@Psy Key  
Not quite what I was saying.
 
First off, you seemed to skip over the fact that I was mentioning redirecting the absurdly vast budget given to the current military machine of the states; literally more money than the next ten biggest military’s on the planet spend. And that’s above the books psending. God alone knows what kind of money changes hands for shit we don’t know about. But that’s a different topic. IF we’re talking about a budget, and could hypothetically utilize what the Americans do anually, that would be a non-concern.
 
As for the ethics portion you’re bringing up: Who said anything about forcing people into it? You think there wouldn’t be some volunteers? Even after the warnings are given? There’s a lot of people who would be willing to roll some dice.
 
Or are you more about the Ethics of tampering with genetics in general? Because there’s a strong case to be made in favor of gene therapy by those with horrible genetic disorders like Huntington’s.
 
 
@raakamagna  
This is true.  
When your objective is less about raw numbers but instead honing a handful of perfect soliders, creative methods become game changers. And the advancements born of such become the eternal blessings of society.
 
Medical treatments, advanced prosthetic liimb replacements, newdietary supplements. All these are more advancements made possible.
 
Anddon’t feel too bad. I couldn’t go to war if I wanted to. Legally blind.

@Background Pony #41E5  
True indeed. But is not even just genetics. Mechanical augmentation, fitness programs. Superhumans in all forms.
 
 
@Psy Key  
Time is the kay. And no one would be forced. Anyone who wished to be part of the program would do so. The rest would just train like normal people do, and maybe someday outmatch the super soldiers through other means. No one should be forced to enter a dangerous procedure, but everyone should be allowed to join it if so they wish.
 
The only reason why super soldiers made from willing subjects would be unethical is because anyone without super soldiers would be at a severe disadvantages. No different from nuclear weapons.
 
There is one risk however. If any of the volunteers ended up betraying the nation, it would lead to severe losses.  
Let’s say you train a squad of eleven super soldiers, the best of them to be the representative of the nation in any conflict, facing against combat mechs, super soldiers, or even biological weapons made representatives by other countries. But three of the weakest officers snap and decide to betray their country or kill the champion.
 
That is a reasonable concern. In fact is the same with defectors and deserters in modern armies… While I am anti war I have no fondness for defectors and deserters… Even though I dodged the draft when I was young and dumb.

@Background Pony #41E5  
First off, the research into even sequencing the human genome was not only extremely time-consuming, but also very expensive. Second, it’s been explained that developing super soldiers is both unethical and impractical. Given than everyone has a different collection of genes within their DNA, splicing DNA into that via gene therapy would produce to many risky results. Ethically speaking, forcing people who join the military to do that is saying, “Alright, this is your life now.” It’s deterministic and against the free spirit that makes a free society so functionable.

Honestly, there’s no way in HELL that the cost of developing a small group of unstoppable Supersoldiers for a bloodsport style game would be anywhere NEAR as expensive as the cost of constructing and maintaining the multiple branches of the American Military.
 
And hell, if we DID find a way to funnel all that money into a Super Soldier program, can yuo IMAGINE the breakthroughs in biology and genetics that would come from that? Conflict is the life-blood of progress.

@Background Pony #F209  
ikr

lmao @ crybabies who only recently get mad at a years old troll oc.

@raakamagna  
As long as that part about armed citizens doesn’t get the gun nuts too hyped (“AK47s for everyone!”) that could work. I don’t mind citizens having guns in general so much as lunatics and fanatics having them. Also, who around here needs bigger than a pistol these days? One well placed slug would do the job just as well as a bunch of high caliber rounds, and for cheaper I would reckon.
 
If people like us could dredge up an example of this sort of system working and show it to the government, maybe it would catch on. It would be like containment for communism or Lincoln’s initial stance on slavery; violence can exist where it has to but go no further.

@Bonklefan99  
Well. to begin with. If we made exactly that, just like Overwatch with no respawns… Well. Most people will want to see it. It would be the next most profitable bloodsport, which is better than bullfighting.
 
So many would watch it and refuse to remove funding.  
There is also the fact that there is already lots of useless military spending, so it could be argued such project would cost less than sending dozens of troops and armament to some wasteland to kill dozens of able bodied soldiers.
 
Now… How to deal with the troublemakers on street? Well. Police forces, well trained and properly educated officers. Probably even private ones (As back in the days before the state took care of that). Maybe let common people arm themselves and deal with some threats.
 
