Disgusting - anthrax delivery thru Reno Post Office

Hi Uncle Bill,

The Peace Core would be relatively inexpensive, but the cost of educating and reintegrating the non-volunteers would carry significant cost, as would the cost of removing/delaying the entry of young people into the commercial economy for at least a couple of years. The work force would average 24-65, instead of 22-65, and that is a significant reduct in the number of available employees.

Also, even under the best of conditions, the large majority of young people would probably be pulled into the military which would be very expensive.

n2s
 
Thanks, AC. N2s, I'm not a very practical fellow and sometimes put concept ahead of execution but I think I saw the cost of the WTC affair would run about 2 trillion. How far would that take us? I'm no economist and trillion is beyond my comprehension so I can use all the help I can get.
 
I'm going to think on this a while before responding.
 
Uncle Bill,

Time will tell on the 2 trillion dollar figure. Part of what is happening now is that many companies are blaming their current performance issues on the events of 9/11. Many of those, like the airline industry were going to experience a consolidation irrespective of the terrorist attack. The ongoing recession which has had a focal point in the reduction of business related spending had already crippled most of the airlines, and reduced traffic at retail spots and tourist attractions. If that is what has been factored into the 2 trillion dollar number, then certainly the impact has been overstated. The terrorist attack might even have a net positive effect if the public expenses associated with our response can be driven to deflect the projected recession. The worst thing we can do is to idle production line, distribution systems, and people. As long as we can keep the system going it will be there to support an economic expansion when the market bounces back.

Non-the-less a one time expense, trillion dollar, or otherwise is much more manageable than the major recurring expense that would result from a mandate for universal public service.

n2s
 
I agree with Rust when it comes to national service.

I have the highest regard for those who put themselves on the line for us, most particular our military, police, firemen.

In this country, though, the individual is superior to the state, having inalienable rights from God. Any service that is not voluntary should be regarded with the greatest suspicion and be necessitated only by the severest exigency.

The draft during the Vietnam War was a dark chapter of our national history, and a significant reason for our failure to win it.
 
Buoy,

National service could be done correctly, but not correctly and on the cheap. The Vietnam draft was a disaster, not becuase they drafted people, but, becuase it was so easy for entire classes of the population (not to mention women) to avoid it. That and the ridiculous rotation policy doomed our efforts during the war.

It's hard to fight for your country when you know deep down that your country is screwing you. For the vast majority of the population the draft was something that happened to strangers; it was easy for them to turn their backs on the returning draftees. Make it fair and it could work, not only to provide a fighting force but also to instill some real world experience in our youth. But, the program would be so expensive it wouldn't be worth doing unless we are willing to turn the Middle East into an associated commonwealth, or redevelop the African continent to bring it into the first world*. What else are you going to do with a 7-10 million person army?

n2s

* If at the end of the day we are not going to have a vastly larger tax base there will be no way to pay for this great endevor.
 
The entire Viet Nam "war" was a disaster and I hope we all learned a lasting lesson from it. As n2s wisely pointed out, there's a right way and a wrong way.
 
IIRC both Israel and Turkey require two or three years military service from every male citizen.

I'm fairly sure they don't pay 'em hardly anything, but it must still be expensive for the respective governments to do. Both countries do seem to have pretty effective armed forces, though.

I did figure out a slightly humorous way for the US to fund such a program, however. All we have to do is use all these new soldiers to take possession of most of the oil reserves in the middle east and the program should pretty much pay for itself...:p

-Dave
 
Dave,

That's what I was suggesting above. "Associated Commonwealth" is the US euphemism for US Property. Puerto Rico for example is an associated commonwealth and it's people are full US citizens.

n2s
 
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