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Culture War Roundup for the week of January 19, 2026

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To clarify, your claim was: "So that when an emergency happens, we have people who we can count on to stand up and be the hero because they have made that promise. That's what you've been being paid for all this time."

A job requirement to be a hero is not far from a requirement to give 110% effort when the chips are down. That is not real life. Heroness is not a job requirement, and neither police nor soldiers get paid as if they would all willing to jump on a grenade and blow themselves to bits out of duty.

Some people are exceptional. Most are mediocre. Lots are worse then that. There is no special hero pay that cops receive and they are not all exceptional.

paying soldiers soldier is going to jump on a grenade until there is a real grenade.