Do you encourage young people to go into the military?

[JohnnyLoco]

We disagree.

Having been drafted myself, then going to OCS, and later assuming a combat command where I served and fought with other drafted, citizen soldiers, I became of the opinion that, just as rank has its responsibilities, so does serving the concept of "freedom".

Arguably, and beyond a shadow of a doubt, "freedom", as we know it in this country, needs to be served in an urgent manner in order to survive. At no time has this been more evident since it's inception.

Who better than its citizens?

I'm sorry, but the Founders would disagree. They viewed a standing national army as one of the great threats to freedom and liberty in this country.

Coups and military dictatorships unfortunately have been the norm throughout history. Caesar was a great Roman and so were his troops, until he crossed the Rubicon.

With the exception of WWII, what example do you have a "freedom needing to be served in an urgent manner" by the military? I would argue, yes freedom needs to be served, but from political resistance by the citizens against a bloated and tyrannical government.

Maybe in a small, homogenous country surrounded by hostile enemies, such as Switzerland or Israel, does conscription work.

This still is the frontier my friend.

 

[karlac]

I have no doubt that military values and standards would do much to improve our increasingly worthless younger generations. I just can't get behind the idea of the government forcing people to die in what will most likely be unnecessary, highly questionable wars.

I apologize if I offended you with that post, BTW. While I myself am very hard to offend I would not appreciate being associated with Communist China and its policies.

LOL Not so much offended, as taken aback. No problems whatsoever and thank you, but no apology was necessary!

But I am troubled though. Freedom comes with many privileges. Privileges come with responsibilities. I hardly see a bucket of spit's worth of individual responsibility being exercised by the average citizen in the country for the freedoms that guarantee those privileges they enjoy.

Freedom has to have a touchstone, a basis, a foundation that remains a subject of focus in order to maintain it. An increasing number of parents are not providing that basis; our public schools are not providing it, our religious institutions are not providing it; our legal and justice system seem to be diametrically opposed to providing it; our political leadership is not providing it; our current government entities at all levels are more interested in controlling us than in providing it.

Some of this was provided by our generation, and our father's, by a call to serve, at least in the name of those freedoms. I clearly saw that both those who survived, as well as the country, ultimately benefited as a result of those who took on this responsibility as citizen soldiers when upon called to do so.


The young desperately need something of the sort... so where the hell are they going to get it? Some kind of compulsory service may be the answer, something like the CCC accomplished, in lieu of military service.

Then again ... we've allowed it to become all too easy these days for the government to control and manipulate. This age old argument has always has strong pros and cons on both sides, and I do understand and respect your experience based opinions on the matter.

</rant.

 

[45tex]

My Dad was career Air Force. He passed when I was young. After a year of junior college I was feeling lost and decided on the AF honestly because it was the least military seeming to me. Served 74-78 and decided it was not a career for me. Since the Vietnam era the military and especially the AF has become an anti American anti Christian social experiment. I counseled my boys not to choose that path. Reading what the socialist Obama has wrought of the military just makes me sad. I also let them know if they chose the military I'd be supportive. I miss the old America

profound thinking about stuff

 

[karlac]

I'm sorry, but the Founders would disagree. They viewed a standing national army as one of the great threats to freedom and liberty in this country.

Coups and military dictatorships unfortunately have been the norm throughout history. Caesar was a great Roman and so were his troops, until he crossed the Rubicon.

With the exception of WWII, what example do you have a "freedom needing to be served in an urgent manner" by the military? I would argue, yes freedom needs to be served, but from political resistance by the citizens against a bloated and tyrannical government.

Maybe in a small, homogenous country surrounded by hostile enemies, such as Switzerland or Israel, does conscription work.

This still is the frontier my friend.

Gotta me my fault in getting my point across on a keyboard ... the underlying thrust of my posts on this issue should not that hard to grasp.

Therefore, putting the blame where it lies, I hereby apologize for your total, and obvious, misunderstanding.

 

[JohnnyLoco]

Just to be clear, God bless our soldiers, they certainty protect our freedoms as a deterrence against foreign strike or invasion. I just don't agree with conscription and believe the 2nd is just as an effective deterrence against foreign enemies.

 

[JohnnyLoco]

Gotta me my fault in getting my point across on a keyboard ... the underlying thrust of my posts on this issue should not that hard to grasp.

Therefore, putting the blame where it lies, I hereby apologize for your total, and obvious, misunderstanding.

No I understand, this generation is full of thumbsucking nancy-boys that need a nice ass kicking.

 

[karlac]

Just to be clear, God bless our soldiers, they certainty protect our freedoms as a deterrence against foreign strike or invasion. I just don't agree with conscription and believe the 2nd is just as an effective deterrence against foreign enemies.

Amen ...and hope like hell we have the balls, and responsible citizenry, to keep what's left of that tattered right.