Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Politics : Formerly About Advanced Micro Devices -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Alighieri who wrote (158138)	1/15/2003 8:46:36 PM
From: TimF	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1591207

The complete exchange was... I read the complete exchange. The only way a large cross section of people would have relatives in the military is if the military was bigger. if a larger cross section of folks had kin in the army or a chance to have kin in the army, vis a vis a draft or lottery system, opposition to war would be considerably higher. To me freedom is a higher principle then avoiding war. I would oppose the draft unless the survival of the US as an independent nation was in doubt without it. In any case I'm not so sure it would cause more anti-war sentiment. Even Vietnam was not opposed by a majority until we were involved in it for many years. Also not every war should be opposed. You can examine the question of whether war with Iraq should be proposed but even if you assume that it should be opposed avoiding one war would not be worth bringing back the draft. It would only make sense if 1 - It would discourage almost all war, 2 - war is always or at least almost always something that should be opposed and 3 - the opposition to it was more important then the freedom given up by instituting a draft. I'm not so sure about 1, don't think 2 is completely right and strongly disagree with 3. Also I would add 4 - A draft would be militarily useful. Which I would also disagree with. Tim

To: Alighieri who wrote (158138)	1/15/2003 9:22:48 PM
From: i-node	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1591207

IOW, if a larger cross section of folks had kin in the army or a chance to have kin in the army, vis a vis a draft or lottery system, opposition to war would be considerably higher. So, what? Yes, it is at least possible that if the government is FORCING people into the military rather than allowing volunteers to do it, then you may have more of an anti-war sentiment. So, what? This Charles Rangel argument is just another attempt to racially divide the nation. For many poor, the military is a great option. It gives them an opportunity to learn a trade, serve their country, make a living for the duration of the hitch, and provides excellent opportunity in the form of the GI Bill. And honestly, over the course of the last 20 years, the military has not been a particularly unsafe occupation. There are many OSHA-approved jobs that have more risk associated with them than do a couple of years in today's military.