Military recruitment struggles, brass worries - Page 2

zaxx19 · #11 03-07-2005, 12:06 PM

It limits oppurtunities, infringes on your basic freedoms, and takes two years from your life.

So does school.....oops make that 12 yrs.

thatpfunk · #12 03-07-2005, 12:11 PM

There are many ways around high school in the US and its not even the issue.

Can you seriously provide some reasons why I might consider it a good option? Seriously dude, I'm open to different lines of thought if they're presented to me.

zaxx19 · #13 03-07-2005, 12:17 PM

Well its good because it mixes American youth of all ages,races, and social strata together...and thats a good thing for the country.

Its a good thing bc the work they do adds to the general welfare.

Its good bc it develops citizenship, and volunterrism which are healthy traits for the nations citizenry to have.

And its good bc youd be suprised how many people would opt to join the military if they knew their admission to university was 2 yrs away anyway.

Now what exactly are the negatives?

thatpfunk · #14 03-07-2005, 12:37 PM

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Now what exactly are the negatives?

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This is weird because I am generally very, very left leaning. Being raised in the US I am sure that my beliefs have been permenantly skewed, but I disagree with something that limits the freedoms of an adult to such a great extent.

I believe that those would all be great benefits of such a program, but I don't think the sacrifice is worth it in this instance.

Dead · #15 03-07-2005, 01:18 PM

It's not worth it. I'm all for equality, but what Zaxx is advocating is slavery.

Cyrus · #16 03-08-2005, 04:39 AM

Serving one's country should be a privilege afforded to all citizens. I would go as far as saying that those who elect not to serve in their country's military should be stripped of several citizens' rights, starting from the rights to work for the state, be elected in public office and vote.

Military service, besides being the means of affirming the citizen's loyalty to the polity, promotes interaction among social strata, through its mixing of religions, classes and ethnicities among the ranks. It offers what can be for some the only ooportunity to interact with others, of different background.

Properly regulated, the policy of having a period of limited, mandatory military service for all citizens is a positive and progressive social policy. No mistake.

Voltorb · #17 03-08-2005, 09:36 AM

Are you a fan of the politics of Robert Heinlen? Starship Troopers was an excellent book. I really enjoyed the "history lessons" in the book. His argument for corporal punishment was pretty compelling. The movie did this book a great injustice.

BCPVP · #18 03-09-2005, 01:10 PM

Is there even the possiblity that the possible shortfall doesn't have anything to do with the Iraq war? As you said, the last shortfall was in 1999. There wasn't any major war that the U.S. was involved at the time, yet there still was a shortfall.

Dead · #19 03-09-2005, 02:05 PM

Gimme a break, bud.

You honestly think that there's another reason besides Iraq to explain why we have recruitment shortfalls?

I know why I'm not enlisting. I know why all my friends aren't. Think about risk-reward. I have to risk my life in some bullshit war, and I get paid shittily to do it.

Doesn't sound very fun.

BCPVP · #20 03-09-2005, 02:29 PM

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You honestly think that there's another reason besides Iraq to explain why we have recruitment shortfalls?

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I'm willing to concede that Iraq is a large part of it, but not the only reason.

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Think about risk-reward. I have to risk my life in some bullshit war, and I get paid shittily to do it.

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It's always been that way. There's always been the risk of deployment and the knowledge that the pay isn't the greatest. Soldiers don't get to decide which wars they fight in and which they don't (to my knowledge).

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Doesn't sound very fun.

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I don't know if I've ever seen a military ad that says, "Come join the Marines, it's a lot of fun!"