it's very dependent on the circumstances - i won't stand by my friend
if they're picking on someone on the playground, for instance... the
people i'm close to have my support, but i wouldn't necessarily say
that all of their actions always do... and as they're my friends i trust them
enough that i'm comfortable not supporting them, if i feel opposed to
whatever it is they're doing, and not worrying about their reactions.

as for tribe... most of my friends here are more than capable of standing
up for themselves, verbose or otherwise, although if i feel one needs a
little help i haven't hesitated in the past.


so to "should you stand by your friends, irrespective of the consequences?"
i'll say no... not because of concern of consequence, but because i don't
think situational agreement on something is absolute, and shouldn't be posed
just purely because of a friendship in place.

Jin all the scenarios you used are so different. How you handle one isn't necessarily indicative of how you would handle the other.

In school, I would definitely want to defend my friend but not always with fist flying. Sometimes there are other ways.

On tribe, I tend to think my friends are strong enough to defend themselves most of the time. If things were getting out of hand I might step in and say just that, that things are getting out of hand. But in no way do I just assume that my friend is always right about whatever it is they are fighting about.

On the street, I would hope I would jump in and help my friend if it was possible to help. I've fought off a mugger for myself in the past and the poor kid sorely regretted ever coming across me but I think it would depend on the situation. If it was a situation where I thought it was safer to hand over our possessions I would do that and not fight at all.

In Europe, since when does being fellow NATO members really equate as friends in a way that is at all comparable to the above examples? First of all the USA isn't an individual. An individual can choose to endanger his or herself and be willing to face the consequences of that. A government owes accountability to its citizens and possibly the citizens of the world (in an ideal world anyway). We are also supposed to be trying to find ways to be friends with Russia as well. Would it even be safe for us or the whole world if we continued to always jumped in without considering consequences?

Aw - Hi Jin !

How long you been in here mate ?

Anyway...

<Do you stand by your friends>

Nah... fuck 'em once the free beer runs out.

;)

I have always stood by my friends and they have stood by me with a couple of vile exceptions. The problem for me has been the friends I have had and what I have had to accept in order to be their friend. I very, very slowly but irrevocably concluded I didn't want the friends I had. I now have fewer friends but I'm happier with who they are and I stand by them.