Threat from the DPRK (North Korea)

[Kinser79]

(09-24-2017, 10:58 PM)Warren Dew Wrote: The original idea in the US was that "everyone" had the vote and "everyone" was a militia member.  I'd be happier with everyone being required to have a gun and be available for the common defense in case of an invasion than with a draft into a standing army.

That would be workable for the Army perhaps if a standing small core of technical officers and men is maintained. The Air Force and Navy not so much. In all honesty it is my view that the Navy and Air Force are the two most important branches in modern warfare, as far as the US is concerned. I mean seriously who is going to invade us? Canada?

With sufficient air and sea power invasions from off continent are unlikely, after all the main weakness the Germans had in WW2 in relation to D-Day was a limited navy and insufficient air power.

Quote:Limiting the franchise to veterans has always been an attractive idea to me, but I'm not sure it works.

I would argue that Starship Troopers is somewhat utopian in nature. However, the fact remain that democracies are especially unstable after the public takes to the notion that they can vote themselves benefits from the public treasury.

Quote:I'd also argue that at some level, it makes sense to limit the franchise to people who pay taxes.  This would control the problem of people on the dole becoming a majority and voting for economic collapse.  It might be difficult to implement in practice, though.

It might be easier to limit the franchise to people who either earn X number of dollars per year, or Y amount of property in the form of land/assets.