a draft would be the best thing for this generation

I'm all for serving my country, giving back, etc., but why should it be via a draft?

My son, who is 23, has attended too many funerals of fallen friends who have died in Iraq and Afghanistan by enemy gunfire and other means, not to mention one who killed himself - at 22 while serving. It's bad enough that the kid had a hard life before going in, but what he saw and experienced simply took its' toll.

War (and the draft) isn't for everyone. There has to be better solutions so we can all do our part.

reply to post by DINSTAAR


Thank you. Plain and simple and directly to the point. I know that I got a little passionate about this and made comments I regret (to the NCO in particular) but the idea of making government bigger just doesn't make sense.

I especially like the idea of empowering an already corrupt government to take more of our freedoms away by forcing us into slavery.....ummm, service.

Originally posted by Slothrop
reply to post by apolluwn

 

I think it is about time for people like you to realize it is not the job of America and for damn sure not the job of an 18 year old kid to play world police. Especially just because you think they need to grow up and do something for their country. You do realize people can do things for their country without being forced to fight in unnecessary wars. Don't you?

there should be a national service option associated with the draft. either military conscription or national service, but national service has to be real, hard work. kind of like the way israel does it.

I think that the only way military service could be intsated is if it was not compusory to go to war or to go on to a full soldier, you could do your basic training then have an interview, on how well you are doing etc, then at the end be asked if they would like to continue or to leave. Your given a form to fill out, "yes i would like to serve my country" or "NO thanks, but thanks i am now fit and healthy, and this has kept me out of trouble"

I personally think my idea is pretty good, it would get loads of kids fighting fit, and away from video games, plus it could keep them out of trouble on the streets, and the military would gett a HUGE boost of new soldiers.


[edit on 7-8-2008 by monkeybus]

I served for four years in the military in the early 90s.

But i will never do a damned thing again for this country as long as these bastards want to circumvent law and put the lives of soldiers in jeopardy over business interest of a small few while making them commit crimes to do so.

Until that's straightened out, this country can kiss my ass. If I ever got a draft letter it's getting a big "return to sender".

These days you are not serving your country by any means in the military. I could care less who that insuts too because I have found that many need to be insulted.

You are simply contributing to a fascist regime.

I'll tell you what........when invading hordes are at our borders and when the real life America is under attack I will be the very first to pick up a weapon and fight for her to the death.


But until that time comes you can count me out.


I refuse to go and fight and die or become maimed in some foreign third world hell hole while fighting under the false guise of pretecting and serving my country.

You can call me unpatriotic or selfish or whatever, but the way I see it I have the right to a decent life and a long life just as much as the sons of the wealthy fat asses who pull the trigger and send our troops off to die.

My life is just as valuable as anyone elses, and I do not believe it is within the rights of some greedy blood thirsty politician to risk my life for his financial profit.

A standing military is supposed to defend a nation, not invade other nations (especially ones that I have caused us no harm)

If and when my country needs me to help defend her I will be there to fire the first shot, but damned if Im going to go and have my limbs blown off so that dirty Dick and the gang can make a little bit of extra blood money at my expense.

You take care of you and yours and let me worry about me and mine

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[edit on 8/8/2008 by watch_the_rocks]

wow, alot of these people say they are "patriotic" but when was the last time anyone one them actually sacrificed anything for their country?

As if everything is entitled to you, I could only imagine how screwed we would be if our founding fathers had this attitude. yes war is bad, and it should not have to be, but since the dawn of life there has always been conflict.

a draft would be good, for at least one thing if any people would learn the value of discipline and self control. O wait, that doesn't go well with lib-tard fundemental beliefs. Everything should be given to us, and we shouldn't have to give anything in return.

what war are you going to counter? iraq? nam? some obscure conflict/incident? please, the people in office are people too you know. take iraq for example, now this is a highly unpopular war, but it has to be done and for the sake of our national security. and don't point to oil and say, thats why, because that only validates my point. After knocking down the taliban, we needed to take out as many breeding grounds as we could, and since iraq didn't really have any allies, or at least useful ones, we took them on too. Jihadst wanted our attention 7 years ago, so now they have it.

