Not military necessarily, but something that benefits the country. In-country Peace Corps or depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, that sort of thing. Register @ 18, serve a couple of years, garner some GI Bill-type benefits, grow up, learn a little self discipline and then move on with your life.

Question:
Do you favor a mandatory service program?

Choices:
Yes, Great Idea
Maybe, depends on the choice(s) of programs
No, this isn't Russia, leave me alone.
Other (explain in post, please)

 

Before we get too far into this, for any purpose other than military service, is this legally viable? And if it's only the military, is the military in any position to deal with this?

Also, who's going to pay for it?

I voted 'other.' I'm not in favor of conscription except in times of national emergency.

However, one thing I would favor is some form of curriculum that includes travel abroad. I was fortunate to grow up in a foreign service family and attend schools abroad. The most important thing I learned is that the U.S.A. *IS* unique, and *IS* exceptional.

Most of the pajama boy snowflakes today have no idea what life is like outside the boundaries of their cell phones, much less their country. Make it so!

As I've stated before, I wouldn't make military service, or any sort of public service, strictly mandatory for everyone across the board. But I'm in favor of requiring some period of obligatory structured public service, either military or civilian, before certain civic privileges are earned, like voting or holding public office. (Robert A. Heinlein-style.)

This could be military service, or civilian service in something like the National Health Service, Civilian Conservation Corps, Americorps, etc.

I'd allow working in certain public service fields to also qualify, like LE/Fire/EMS, teaching, nursing, etc.

Don't want to serve your nation/community and contribute to the common good? That's fine. That's your choice. But you don't get a say in how it is run.

quote:

Originally posted by BBMW:
Before we get too far into this, for any purpose other than military service, is this legally viable? And if it's only the military, is the military in any position to deal with this?

Also, who's going to pay for it?

Valid concerns, but beyond the scope of what I was looking for.

Certainly NOT only military as stated in the OP. Some folks are just not cut out for military service and it would be counter-productive and an unfair burden on the military to force the issue.

I'll enumerate my reasons for this poll after more folks have had a chance to respond.

No, being voluntold is not what freedom is all about.

And making people do something they don't want to do is rarely a recipe for success.

There will always be over achievers and slackers. Such is life.

There are plenty of actual volunteers most of the time.

Yes if you take public funds..grants or loans...or welfare

Some type of public service military, teaching or providing services in depressed areas or digging a ditch...

there was just some celebrity on some talk show , speaking of safety and world travel

he said Israel was the safest place he'd ever visited.

they got some stuff going on over there

I used to believe in an all volunteer army/navy military.

But as I've seen the country drifting farther and farther apart, I realize that we have little in common as Americans. A common experience, such as two years of military service might help. It works for the Israelis.

we should have something in place for youth offenders you go to jail or learn a trade help fix the crumbling infrastructure go in the military

I think some form of public service requirement when young (late teens to early 20s) is a reasonable concept, but it cannot be limited to just the military, because some people just are not cut out for that type of service (and the military should not have to deal with them). It is a privilege to live in this country, and I think it not unreasonable to think those who benefit ought to contribute to its viability in some way. Many young people are not yet mature enough to have a clear path to their future, and some form of structured service at that point in their lives might be helpful.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
I used to believe in an all volunteer army/navy military.

But as I've seen the country drifting farther and farther apart, I realize that we have little in common as Americans. A common experience, such as two years of military service might help. It works for the Israelis.

It's a size issue, I'd wager, which scales and gets more difficult with an exponential curve. And a diversity issue. Of course Israel and Japan have strong cultural ties, they're super homogeneous, nearly perfectly so. America, on the whole, is the very antithesis of that.

It's hard to get n-number of people to agree on fairly inconsequential topics like where to eat lunch, or whether or not the city needs a new dog park, or what radio station to play.

And even more so in a nation of more than 300 Million people spread out over 3 Million square miles in the CONUS alone, with vastly differing school systems and family values, and the vast differences in lifestyles and values - even amongst patriotic Americans.

Really, I'm more and more of the opinion that it's amazing things work as well as they do, at any scale beyond that of a typical US State (which is what countries like Israel really are).

For all our warts and inefficiencies, and they are in many cases incalculable, this country is still the best of its sort on Earth, and is barely held together most days with Popsicle sticks and Elmer's Glue. We're "the EU sort of idea" that actually, mostly, works.

no

military life is hard enough with volunteers.

on the civilian side - like a job corps or infrastructure construction corps - i would be interested in hearing ideas

but voluntary is best

-------------------------------------------------

quote:

Originally posted by PHPaul:
Not military necessarily, but something that benefits the country. In-country Peace Corps or depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps, that sort of thing. Register @ 18, serve a couple of years, garner some GI Bill-type benefits, grow up, learn a little self discipline and then move on with your life.

Yes, but no benefits unless you could be put in harms way with no way to opt out.

I believe all citizens that are in possession of their mental and physical faculties should be put through boot camp and basic training. It would teach them basic skills and respect for superiors(by consequence of their jackassedness<that's a word now). Every person should know how to defend themselves and it is in our country's best interest to ensure it. It would teach people that weapons aren't inherently evil. For some it may open their eyes to a career path they never considered. In general I would hope it taught respect for those that served.

But that is just my opinion.

I can imagine a smart mouthed SJW up against a foul mouthed DI.

That might be fun to watch.

If someone does not want to do something and are forced anyway, they will do the worst possible job at it.

Do you really want the person next to you to be mailing it in in a firefight?

No, our military isn’t supposed to teach people shit their parents SHOULD have taught them growing up.

If it isnt military conscription, it will just another bloated government organization wasting our money.

In an ideal world, young ones would volunteer willingly for a variety of programs which would expand their horizons. But as things are, far too many would simply be an extreme burden on any number of potential programs including military service.

So, no. I'm not in favor of any mandatory type service.

This from a retired naval officer who started off as an army drill sergeant. I've seen all types.