According to Marxist theory the individual soldier usually is working class since class is not defined by the function or moral evaluation but by their position within the economical and power structures.
A regular soldier does not own land, a factory or any other means of extracting profit, they are selling their own labour, they do not exercise power over their own labour other than providing it in exchange for a wage and they are usually recruited from lower/middle class.
With Marx class does not equal a political function, a soldier can be objectively working class and still be used by their employer (state) against the interest of their own class. In Marx’s theory that is not a contradiction but a feature of the state as a class instrument.
Soldiers would be considered lumpenproletarians and class traitors in Marxist theory. Being working class doesn’t mean you have class consciousness.
I agree but the term ‘class traitor’ does not appear in Marx or Engels texts because they do not discuss individual ‘guilt’ or any form of individual morality, they discuss the overall econimcal and societal relations to each other.
Class traitors as a term appears later in revolutionary rhetoric and it usually describes a conscious effort against the interest of the own class. Soldiers act within the power structure of the state, not as free actors representing their class. Their role is institutionally dictated, not a individual ideological ‘betrayal’ like for example union busters.
With the term lumpen Proletarier Marx himself describes something similar but different. The Lumpenproletariat according to Marx does not live within the structures of typical class, they do not own means of production, but they are also not giving their labor for a wage. Through that they can not have a unified class consciousness and act largely indivualisticly. He means economic minorities like beggars, vagabonds, criminals, grifters and the like. According to Marx they are 'politically unreliable ’ and usually reactionary in nature.
It’s worth noting that this kind of classification was criticized widely, the term itself is seen as problematic even within Marxist circles.
I sort of feel like if you are in a situation where you’re prepared to kill other people just so you get a bit of cash you will probably not right in the head to begin with.
It’s a symptom of capitalism
Gotta say few things in this site are more annoying than that childish kkk shit in America, actually makes me mad everytime I read it and I actually agree with the rest of the general points (usually)
Not POV, but 3rd Person View
Nah you are standing behind that guy.
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Well army guys are usually in groups so this could actually be a POV
If the camera is locked at that low angle, I’m not playing. I have to be able to see what is directly in front of me.
