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Politics : View from the Center and Left -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: cosmicforce who wrote (126014)	12/2/2009 9:21:47 AM
From: Dale Baker	Respond to of 543150

I have never thought a draft made any kind of economic or social sense in the modern era. In the current system, the market helps to decide which people want to enlist (or lack the economic skills to get a job elsewhere but still qualify on character grounds). If you throw EVERYONE into the pot for a year or two, those who could be learning better stuff or making an economic contribution are artificially held back. Not to mention that every draftee has to be fed, housed, clothed, equipped, armed and supported by the administrative and logistical infrastructure a modern army requires. Short of another WW2-type conflict, a draft is just a pipe dream. Fortunately, our political consensus has kept the idea out on the fringes where it belongs.

To: cosmicforce who wrote (126014)	12/2/2009 9:45:17 AM
From: Mary Cluney	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 543150

<<<For the most part, the military skills are only partially transferable. I learned avionics, one of the most selective and specialized ratings in the Navy. Even that only prepared me to be a cable installer or phone lineman when I got out without additional training.>>> For every pair of boots they put on the ground in a combat zone, there are at least a dozen support personnel. Military support roles do not translate 100% into civilian jobs but the structure, discipline, and verifiable track record (honorable discharge) gives these kids a big advantage when they come out and compete for civilian jobs. They have to do a much better job recruiting and selling a stint in the military. They could easily take 1mm kids off of unemployment and prepare them for civilian life that may be composed mainly of a disciplined occupation with a large labor component. Bottom line, no matter the situation, we could make the best of the situation and achieve multiple objectives. We just have to go about it in a smart way.