the State. But that does not mean just because they were traiters to the Government that they were not valient men or heroes.

So in short. Treason is not always bad. And usually it is positive. But it depends on the people behind it and the current condition of the state.

They don't need to be soveiregn the're supposed to be part of the Empire, citizens of the Empire.

Also so what if people rebelled against Hitler were Traitors? Treason isn't limited to just actions against the state because it's not purely political term to begin with.

It's selling out any kin or allies/Nations/Organizations out for your own desires.

So no it's certainly not "usually" good, im not sure what type of logic led you to come to that conclusion. Treason is an inherantly negative word, thats like saying commiting crimes or performing bad deeds is "usually good".