this post was submitted on 13 Jun 2024
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politics

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[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 39 points 5 months ago (3 children)

This would backfire drastically for republicans...

Pretty sure the US military is the biggest socialist organization on the planet.

I know it's what made me progressive.

[–] TexasDrunk@lemmy.world 8 points 5 months ago

It certainly pointed me in that direction.

[–] todd_bonzalez@lemm.ee 5 points 5 months ago

Yeah, it's going to be really hard to call anything a "handout" if you're forced to give the government your labor.

[–] Yearly1845@reddthat.com 3 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Fr this is a great idea (National Service, but not necessarily military service). We could train carpenters and electricians, repair people, maintenance and construction jobs. We could train medical assistants and dental hygienists', vet techs, and build houses (high density housing located in an area with good public transit, of course), and railways, and so much more with our tax dollars.

And yes, a strong defense is important, so military service would count too. Like it or not lots of people across the world rely on American defense, and its wrong to betray those allies and obligations like Obama did when he let Russia take Crimea.

And the best part is (in my version of events) all those people who performed national service would qualify for TriCare and the GI Bill, so we don't even need new programs. It won't be easy, of course, but it gives our youth skills in higher education and trades, helps alleviate the housing crisis, improves American infrastructure, and invests in our future.

I'd also like to see some sort of UBI after the service ends to catch anyone who still struggles after but I expect that'd be relatively rare.

[–] givesomefucks@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

I mean, what you're describing FDRs "New Deal" something modern progressives are tying to bring back but republicans and "moderates" won't let happen...

Our infrastructure is crumbling because after FDR built it from the New Deal, we just stopped doing all that scary socialism.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 36 points 5 months ago (3 children)

Miller believes a standardized test at the high school level, called the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, should be administered to all students to help funnel potential recruits into positions within the military, based on their skills and intellect levels.

Let me take a wild guess which people would get "funneled into positions" as officers, and who would end up as ~~fodder~~ infantry.

[–] TexasDrunk@lemmy.world 12 points 5 months ago (1 children)

People going officer usually already know they're going officer either because they're in ROTC/JROTC or already have a plan for college. The poors are generally the ones that end up enlisted because they have fewer options. This is already the case.

So your wild guess would have probably been spot on. Required service just means they'll have extra poors.

I was in the nuclear power program in the Navy. They're some of the smartest people I've ever worked with. It was the first time I was the dumbest guy in the room and, let me tell you, that'll humble you very quickly. So they're definitely not trying to make the smartest people officers because, while the officers there were fine, they had nothing on some of these guys.

[–] Nougat@fedia.io 3 points 5 months ago

Oh, sure - I knew I was going to get that technically wrong. I was trying to use the least number of words to express that it would be quite simple to use this kind of thing to put the "right" people in charge of decision-making, and the "wrong" people into deadly combat situations, or at the very least, into positions lowly enough that they can be systematically conditioned to stifle their own political will.

"Right" and "wrong" above can certainly mean stupid shit like "skin color" or "ethnicity," but I was actually thinking about it in terms of political ideology. Dead people can't vote.

[–] son_named_bort@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

Everyone in my school had to take the ASVAB. It was a complete waste of time. Hell, I just filled in bubbles at random because I had no interest in dying in Iraq and didn't care if I passed the test. Unfortunately, I passed the test and got so many calls from recruiters for years.

[–] tacosanonymous@lemm.ee 34 points 5 months ago

On the bright side, this should alienate young voters.

[–] magnetosphere@fedia.io 33 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) (2 children)

Fuck that. I want to see people do one year of mandatory customer-facing retail work.

[–] Corkyskog@sh.itjust.works 6 points 5 months ago

Totally agree. Retail, food service or phone operator, the 3 branches, must pick one.

[–] JovialMicrobial@lemm.ee 4 points 5 months ago

This makes sense. Those positions are considered ESSENTIAL after all. Especially for the wealthy business owners who rake in profit from others doing these jobs. You want to run a business like that? Learn what your work force has to put up with. Shit, I'd make them do it for 4 years like military service.

Maybe these ultra wealthy people would actually become human again instead of being empty voids that suck up an entire economy's worth of money and then just hoard it.

[–] foggy@lemmy.world 31 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Wait so we want to make abortion illegal, divorce illegal, reduce ability to get contraception, and enstate mandatory conscription.

Ah. It makes sense now.

Military enrollment numbers must be low.

Checks

Mhm. Very.

[–] kikutwo@lemmy.world 25 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Good, I look forward to seeing Baron in uniform.

[–] ptz@dubvee.org 30 points 5 months ago

Hereditary bone spurs and affluenza will be valid medical excuses for avoiding mandatory military service. That or a big bag of money with a dollar sign on it.

[–] alilbee@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago

You should stop thinking anything they implement is going to be fair and hurt them in any way. They don't mind being hypocrites at all.

[–] treefrog@lemm.ee 17 points 5 months ago (1 children)

For the poor children.

Not their own I imagine.

[–] HeyJoe@lemmy.world 4 points 5 months ago

Exactly, none of them would ever want this. I will never understand taking a position on something where I don't immediately put myself in that position first. People suck...

[–] WhatYouNeed@lemmy.world 13 points 5 months ago

Stephen Miller in greens.

Voted most likely to be shot in the back by his own side.

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 11 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It’s arrogance and stupidity all the way down. Enjoy your ride republiQans. Please eat a lot more horse de-wormer while you’re at it.

[–] AbidanYre@lemmy.world 13 points 5 months ago

They've moved from horse pills to raw milk.

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemm.ee 5 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

Strap up billionaires, it's time to sacrifice for your country!

If the 1% didn't want to be on the front line, maybe they shouldn't have purchased the government

[–] JimSamtanko@lemm.ee 5 points 5 months ago

If Trump goes first. I’m down.

[–] muntedcrocodile@lemm.ee -1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Instead of making it mandatory why not make it mandatory if u wanna run for office or own a gun.

[–] UltraGiGaGigantic@lemm.ee 2 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Service guarantees your constitutional rights!

[–] muntedcrocodile@lemm.ee 1 points 5 months ago

Actually thats how it used to be they then amended the second amendment and got rid of the service requirement hence ur problems.