My country allowed foreign cinema “only” with subtitles because most of the population was illiterate and the idea was to keep viewership of such media low without resorting to very harsh censorship, although it existed at the time.

It backfired so bad the general population developed a knack for acquiring foreign languages, through those media. Being a latin language country we score very high on the domain of english as a foreign language. Many of us also speak a bit of french and a large majority knows at least how to curse in spanish to return the love.

It was a common recommendation when I was a kid to expose children to non-dubbed media to develop foreingn language and reading skills.

And I can personally vouch for this, as I started developing basic english domain very early through cartoons and movies and the need to follow the subtitles helped me develop my reading skill and speed.

Regarding the quality of dubbing, I can only say something always gets lost in translation. More recently, I’ve followed a couple of series, both subtitled and dubbed, and the end result is completely different. Subtitled, you can follow the emotions in the original actors voices and postures. No lag, no difference, no adaptation. Dubbed, it often feels like watching a completely different show. And the voice over actors are professionals, obviously. But it is common for the voice over team to take some liberties.

[…] the other choice is better

That’s your choice and point of view.

I enjoy watching a work in it’s most original form, even if I can’t completely or even not at all grasp what is being said, I can still infer emotions from the tone of voice of the actor.

There is a learning curve.

Many brazillians I know have defended that hypothesis. Brazil has a very strong and inwards turned cultural production industry. They cater to themselves and keep 95% of the population satisfied.

I’ve heard a few songs, originally in english, being performed by brazillian artists, with varying degrees of success on the lyrics translation. But most music passes unadultered. Most people only cares about the sound, not the story in a song.

There’s a meme of guy calling a local radio station to request a song. He wanted to hear a song he called “Anteontem fez frio” (literally “yesterday was cold”). No band, no other reference. The DJ asked him to sing a few words, as they did not know such song. He does. It was Queen’s “I want to break free”.

And what is the concern regarding the “th” sound being absent in portuguese?

I can get good quality subtitles for most movies in my language. The best comes from cinema enthusiasts that put in the effort to make superb quality subtitles, even for obscure movies.

Nowadays, if I’m stupid enough to be watching television, it’s easy to spot machine-generated subtitles, due to poor quality. And dubbing is also on the rise. I’ve followed the same series fora few episodes, first in the original language with subtitles, then dubbed, and it was like watching two completely different shows.

Germans and Brazilians are one of a kind, apparently.

Why read a subtitle if you can just dub over the original?

I had to go the extra mile to find “Die Welle” in original format and matching subtitles, to actually get to watch the movie as it was made.

Dubbing is a curse in disguise.

I developed a technique over the years where I run a finger along the urethra after I’m done to push whatever fluid may be left, regardless if I’m standing or sitting down. When no TP is available, it really helps.

A standing army is mostly cannon fodder. The common soldier does not have skills or competences to make an individual difference in combat situation, regardless of how much training they had. Even less if that soldier was drafted, in contrast to a volunteer, which was the original premise that led the conversation here.

One thing is to maintain a small contingent of professional, trained, military personnel, to bolster civilian organizations in case of catastrophe, act as first line of defense in case of armed conflict, either from outside threat or inside, act in conflict areas as stabilizing presence, etc.

A completely different thing is to maintain an overwhelming force, technically on permanent standy-by, capable of presenting a threat towards another country.

A professional, organized, highly skilled, flexible, volunteer, force can churn out in a very short time window cannon fodder, from drafted personel, or train well prepared small units to be involved in assymetric warfare.

Returning to the Russia/Ukraine example: Russia is making use of their historical doctrine of flooding the battle field with bodies, after their original “blitzkrieg” idea failed. Ukraine is moving towards highly specialized units, capable of attacking and moving, to quite successfully, ruinning the offensive of the invader, after expending their regulat troops on the first wave.

Poor taste comment on my part but… i I hope at least it was an electrifying shag.

It can be risked, with a fair degree of confidence, considering what is transpiring from the ongoing wars that what is considered conventional warfare is changing at a tremendous speed.

Air superiority, conventional artilery, mobile armour, highly sophisticated and expensive weapons systems are being rendered useless, powerless or at least less than superior, by cheaper, often disposable solutions.

This entire combat landscape change, in my view, is the early warning of a deeper trend where human resources will be much more valuable than machinery and conventional armies are a liability, not an asset.

Small, highly mobile, capable of underground, covert operation groups - guerrilla warfare - will be a game changer.

No worries

A state is a necessary organism within a country. What is unnecessary is the ease with which polititians move into a space where they think themselves as untouchable, unaccountable and unquestionable.

To occupy a position of responsability is exactly that: a position of responsability. This implies the appointing must be short, highly supervised and the actions must be transparent and easily auditable. It is not a life long appointment, with unchecked and unlimited reach and power, as we see commonly done today.

The very notion of state must change. The state is the sum of all individuals contained within a country’s borders. They all must enjoy the same rights and protections in and from the law and be capable of actively intervene on the governance of the nation, with a government assigned to do the general management.

To use a quote I find very much enlightning: people should no fear their governments; governments should fear their people.

Please read my comment again.

Many people in the world will disagree with that view.

A standing army is a lumbersome beast. It requires supplies for both machines and soldiers, space, infrastructure.

A loosely organized resistance can severely hinder or even cripple such a force with assimetric warfare.

People fighting for a belief fight with resolution.

In short: I’d refuse, oppose it and campaign against it.

I owe politians nothing. The rethoric about patriotism, duty and all the other arguments commonly used to carry forward pro-draft, pro-defense, pro-rearmament, etc, are hollow.

There are bad actors in this world but politians still confuse public office with unbridled authority and people allow for it like sheep.

Draft as been talked about in my country (Portugal) a few years back, by people that never served as military, from a “conservative” sector of society, using arguments gravitating about ingraining “values” about patriotism, discipline and sacrifice to the younger generations.

Translation: you are to be braiwashed, forced to obey, never question and die where and when ordered.

I risk most will defend their home and family at the risk of cost of their health and life if a bad actor arises. But that in no way leads to the logic for need of a standing army.

Peace is peace. Armed peace is a veiled threat.

If this isn’t breach of confidentiality, nothing is. And add espionage.

That is utterly depressing to read but something too welcome to happen.

The guy peacefully pass in his sleep would be something. I dread the infighting that would follow for the “throne”.

I’m afraid it has been farther way from that. Sincerely, I hope something happens and you guys just make a turn around.

Can I suggest, humbly, then, that you guys start by throwing away your present constitution and start anew?