Let the state guard from outside threats and civilians deal with inside threats… That could make the CIA and similar agencies lose influence tho, which means it is not the common folks, but governments who need to be convinced.

@raakamagna  
So basically TF2/Overwatch without respawning. Hmm. Is nice.  
However, what about those who would complain about all that money and time being spent on a real life Spartan Program rather than on what they think is important (infrastructure, education, humanitarian efforts etc.)?  
How would we explain to them that little war is big peace?  
Also, what about the rabble-rousers on the street (Antifa etc.)? How would we deal with them?  
Still, I see your point that if we can’t get rid of war, we could at least make it as small as possible.  
Plus, how much inane TV programming would be replaced by a deathmatch for the fate of nations? Ratings city!

@Background Pony #41E5  
I have considered a war system where only a few selected combatants of the belligerent nations would be sent to fight and… Well. Harm each other, or at least kill each other.
 
Since they would be their best soldiers, all the rest of the army would be well trained too, and therefore by sending the best, it would not be necessary to escalate, since they already proved they could win.

@raakamagna
 
Correct. THe true wayy to achieve what most would consider peace is to chagne the rules of conflict into something that doesn’t lend itself to violence on the scale that a proper war does.
 
A good example of this would be modern sports. Soccer riots not withstanding, sporting events provide the outlet that is needed for some of the baser human impulses while limiting damage done.

@Background Pony #41E5  
Indeed. But ever since 2001, different organizations have declared the constant conflict as WWIII. Of course, anyone with a bit of historical knowledge understands war is a constant in this planet. Yes, there are long periods of peace in some regions, but world peace is impossible and stupid.

@raakamagna  
I’m leaning towards not at all.
 
There are some global powers involved in all this, but all theaters of war aree contained within a s fairly small area. What made the previous World Wars WORLD wars was not simply the fact that there are global players involved, but also the fact that the war were armed, open battles being waged across multiple countries and continents.
 
All the conflicts being dealt with that relate to the events started in 2001 are contained wirthin just a small handful of countries in a single region of the globe.
 
Additionally, while many global players are involved in this, very few of them could really see their opponent in these middle eastern conflicts as legitimate threats to their soverignty, unlike the Germans from both previous world wars.

@Background Pony #41E5  
Indeed to both.
 
I remember the girl I am in love with was actually fearful of WWIII happening recently. I had to explain her, and many others, why WWIII is either happening since 2001 or not happening at all.

Honestly, the only reason we have any sort of Peace right now is because the weapons of war have become so utterly terrifying that open conflict between the biggest players could easily result in Extinction. And as utterly psychotic and driven to violence as human nature is, self-preservation is still out most powerful instinct.
 
 
@The Smiling Pony
 
More than the NAzis that this would be targeting DO NOT EXIST.  
They haven’t existed for decades. Sure, there’s some vocal minority groups of Ethno-Nationalists, but actual Nazis have not been a thing since World War II. And quite frankly, I think if the men who fought and bled saw what became of their legacy - what was made of their sacrifice so that their children could grow up in a world without Nazis - I think many of them would be so disappointed that they would have laid down their arms and let it all burn.

@raakamagna  
Oh, I’m quite sure you’ll enjoy it. I’m pretty sure I got a comment from a modfriend of mine, “Oh, so the inmates are running the asylum?”
 
Sending PM.

@Psy Key  
No. However I do not use Discord that much to be honest.

@raakamagna  
Yes!
 
By the way, Raak, did I tell you about our nonofficial Derpibooru Discord Server?

@Genevamode  
World peace is impossible. Preserving local peace and guarding borders is a lot more reasonable than seeking utopia.

@raakamagna  
So you’re conceding the fact that all it takes for violence to happen is for one side to refuse to be peaceful. That makes all peace on Earth extremely fragile, especially considering we have opposing sets of alliances right now between USA+Europe and Russia/Iran/China etc.

@Genevamode  
Well. Pretty much that is what law enforcement should be for. Not what it does, but what it should do.

@Genevamode
 
i saw this in the recent comments box on the homepage

@Background Pony #AE57  
Well then you didn’t pick a good thread to escape to. No offence.

@Genevamode
 
save this shtick for youtube. i came here to escape politics

@raakamagna  
The problem with those three things is that they rely on everybody involved being reasonable. What do you do when some wilfully ignorant dumbass starts causing problems, whether they be far left, far right, Zionist, Islamist or something else?