[extropy-chat] Subscribing to Conscription (WAS Gandhi's antipode)

sjvans at mailhost.mil.ameritech.net sjvans at mailhost.mil.ameritech.net
Thu Oct 7 01:52:12 UTC 2004



>Addressing the topic, it's difficult to believe any responsible official,
or
>even Charlie Rangel, would be able to articulate just what a draft of
>conscripts was supposed to *do* after completing Basic.  Homeland Security
>might find a use for a few hundred thousand mouthbreathers,  but DOD has
made
>it crystal clear that they have learned the Lesson of '75,  

Well, there is one thing that *might* make a draft worthwhile, and that is
doing it Swiss style.  A few months of training, perhaps done in summer for
the convenience of students, followed by taking battle dress, personal
gear, *weapon* and ammunition home.  Occasional nationwide training
excercises.  Actually useful and deployable forces would come from the
Regular Army.  Sure wouldn't have anything to do with Iraq.

This would be far more a social engineering sort of thing, instilling the
virtues of a civil society and an understanding the need to defend it and
generally how, than solving any real military problem.  Building a populous
a little less likely to be pushed around, and maybe a little more serious. 
Or maybe not.

Perhaps more importantly, it could be a counterbalance to the professional
army.  Such have historically had a tendancy to become isolated and removed
from the citizenry, making them inclined to take over for themselves. 
We've done real well so far with civilian control of the military, but who
knows what might happen as they get smaller and more professional.  It
might be important.  Or maybe not. A pretty expensive experiment, anyway.  

Of course, it would never happen.  Can you imagine the kittens that some
folks would have at the idea of *everyone* having an evil assualt rifle at
home?

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