Should americans be required to serve in the military?

[Theweirdtophat]

I believe the military helps mature people and gets them off to a good start. Would it be good if they had to serve for at least 4 years and then do what they want. I feel more people would be more mature and responsible by serving.

 

[LuisDantas]

Uh?

 

[columbus]

I believe the military helps mature people and gets them off to a good start. Would it be good if they had to serve for at least 4 years and then do what they want. I feel more people would be more mature and responsible by serving.

Not 4years, or the military.
But a stint of public service would probably be a good thing for nearly everybody.
I say that as a 50+
Tom

 

[Father Heathen]

No.

 

[Aquitaine]

I believe the military helps mature people and gets them off to a good start. Would it be good if they had to serve for at least 4 years and then do what they want. I feel more people would be more mature and responsible by serving.

I'd consider the idea if there were a few primary conditions:
1) One can opt-out of deploying to any combat zones or for even using a weapon, making it accomodating for pacifists and other conscientious objectors.
2) The emphasis is on teaching young people valuable skills which could set them up for life (whilst getting paid), rather than training them to become soldiers to be used in a war of aggression.
3) All able people are subject to it in the same manner, regardless of parental income, religion or gender.
4) Relaxed standards when it comes to punishment, they do not choose to be there after all.
5) A civilian alternative for those who do not wish to be part of the military directly.

Basically, if it were to be made compulsory then it should behave more like an advanced school for learning valuable skills, rather than a war-fighting institution.

One of the main reasons why I cannot properly advocate for such a thing though, is because I grew up without conscription, so it would be hypocritical for me to then ask younger generations to be put through it.
I'm also concerned with how it may encourage an arrogant form of blind patriotism, which I thinnk can be very dangerous especially in young adults.

 

[leibowde84]

I believe the military helps mature people and gets them off to a good start. Would it be good if they had to serve for at least 4 years and then do what they want. I feel more people would be more mature and responsible by serving.

Public service or maybe the coast guard. But, the military, while it certainly has many upsides, has been the cause of a lot of lives being ruined when soldiers get back from deployment (PTSD mostly). I'm not sure whether we should make this mandatory until we figure that problem out.

 

[Akivah]

Forced military is against our country's culture. It was only ever done in case of emergency.

 

[beenherebeforeagain]

Not 4years, or the military.
But a stint of public service would probably be a good thing for nearly everybody.
I say that as a 50+
Tom

I'm 50+, too, but I said that when I was 17, which was only a year or two after the end of the draft. Still think it's true. If we just looked at the 18-24 year old population, though...the military doesn't need 26-million-plus, and it would seem difficult for find non-military things to do for that many people. At the same time, unleashing that many people on many of our nation's problems would probably work wonders...
The problem, as always, is paying for it....

 

[Quintessence]

I believe the military helps mature people and gets them off to a good start. Would it be good if they had to serve for at least 4 years and then do what they want. I feel more people would be more mature and responsible by serving.

The spirt of the idea here is good, but I think an alternative, non-militiristic angle would be better for this day and age. Instead of requiring military service, simply require service. It could be the PeaceCorps, some other non-profit, volunteer organization. Imagine what would get done if we had armies of volunteers helping build communities!

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I believe the military helps mature people and gets them off to a good start. Would it be good if they had to serve for at least 4 years and then do what they want. I feel more people would be more mature and responsible by serving.

I support it, too. Lords knows my generation and the ones younger than that need it.

 

[columbus]

Forced military is against our country's culture. It was only ever done in case of emergency.

Which country is that?
Israel is very good at it. The USA did it for quite a while.

Tom

 

[Revoltingest]

I believe the military helps mature people and gets them off to a good start. Would it be good if they had to serve for at least 4 years and then do what they want. I feel more people would be more mature and responsible by serving.

It's a time share approach to slavery.
%&@* that!

No.

Succinct.

 

[columbus]

No.

As the parent of some youngsters, with a little hand grenade sized bun in the oven, I understand you totally.
Tom

 

[Theweirdtophat]

If I'm not mistaken, Switzerland requires all males to serve. They seem to be doing well. Not to mention a lot of them own guns, too. Not too much crime there.

 

[Revoltingest]

I support it, too. Lords knows my generation and the ones younger than that need it.

Conveniently, trans folk are exempt from the draft.
FTM individuals don't even have to register.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

Conveniently, trans folk are exempt from the draft.
FTM individuals don't even have to register.

I still don't know why. I remember we talked about this before but we couldn't find the reasoning for it.

 

[Revoltingest]

In a voluntary military, government must conduct itself such that

I still don't know why. I remember we talked about this before but we couldn't find the reasoning for it.

I suspect.....
- Excessive medical costs
- Difficulty fitting in to the culture
- The perception that they're all sissies angry dykes?

 

[Glaurung]

If I'm not mistaken, Switzerland requires all males to serve. They seem to be doing well. Not to mention a lot of them own guns, too. Not too much crime there.

Yeah but they're also permanently neutral, so your chances of actually being deployed for combat is almost non-existent.

 

[LuisDantas]

If I'm not mistaken, Switzerland requires all males to serve. They seem to be doing well. Not to mention a lot of them own guns, too. Not too much crime there.

Switzerland is apparently an outlier. We might discuss the reasons why, I suppose.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

In a voluntary military, government must conduct itself such that

I suspect.....
- Excessive medical costs
- Difficulty fitting in to the culture
- The perception that they're all sissies angry dykes?

I don't really know. I do wonder what this means for transsexual women. What happens to their Selective Service info after they change their legal documents?

Of course, I think transsexual men - the ones who are done with their transition, at least - should be required to sign up for the draft in waiting like any other male. (Of course, they should be required to be on male levels of testosterone and to have had chest and genital surgery. )