What's your generation and how would you change your government?

[David Horn]

(02-17-2022, 02:05 PM)JasonBlack Wrote:

(02-17-2022, 01:42 PM)David Horn Wrote: I did an enormous eyeroll when Richard Nixon killed the draft in 1973 to begin the era of the all-volunteer force.  I'm still of the opinion that taking the vast majority of Americans' skin out of the game made war fighting easier and may have contributed to the messes we just exited in Iraq and Afghanistan.  It also eliminated the only shared civic duty other than paying taxes, and that's not exactly the same.

FWIW, I was a reluctant volunteer and served in Vietnam.  I get thanked for my service regularly; that shouldn't be necessary.

I get what you're saying, but I don't think the majority of people are really suited for combat, so I think it's more realistic to provide other civic avenues for people with different skills and personalities. More importantly, we should...do more to make it fun. If you associate positively with your formative experience in public service, you'll be more likely to vote in your country's best interest later in life.

Believe me, I was not suited to combat either.  90% of the military work in non-combat fields, but they are still soldiers, sailors, airmen and women, or marines.  The most important part of doing something like this, and alternatives are fine as well, is gained by being forced by circumstance to work beside people you would never encounter in your day-to-day life.  It's impossible to overvalue that experience.  If the alternatives do that as well, then they're fine as well.