quit bitching about how horrible the military is and how mindless they are, i mean if i was mindless i would not be able to type this as i speak now would I? Service is a good thing, and wether you like it or not, the day is going to come when your country needs you. So why not? after all the crap your "evil" government has given you [freeways, water, power, food control, order, peace, and happiness] why would it be so bad? Of all the great modern countries in the world who has done the best at keeping as many conflicts overseas away from your town?

So on a final note, we are at war, it may be an ideal to some, but wether you like it or not they want us dead. You want a safer world? Well you're going to have to fight for it, because protesting isn't going to change osama's mind. It won't be too long at this rate before we have to take the fight into our own back yard taking out local gangs wreaking havoc on innocent people. So if you got a better solution for peace, let's hear it, because i love good fantasy writing.

so for any future debate, this is why the country needs you, this is why the way of some 500+ million lives are in order when you serve. Open your eyes and stop reading the bull#, your way of living could one day be in jeopardy because of your inaction.

/from merriam-webster
Main Entry: ter·ror·ism
Pronunciation: \ˈter-ər-ˌi-zəm\
Function: noun
Date: 1795
: the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion
— ter·ror·ist \-ər-ist\ adjective or noun
— ter·ror·is·tic \ˌter-ər-ˈis-tik\ adjective

and to elaborate



Main Entry: ter·ror
Pronunciation: \ˈter-ər, ˈte-rər\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French terrour, from Latin terror, from terrēre to frighten; akin to Greek trein to be afraid, flee, tremein to tremble — more at tremble
Date: 14th century
1: a state of intense fear
2 a: one that inspires fear : scourge b: a frightening aspect c: a cause of anxiety : worry d: an appalling person or thing; especially : brat
3: reign of terror
4: violent or destructive acts (as bombing) committed by groups in order to intimidate a population or government into granting their demands
synonyms see fear
— ter·ror·less \-ləs\ adjective

so that's covers a good amount of people, criminals no doubt. But are you going to defend their rights to mug you if they're american, or are you going to fight them?


the war is justifed in this context

Originally posted by joe_dirt976
After knocking down the taliban, we needed to take out as many breeding grounds as we could, and since iraq didn't really have any allies, or at least useful ones, we took them on too. Jihadst wanted our attention 7 years ago, so now they have it.

Sounds pretty whimpy man. What about the breading grounds like Pakistan and Saudi Arabia? Oops, forgot, they are allies.

screw you threadstarter, how old are you? im 17 turning 18 in november so screw your draft im not fighting for this country until democracy is restored. i dont fight for pointless reasons like you think vietnam had a point, it didnt. no war has a point unless the enemy is putting you and your family in danger, then ill pick up a weapon.

Forcing anyone to go and kill or be killed, especially for something they do not believe in, is never "the best thing".

It is gortesque that anyone considers the ruining of countless lives as a good thing.

Go ahead and ask all the homeless, disabled vietnam draftees and see if it was the "best thing" that happened to them in their lives.

Originally posted by joe_dirt976
wow, alot of these people say they are "patriotic" but when was the last time anyone one them actually sacrificed anything for their country?



quit bitching about how horrible the military is and how mindless they are, i mean if i was mindless i would not be able to type this as i speak now would I?


the war is justifed in this context

First of all, show me something that is a direct threat to the beliefs set forth in out constitution. Show me someone's global tyranny agenda, I'll spit in your face as opposed to defend it.

Being mindless has nothing to do with being able to type and everything to with your mind being molded to the point where you think war is a good thing, you think those defending their homes "want to kill you", you think there is any positive in this war the the populace of this country.

Mindless.

Originally posted by joe_dirt976 after all the crap your "evil" government has given you [freeways, water, power, food control, order, peace, and happiness] why would it be so bad?

