2 YRS Service of All??

[Pete]

Just say "NO!" to mandatory service.

I'd have no problem if it was just the military.

But the left wants "service" which would be basically giving everybody out of high school a free ride at the SJW activity of their choice for two years. Few would opt for military service.

[Penn]

There should never be any civilian service program right out of high school. That would be the beginning on a National life payment system and socialist syphilis for all.

I'm with Pete. Just say "No"

[JimP]

I'm a big fan of "universal service." It doesn't have to be military service, but your ass will be doing something for two years. You can either join up and learn to defend the Country; or, you can go plant trees and build things ala the Civilian Conservation Corps. Clean cities; build parks; restore blighted neighborhoods. BUT....you will be controlled: no phones; computers; snap-chat or twatter. You'll work from sun-up to sundown with classes scattered during the day/week. You WILL have "skin in the game."

Don't want to do this? Fine. No school loans; no freebies; no EBT card; no voting; no "rights" of citizenship. I'm kind of Heinleinian in this: you must EARN your right to the table. Don't want to shoulder the load for 24 months? Fine, just don't hold your hand out asking for free shit.

I get a little bit more and more disillusioned as to my 36 years of service when I look at the snowflakes and our current society. I oft wonder if it did any good.

[Badger52]

Originally Posted by Penn

There should never be any civilian service program right out of high school. That would be the beginning on a National life payment system and socialist syphilis for all.

I'm with Pete. Just say "No"

Just to be clear, kid's experience I described above happened to be a regular job they were hiring for, not part of a special program, mandatory or otherwise. Not certain if, at this juncture, the presence of such opportunities would get anyone off the couch; they still have to work it. There's a number that's been tossed about, % of kids who are physically UN-fit to even get through a MEPS and I'd lament that much of that is learned behavior. Kids are on the couch because they're allowed to be.

[PedOncoDoc]

Originally Posted by Badger52

Just to be clear, kid's experience I described above happened to be a regular job they were hiring for, not part of a special program, mandatory or otherwise. Not certain if, at this juncture, the presence of such opportunities would get anyone off the couch; they still have to work it. There's a number that's been tossed about, % of kids who are physically UN-fit to even get through a MEPS and I'd lament that much of that is learned behavior. Kids are on the couch because they're allowed to be.

If mandatory service is put in place, and a big black mark that has implications for future careers is put on the record of every person not able to meet basic standards, perhaps schools would get back to teaching basic physical fitness, interpersonal skills and self-reliance/accountability.

We would then need to figure out what to do with the current generation....

[Golf1echo]

Interesting, I didn't realize those dynamics in the military from back in the 70s.

I do think a 2 year service option would be a good thing. There still is Americorp if I'm not mistaken, although to some extent it was politicized. I saw that program be very workable in the forest conservation area, it gave participants much greater access to the spectrum of management personnel that might not happen with a task oriented Summer job. I happen to think access is one of the biggest problems for the unemployed, might be naive? The work of the Civilian Conservation Corp. is amazing and empowered folks at a time when there were few options.

The Swiss have gravitated to more of the civilian activities for their national service. They have a robust infrastructure in rural areas that provides great service in times of need...flooding, snow events, emergency situations.

Junior Achievement is another organization that many friends took advantage of and observation indicated it gave them a leg up on others who were not exposed to those things.

" You don't know what you don't know".

[spaike97]

This is the case in China, and there are parents sending their kids to military to have them "corrected" and "educated". I always thought it's a bad idea to allow these types of people in.

It worked out for the parents but PLA ended up getting stuffed by super low-quality recruits (kids who can't get job, kids who are, well, mentally challenged and kids straight out of youth detention centers) and can't do its job anymore because its now operating more like a correction program than a fighting force. Higher ups tried to reform the military to get the stuff together but just won't work no matter how hard they try because lower enlisted and NCO are too uneducated to actually do their jobs and don't care.

If China is to go to war now these kids forced in by their parents are going to get people killed.

[miclo18d]

Originally Posted by Badger52

Am personally against forced conscription. Would prefer folks who want to be there. The problem has not been sufficient quantities, but a combination of lack of standards enforcement along with capricious use of the pointy end of the spear by those giving the shaft (pun intended).

Originally Posted by PRB

The Army did not change overnite...it took some time...but change it did.

If we went back to a draft we'd be right back there at Charlies Chicken Farm...

My first trip to Ecuador showed me how the professionals and the conscripts were different. The professionals were squared away troops that were motivated and did good work, lived in “nice” barracks, got good chow at the chow hall. The conscripts were treated like slave labor, lived in bamboo huts and ate gruel. That’s the only conscript army I would want to see!

Originally Posted by 1stindoor

As has already been mentioned...a big issue that hasn't been addressed is how to get the young, fat, lazy, iphone, Xbox, PS1, facebook, twitter, snapchat, etc. crowd in good enough shape to even begin basic. It is a problem nationwide. Our "future" can barely pull themselves off a couch during a commercial, much less pull themselves over an obstacle.

I thought Pok-e-mon go was going to fix that!?