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dvpierce · 2003-01-13 6:26 pm

http://story.news.yahoo.com/fc?cid=34&a … med_Forces

Who sees this as an old fuddy-dud going, "When I was your age..."

Of course, after reading this, I'm less opposed to thedraft than ever - the military would take one look at my sorry arse and make me a dentist. blush

Eannas · 2003-01-13 6:37 pm

im personaly the draft dodger type. We dont need to be at war.

dvpierce · 2003-01-13 7:20 pm

I dunno - it wouldn't be the first time politics has determined the shape of the military.

Pundit · 2003-01-13 8:53 pm

I think its kind of a good thing.
The military right now is mostly made up of the lower economic levels. Its seen as a way to escape the economic level that one would be in. In the military you can learn job skills for after your stint, or stay in the military and make it your career. Most middle class people have many more opportunities to move up or make more of their lives.
The point of it is to even out the military so that its not just made up of lower economically class people, but of all of our country.

I'm not sure if I am against this or for it. If the point was to go fight the world then I would be, but if it is to change the power structure of our country then I would be more inclined to like it.

Love

dvpierce · 2003-01-14 9:18 am

but the pentagon's whole point was that the military is not made up of our nations poor and downtrodden. There's a slightly higher percentage, but that's it.

W2ttsy · 2003-01-15 2:26 am

I dunno about drafting, because it would put many inexpeprienced people in the field. The US tried it in Vietnam, and it had disasterous consequences. The amount of regular civilians that would be shipped to a foreign country, a desert one at that, with a weeks weapons knowledge and no training in survival or night combat, hand to hand fighting, blah blah would die straight away. The US Special Forces had enough trouble fighting in afganistan, and they are supposedly the elite of the world. If they are having trouble then whats a lawyer, banker or dentist supposed to do! sit there and twiddle their thumbs, before being shot kby a 13 yr old with an AK?

What happens if you get shot or detonated during your tour, there isnt going to be an opportunity to go and have a career or go to college, the only place youll be heading is 6 feet under. with no fighting skills and no courage, its proably going to be a place youll arrive at very soon.

Sorry it sounds so cynical, but i oppose this war, and as an Australian resident, it means that i too might get drafted. Not something that is going to make me a billionaire later on in life.

Thats about all i have to say

W2ttsy

SwisSlesS · 2003-01-15 6:14 am

*hides under a table*

They'll never catch me!!

Pundit · 2003-01-15 11:58 am

The problem with 'Nam was not just inexpeprienced soldiers, but the fact that they were citizens first and read about how smurfy it was over there. If you have no will to fight then you aint going to. But back to the draft and 'Nam look at the numbers of poor, and minorities, as to the numbers of more upper class people on the front lines.
And I agree that this coming war is wrong. N. Korea is much more of a threat than Iraq will ever be. I am a "punk", and a liberal who is against much of the "establishment", but if there is another attack over here that you can bet your ass that I would sign up in a smurfing second. I couldn't live with the thought of the people that I love being in danger or being scared to go outside.

Pundit · 2003-01-15 5:06 pm

Who said I was 14, you smug bastard.

Love

Steyr AUG · 2003-01-15 5:34 pm

Who said I was 14, you smug bastard.

Love

You implied it with your posts wink tongue

Plaz McMan · 2003-01-15 8:03 pm

Ahh, the arrogance of youth. Why, when I was 14, I thuoght I knew everything. But now, at 15 years of age, I am no longer so nieve. Sigh... wink

Pundit · 2003-01-15 11:23 pm

How?

Not that it realy matters, but I'm not.

dvpierce · 2003-01-16 7:12 am

So? Politics always does and always will. As much as people want to not believe it, the military is a civilian run organization, of course politics will dertermine its shape.

My point mostly is that politics shouldn't determine the shape of the military. In a professional military, most of what the military does during peacetime is figuring out, through trial and experimentation (wargames) how a war actually should be fought. They're professionals, which at least implies that they're the best in the country at what they do, as opposed to a conscript, who by their very nature probably isn't. (Isaid probably - anything can happen.)

If somebody who is paid good money to figure out what the best way to organize your mlitary says a draft is a bad idea, I'm inclined to believe them. If it were the 18th century, a draft would be a good idea, and I'd go along with that, too. I'd be pretty pissed off if some lawyer-turned-politico tried to tell me how to do my job, and my job isn't even that important. Shouldn't a general be similarly agitated if the same old prune tries to tell them how to defend the country?

Well no poop, if you didn't have many prospects wouldn't you join the military? Good pay, great job security, a chance to go to college? Its a great way for people to get ahead in life.

Yes, and plenty of white suburbanites I've known who have plenty of money and job prospects join up for love of country. (Or missiles... roll )

The draft laws have always been easily evaded, whether by virtue of a bad knee (which, unfortunately, I really do have), or a bit of money thrown in the right pocket. Historically, it's been the poor and uneducated who haven't been able to dodge it. "A rich man's war but a poor man's fight." (1861-65) or "Black men fighting yellow men to protect land that white men stole from red men." (1963-75) are the consequences. When the results are the same, an all-volunteer force is at least somewhat more characteristic ofa contry that prides itself on freedom of choice.

Oh, and I'm 20.

Pundit · 2003-01-16 11:28 am

I agree that professionals should run the military, but I think we all should have a say on how the strength of the military is drawn.

I'm 18

Forums | MacLife

#1 2003-01-13 6:26 pm

Uh-Oh...

#2 2003-01-13 6:37 pm

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#5 2003-01-14 9:18 am

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