Would Joining The Legion Go Against Our Stance On French Impearialism.

[Death By Starbucks.]

It occured to me a while ago that most communists have no Military background, if the conditions for revolution did come about, we would be so unready to fight back when the Gov starts firing on us that we would be at risk of losing the revolution.
That night i went to a local pub, and i ran into an old Neighbor who had just left his homes some time in the middle of the night.
He explained to me he had joined the legion to avoid having to pay a backlog of child support for a kid he did not know he had(or that was the excuse he gave).
He said how he had been so tired by the end of the 55 mile 2 day march across the countryside with 85 pound rucksack rifle and ammo on an excersize called the farmhouse that he thought if he had got through this he could get through anything.

This type of training would be so beneficial for all the comrades out there who would be active in the futre revolution.
I have booked a ticket to Marseille for sunday, do you think i should join or not.
It is surely better than living in a capitalist society gaining no knowledge of how to defend the gains of communism when the current system crumbles.
But the legion are sent to french colonies to surpress local risings, some of them communist, could this be forgiven as long as it is for the help of such downtrodden people in the future.

[Yehuda Stern]

I think you're absolutely right that revolutionaries need training in military arts. However, joining the capitalist army isn't always the answer. I wouldn't say it's necessarily unprincipled - Lenin advocated it during WWI and Trotsky did during WWII, so that revolutionaries could work in the army. Trotsky developed that theory and Trotskyists (I think James P. Cannon) later labeled it the Proletarian Military Policy (PMP). But the question of employing the PMP is tactical - if the organization has enough members, if there is an opening for revolutionary ideas among the army ranks, etc.

I think this is probably not the best time to join the army in most countries. I also think one can get military training or at least arms training from somewhere else - it just might be somewhat costly.

[Ol' Dirty]

The Legion doesn't really do very much imperial stuff now, in the strictest sense. They're involved in French Guiana, Afghanisatan, Djibouti, Mayotte and Gabon. If you get sent to Afghanistan, don't be surprised.

[Death By Starbucks.]

i have no money so thats outa the question.
plus i cannot be arrested for serving in the legion and can save the money up to put to good use.

[Yehuda Stern]

It's your call. I'd be careful; if you're going to go to the army I assume you'll want to propagate revolutionary positions, and I don't know if people would be receptive to that. I have a comrade who was very close to getting shot by fellow soldiers when he did that in the Israeli army.

[Death By Starbucks.]

I would rather learn another way, but i dont know any comrades who have access to this sort of training.

[chegitz guevara]

Joining the military is a drastic step, and, from your other thread, you don't seem to be in the right mind at the moment. This may be less about acquiring military training than about escaping what you think is a horrible situation. Get your head on straight before you make any life altering decisions.

That said, I regret not having served in the military, though, being asthmatic, it wasn't really a choice for me.

Keep in mind that the purpose of basic training is to break you down and remake your personality. You may go in a revolutionary and come out a reactionary.

[Death By Starbucks.]

I am confident my revolutionay resolve can survive the rigours of la legion entraunge

[chegitz guevara]

Lots of people think that. Lots of people are wrong.

[mannetje]

I was on a point in my life with many problems with authorities. that i seriously considered to go in to the legion too. I already contacted them. but i picked in the same time somethings up i don't like and that the legion is pretty christam orientaded. and it seems that the legionaires are mostly used to clean up the dirt in conflictareas. and to bear that for 5 years is something i realized i couldn't handle.
watch out where you can get in to. if you can't handle it and you dessert or something there are consicuences.

And you say that you go to marseille. I thougt that you first started as a recruit in a six weeks bootcamp in Aubagne. Or is that changed?

[NecroCommie]

In the legion you need to speak fluent french with combat vocabulary. My uncle once was in the legion, and could not speak french. The officers in a way: "beat up french language" into my uncle. He told it was not a process any intelligent people would like to go through, but hey, he learned french! :thumbup:

Also, they are not just a legion anymore. They are a special force that goes on same levels with SAS and Navy seals. They just happen to be more combat than stealth oriented. So prepare for one heck of a challenging physical tests, and don't expect to pass.

This was ofcourse in the 70's or so, but I doubt anything has changed so radically.

[Eat the Rich]

Reminds me of Bloody Armalite:lol:

[NecroCommie]

Keep in mind that the purpose of basic training is to break you down and remake your personality. You may go in a revolutionary and come out a reactionary.
This is very true for all armies. Despite what thy tell you, the very purpose and design of basic training is to make you loyal and remove your individuality. They are not shy about physical or mental violence, and they can use the most cruel of tactics to turn your friends against you if necessary. I feel sad for the few people I know to have been changed by the military training. They are somehow less interesting and more apathetic. Not only that, but they learn to embrace and promote it.

[Pavlov's House Party]

It occured to me a while ago that most communists have no Military background, if the conditions for revolution did come about, we would be so unready to fight back when the Gov starts firing on us that we would be at risk of losing the revolution.
That night i went to a local pub, and i ran into an old Neighbor who had just left his homes some time in the middle of the night.
He explained to me he had joined the legion to avoid having to pay a backlog of child support for a kid he did not know he had(or that was the excuse he gave).
He said how he had been so tired by the end of the 55 mile 2 day march across the countryside with 85 pound rucksack rifle and ammo on an excersize called the farmhouse that he thought if he had got through this he could get through anything.

