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Phaenx · 06-30-2003, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MikeyChalupa
NO.

No way. For the same reason I, as an active military member will NEVER support reinstating the draft. Remember that the only war we ever lost was the one where the military was primarily conscripted and didn't want to be there in the first place.

You mean I have to entrust my life and our nation's freedom to some snot-nosed punks who couldn't hack it in a PUBLIC SCHOOL? These kids can't handle "Please be quiet and take your seats" and you want them to take on steering aircraft carriers, clearing minefields and testing air for chemical weapons? NO THANK YOU.

Our military is a group of highly trained, well-educated professionals who are the best in the world at what they do. Obviously, there are people who have benefited greatly from the increased discipline, attention to detail, teamwork, orderly scheduling of the day, removal of certain freedoms, and such. But this is by NO MEANS the answer for all of these people. First off, there's no room. Thanks to the Clinton budget cuts, the military is set at a certain manpower level. Adding an influx of high-school troublemaking dropouts while keeping that manning level the same (because everyone pisses their pants whenever a President talks about increasing a defense budget) means refusing admission to an equal number of qualified people who WANT to be there. Second, as a supervisor, I see enough people who DIDN'T cause problems in high school that can't adapt to military life and wash out because of drugs, drinking problems, or other reasons. If we alow in the scum of our high schools we would be kicking out most of these people that we'd have to initially pay to train. And as we have already said, nobody wants to pay the tax bill on that.

Your concept of the military is all wrong. It's not a place where dirtbags become model citizens with buzz cuts who look snappy in a uniform. Not everyone can do it, as you said. You didn't want to volunteer, which is fine with me. For whatever reason, you didn't feel you could do it. Now imagine it having to be your punishment, and you have no say in the matter. Think you'd be ready to adapt? No. Instead of shooting an Iraqi, you'd shoot your platoon sergeant when he told you to get up at 4:30 AM. How has that solved any problem?

I don't have an easy answer. But the military is DEFINTELY not it.

-Mikey

I don't know, I can think of some creative ways of having them clear a minefield, check to see if someone is the enemy, or protect a tank (tie them to a tank).