That little statement there tells me thay you are just a kid that has no idea what he/she is talking about. My guess is that you are living at home with your mommy and daddy being taken care of.

Rush, Sean and savage are entertainers that are just spokesmem for the GOP and their myopic view of the world that you seem to have adopted.

For your information the government has given us nothing. We bought it with our tax dollars.

When you join the real world, you will find that we pay and pay dearly for the freeways, water, power, order, etc. They don't GIVE us s***.

I would support the idea of a draft only if it was compulsory for everyone.

You graduate from High School and then you serve the government for 2-3 years. Service should not just be military service. You could be put in a conservation corp to fight wild fires and replant forest. You could be put in an Urban Corps to rebuild and/or modernize the infrastructure of the US.

You could be involved with something like the peace corp with emphasis on helping developing countries utilize appropriate technology to improve the lives of their citizens.

Think about the possibilities if we used our most valuable resources ( our youth) in such a manor.

You could also make it mandatory for citizenship here in the US.

If you don't serve then you should never be able to collect benefits from the US in any way shape or form.

Click here for more information.

Originally posted by whaaa

Originally posted by joe_dirt976 after all the crap your "evil" government has given you [freeways, water, power, food control, order, peace, and happiness] why would it be so bad?

That little statement there tells me thay you are just a kid that has no idea what he/she is talking about. My guess is that you are living at home with your mommy and daddy being taken care of.

Rush, Sean and savage are entertainers that are just spokesmem for the GOP and their myopic view of the world that you seem to have adopted.

For your information the government has given us nothing. We bought it with our tax dollars.

When you join the real world, you will find that we pay and pay dearly for the freeways, water, power, order, etc. They don't GIVE us s***.

You're trying to explain this to a military mind. The effort is wasted....

Originally posted by Wildbob77
I would support the idea of a draft only if it was compulsory for everyone.

You graduate from High School and then you serve the government for 2-3 years. Service should not just be military service. You could be put in a conservation corp to fight wild fires and replant forest. You could be put in an Urban Corps to rebuild and/or modernize the infrastructure of the US.

You could be involved with something like the peace corp with emphasis on helping developing countries utilize appropriate technology to improve the lives of their citizens.

Think about the possibilities if we used our most valuable resources ( our youth) in such a manor.

You could also make it mandatory for citizenship here in the US.

If you don't serve then you should never be able to collect benefits from the US in any way shape or form.

First off, Americans PAY for those benefits, so yes, americans should get to COLLECT those benefits.

Forced servitude is fascism at its finest, no matter how you justify it. Not to mention the amount of JOBS that this idea would take away from people who do these things for a living.

Remember, the government is here to work for you, not the other way around.

reply to post by joe_dirt976


By the way Joe, you just contradicted yourself. Terrorism: blah blah blah the act of inspiring FEAR. Yeah ok and why do we need to go to war with all these countries? Your reason- because they want to kill us and it will make the world safer. Hmm apparently you are with the terrorists!!!!

I agree, we do need a draft. Kids today are fat pie eating future taxpayers and pillars of our civilization and they need to toughen up.

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[edit on 7/8/2008 by Mirthful Me]

Originally posted by NeoSpace
I agree, we do need a draft. Kids today are fat pie eating future taxpayers and pillars of our civilization and they need to toughen up.

Says the internet tough guy....

Mod Edit: Quote Cleanup.

[edit on 7/8/2008 by Mirthful Me]

reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic


The problem is that most of these things are not being done.

I think that it's time for people to have a way to become more involved in their country and this is one way that this could happen.

Originally posted by Wildbob77
reply to post by cautiouslypessimistic

 

The problem is that most of these things are not being done.

I think that it's time for people to have a way to become more involved in their country and this is one way that this could happen.

What's not being done? Peace Corps turns away anyone without a degree. 1 out of every 5 people who tries actually becomes a firefighter. There are thousands of government interns.

Again, forced servitude is fascism. Period.