This type of training would be so beneficial for all the comrades out there who would be active in the futre revolution.
I have booked a ticket to Marseille for sunday, do you think i should join or not.
It is surely better than living in a capitalist society gaining no knowledge of how to defend the gains of communism when the current system crumbles.
But the legion are sent to french colonies to surpress local risings, some of them communist, could this be forgiven as long as it is for the help of such downtrodden people in the future.

If you want military experience then join your country's army reserves, you get the same training as any other regular soldier in your country's army but you aren't obliged to go to war (depending on where you live). The French Foreign Legion has pretty much the most brutal training regimen in the world; it's said that your marches are only finished when your socks are drenched in your own blood. Also, in case you get cold feet it's very, very hard to leave the Legion and your service contract will be MUCH longer than a typical army contract.

[Pogue]

I know its an attractive idea to throw your life away to military discipline but its really not worth it.

[FreeFocus]

Don't join the military. We need to be training on our own.

[mannetje]

If you want military experience then join your country's army reserves, you get the same training as any other regular soldier in your country's army but you aren't obliged to go to war (depending on where you live). The French Foreign Legion has pretty much the most brutal training regimen in the world; it's said that your marches are only finished when your socks are drenched in your own blood. Also, in case you get cold feet it's very, very hard to leave the Legion and your service contract will be MUCH longer than a typical army contract. But if you go into an army like the usa army.you do not risking to get brainwashed?i saw a few retarded propaganda materials of uncle sam. and that there are people who buy that propaganda anyway.joining the army in a country such as the us , wouldn't that totally seriously mess with your believes?

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

Do it. Ya most likely won't be in any real combat, and ya get paid.

No, seriously, take a long deep breath. Think about it.

And join the fucking navy, if anything.

Shit, for me the debate was free trip to Iraq vs Masters in Nuclear Engineering (granted I pass Calc 1 and 2 when I get out). I could get those done on the boat, but I kinda whant to experience the whole college thing afterwards, and probably get an Electrical Engineering bachelors, then maybe a law degree. Thinking MIT, or maybe Arizona cuz fuck boston, then off to Stanford.

Don't know about your options, but fuck getting shot at yo.

[Hit The North]

If the revolution comes down to a shooting war between the workers and the professional military of the state then we're fucked any way.

[NecroCommie]

Nah, Vietnam, Afghanistans and Iraq prove that no army can match a furious population.

[Yehuda Stern]

If the revolution comes down to a shooting war between the workers and the professional military of the state then we're fucked any way.

...which is exactly why we need military training.


Nah, Vietnam, Afghanistans and Iraq prove that no army can match a furious population.

Again, only if that population has groups that have been through military training. Do you think the Viet Cong and resistances are were / are fighting with arms, or maybe they're just really furious?

[Devrim]

If the revolution comes down to a shooting war between the workers and the professional military of the state then we're fucked any way.

Bob is very right. When we think about which will be of more military importance to the working class during a revolution, maybe we should ask the question which is more important, one worker who knows how to use a gun, or one worker whose arguments can make a regiment of conscripts change sides.


The French Foreign Legion has pretty much the most brutal training regimen in the world; it's said that your marches are only finished when your socks are drenched in your own blood.

There was something quite shocking that happened here in Turkey recently. There were four guys killed and originally the story was they had been killed by terrorists in the mountains, but it later came out than one had been exhausted by beening placed on so many guard duties, fell asleep and was caught by an officer, who gave him a granade to hold with its pin pulled out to keep him awake. It didn't, and he and three nearby guys were killed.


I have booked a ticket to Marseille for sunday, do you think i should join or not.

From what you have said here and on the other thread, this, in my opinion, sounds like a really bad idea for you. Please think very carefully.

Devrim

[TheCultofAbeLincoln]

The French Foreign Legion has pretty much the most brutal training regimen in the world; it's said that your marches are only finished when your socks are drenched in your own blood.

Really, it's that strenous?

I honestly don't know, though I've been to Parris Island where half the US Marines are trained and it's pretty rough. During the 12 week basic training usually a couple suicides per unit, and at least 18 or so attempted suicides. The whole premise of the 12 weeks is to make the recruits know they're going to die a Marine, and be proud of that.

(they're also a bunch a fucking morons, with a few exceptions)

But as for smaller units the only elite force I know anything about is the Seals, and that's an extremely rigorous program. The vast majority of guys going through their school (BUDS) leave because their bodies can't take the stress and end up breaking down. It's a long, hellish experience, but possibly the most elite unit there is.

[manic expression]

maybe we should ask the question which is more important, one worker who knows how to use a gun, or one worker whose arguments can make a regiment of conscripts change sides.

Well said. This deserves to be repeated.

On joining the military, I don't think it's a completely terrible idea in certain cases, but why not train in marksmanship, keep in top shape, find a veteran (ideally in the movement) to show you small unit maneuvers, study tactics and strategy, familiarize yourself with different weapons (beyond small arms, if possible)...while helping build the revolution? If you join the military, that's a few years that you'll be shooting at Afghanis instead of contributing to a communist party, and you can learn a lot of that stuff anyway on your own and with the help of comrades.

That's just my opinion, though.