Posts: 2,466
Threads: 466
Joined: May 2025
With interest in student loans these days, might this be a good time to mention the idea of mandatory military or civil service for high-school graduates of all genders? Whether one unrolls incivil or military service, a GI-Bill type of credit for future training would be earned.
Taking a year or two off between high school and college/university/work/vocational training seems to have a host of benefits.
- Late-teenagers/young adults get some experiences they may not otherwise have.
- They receive housing, a modest income, and training.
- They are integrated into the culture.
- Society receives services that may not be offered without such a program.
Others?
Todd's drafts board
Posts: 57,781
Threads: 5,856
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
2
Keep in mind there WAS a student loan forgiveness for teachers. And Betsy DeVos refused EVERYONE.
Posts: 23,027
Threads: 577
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
2
AmeriCorps is in the same spirit.
Not sure about mandatory. Making people serve, military or civil, changes the tone. I'd prefer strong incentives.
Posts: 16,789
Threads: 722
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
0
A. That would be seen as Conscription by many, and as such, unacceptable. FreeDum you know.
B. There's the gender issue for others: who is, and is not permitted to join which.
C. The wealthy would avoid both if they wanted to, as they always have: see George W. Bush, and Emperor Bone Spurs*.
*While in college, Trump obtained four student draft deferments during the Vietnam War era. In 1966, he was deemed fit for military service based upon a medical examination, and in July 1968, a local draft board classified him as eligible to serve. In October 1968, he was classified 1-Y, a conditional medical deferment, and in 1972, he was reclassified 4-F due to bone spurs, permanently disqualifying him from service."
Posts: 1,694
Threads: 95
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
1
Civil service isn’t so picky. Even if picking up 30 pounds is difficult, there is a place for you. Anything close to manual dexterity, and you’re in. Deaf? No problem. Blind? I’m sure there is something you can do.
The real problem isn’t in what these people can do, but rather in whether or not such COMPULSORY service will be tolerated. Had this become commonplace much earlier in our history it would be no problem, but too many people consider service to the country, in whatever form it may take, as only for “losers and suckers” unfortunately.
I think it would be a good idea. Too many kids are graduating high school with no direction and little personal discipline.
Posts: 40,656
Threads: 1,025
Joined: May 2025
Diana wrote:
Civil service isn’t so picky. Even if picking up 30 pounds is difficult, there is a place for you. Anything close to manual dexterity, and you’re in. Deaf? No problem. Blind? I’m sure there is something you can do.
The real problem isn’t in what these people can do, but rather in whether or not such COMPULSORY service will be tolerated. Had this become commonplace much earlier in our history it would be no problem, but too many people consider service to the country, in whatever form it may take, as only for “losers and suckers” unfortunately.
I think it would be a good idea. Too many kids are graduating high school with no direction and little personal discipline.
They all work unpaid factory jobs for Facebook, Instagram, Tic Tok, Twitter etc.
Posts: 27,160
Threads: 2,805
Joined: May 2025
The last thing the military wants is mandatory service. They do not need a bunch of malcontents that can't be trusted to go in the right direction when ordered to run.
If you think bureaucracy is screwed up now, stick unwilling teenage participants in it.
Posts: 52,238
Threads: 2,800
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
1
The last thing the military wants is mandatory service. They do not need a bunch of malcontents that can't be trusted to go in the right direction when ordered to run.
If you think bureaucracy is screwed up now, stick unwilling teenage participants in it.
Agreed, and I think that would apply to any endeavor conscription was applied to, even to something like VISTA.
But maybe an incentive as somebody already mentioned, could really make it work.
Assign a virtual wage to voluntary service that's routinely evaluated for active participation, and forgive one year of student loan for one year of service, maybe with a cap on what can be forgiven.
Maybe even offer a slightly higher virtual wage for humanitarian service.
Maybe, it's a stretch, but maybe by encouraging working with those whom, by virtue of being largely ignored by governments local and beyond, and by fellow man in general, the embers of human kindness might be fanned.
Making the world a better place for those who follow us...
What the hell was I thinking.
Posts: 5,775
Threads: 582
Joined: May 2025
Reputation:
0
Just an opinion from a technical person ...
at least from science and engineering focused students, taking a year off school between high school and college can actually be detrimental and require the students to get back up to speed in math and science classes.
Even today, students who take Calculus in 11th grade and then try to pick it up 1st year of college can really struggle and need to repeat a semester of Calculus to relearn some things.
Posts: 15,224
Threads: 204
Joined: Jan 2023
Reputation:
0
I totally agree. EVERYBODY can do something for their country. If it were applied UNIVERSALLY, those who would be "unhappy" about "serving" wouldn't have a legal leg to stand on. As for "benefits", except for people who made a career out of service spending 20 years or more, the "short timers" would not need to receive / be paid for anything more than BASIC SERVICE. There could be numerous choices of service that could be pursued with terms lasting from two to six years. Inductees could elect to put some of their pay aside for college or other training AFTER they've fulfilled their basic service. All in all, get the little darlings away from mommy & daddy and, teach them / let them learn to be more self sufficient. It's something that MANY of them need.
|
