Why have a draft, which gets you all kinds of negative PR, when you can just

1. Make military service a more and more lucrative-sounding opportunity, and

2. Slowly and gradually eliminate every other opportunity that exists.

Eventually, the government could prompt banks to reject loan applications from people who weren’t in the military… realtors might refuse to rent to non-military families… cops might arrest or not arrest based on whether there’s a special “military” symbol on your license…

Think about it: if, 50 years from now, it is essentially impossible for a member of the “middle”-class to make ends meet or even getting through life without joining the military and getting those special deals… isn’t that just as sure a recruiting strategy as the draft?

dakine01 @ 57

Day-uhm Jake! You done argued both sides on one thread. First it’s all about volunteering like you did in Korean War you say you served in so why are they paying because it is a volunteer army but paying is better than a draft.

What exactly DO you believe in? Since you are a vet of the Korean War, that puts you in the ballpark of seventy plus years old so let me ask you how many of your sons/daughters/grandsons/granddaughters have served?

Several, and two are active-duty right now. How about you?

Well. Jake…if the average 28%er had that many descendants willing to serve…then there would be nowhere near the recruitment crisis that the military is currently in.

And it was interseting that the Pentagon only released one month of recruitment figures last year with a statement to the Press…back in December…the BEST MONTH. Which they ballyhooed assaying that they had finally turned around the recruitment crisis.

But if they had looked at the Annual figures, or quarterly figures, or any of the next 7 months figures (so far released) or those for the previous two years you’d see that they were simply in denial.

But did your grandchildren decide to nlist for the money…or because it was the “right thing to do”? If so, then why are all the other 28%ers so unpatriotic?

dakine01 @ 22

There’s nothing at all wrong with volunteering to serve. I served in the USAF.

But you seem to be missing the point that the Army is having to pay large sums to GET people to serve nowadays, even after they’ve relaxed the age weight and criminal records standards. Is this the Army you want with gang bangers, drug dealers, racists and so on representing your Korean War valour?

Let’s not let that asshat hijack threads. Come away to your happy place.

Two things come to mind. As a parent, I would not want the person who has my son/daughters back to be a school dropout, felon or drug user. Secondly, there there have been a number of reports lately about the gangs that have infiltrated the military. Would you want your son/daughter serving inside a unit with organized gangs? This is what is happening to our military. It is a disgrace to those that join solely for a career to serve.

well I guess I’m late to the party but the powell doctrine needs to be quoted here so we see absolutely none of those prerequisites were met;

Is a vital national security interest threatened?
Do we have a clear attainable objective?
Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed?
Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted?
Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement?
Have the consequences of our action been fully considered?
Is the action supported by the American people?
Do we have genuine broad international support?

Very good set rules there.

Is a vital national security interest threatened?
Do we have a clear attainable objective?
Have the risks and costs been fully and frankly analyzed?
Have all other non-violent policy means been fully exhausted?
Is there a plausible exit strategy to avoid endless entanglement?
Have the consequences of our action been fully considered?
Is the action supported by the American people?
Do we have genuine broad international support?

29 casualties this month so far.

Mathews was really impressed with how much like a rock Clusterfuck is.

Well, that just makes it all better, doesn’t it?

And they’re going after everyone. Couple of my female students told me recruiters followed them into the General Store, sidled up and said “We’ve got little girls like you over in Bagdad right now”

And, I’ve read, a lot of them are coming home saying they were raped repeatedly by our soldiers and with commander’s knowledge. Sick, eh?

EvilDrPuma @ 210

To be honest, I’d rather you didn’t. Hate is a useless emotion, best left to right-wing talk show hosts. Besides, there’s no good to be had in giving ammunition to our troll du jour.

Too late.

Enjoy that ammunition JakeD.