• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

Who thinks the US military should be replaced with a citizen defensive body?

Should the US military be replaced with a citizen defensive body?

  • Total voters
    68
CRUE CAB said:
No explanation? Just roll eye to a statement based on our nations stupid policy of fighting till we are totally spent.
Click to expand...

No, just kind of baffled at how someone who has never served is going around saying service should be mandatory.
 
Luftwaffe said:
No, just kind of baffled at how someone who has never served is going around saying service should be mandatory.
Click to expand...

Its called an opinion. People have them. Get used to it.
I have also posted many times that when "we", our leaders, decide to go to war. Every one goes. Everyone from 18 to 65. Everyone, including me.
Please don't tell me you are one of those ex or current military people that think us lowly citizens should withhold comment on matters such as this.
 
Luftwaffe said:
No, just kind of baffled at how someone who has never served is going around saying service should be mandatory.
Click to expand...
Well, sillyhead, threads which have polls and are in the "Polls" forum can be used by non-members, and spammed. If you put a poll in a thread in any other forum than the "Polls" forum, only members can vote. Strictly speaking the poll still isn't scientific, but it more closely represents DP members.
 
Paxaeon said:
`
I prefer the status quo. It has it's advantages;

a) Fools who want to volunteer to fight for the corporations' assets and profits can do so.

b) It allows many to "Be all that they can be...and die" for the corporations who use out military as mercenaries for profit.

c) It allows for conservatives and TPer's to sacrifice other peoples loved ones with a volunteer army, to satisfy their own blood lust for war.
Click to expand...

Another left-wing hate and bigotry post....
 
CRUE CAB said:
I think every young man and woman should do at least 2 years of service.
I never did, but now that we have signed up for endless war. We need to instill a desire to fight.
Click to expand...

Two thumbs up!!

I'd love to see a mandatory term of civil service for all citizens (2 years would work well). But not necessarily a military term. Have the military draw from the pool of people serving after they've done at least one year of service so that they can be evaluated for how well they would function as soldier. Some people just aren't cut out for military service. Having a civil service pool like this would give us disaster response teams, manual labor pools, technical skills teams, etc. that could this nation a lot of good. Most of the logistical aspect of the military could be handled by this civil service group. Training a cook to shoot an M-16 is waste of effort in most cases (front line situations being the exception, then EVERYONE knows how to make the other guy dead).
 
Jerry said:
Then you have no interest in living in America.
Click to expand...

All able bodied men between the ages of 17 and 45 are in the reserve militia and can be called to duty in an emergency unless they are already in the military in some capacity. All people who become naturalized citizens must pledge to take up arms for the US if the need arizes. Hopefully, they will have enough arms for everyone.
 
RFR said:
Who thinks the US military should be replaced with a citizen defensive body like Switzerland has? As in every able-bodied adult (except for conscientious objectors) owns and knows how to use a military grade rifle and advanced weaponry is under local civillian control.
Click to expand...

I think that makes about as much sense as a football bat.
 
Golly, that makes a heck of a lot of sense to me! We can all stand out in the streets with rifles and shoot down those ICBM's as they come in.
 
RFR said:
Who thinks the US military should be replaced with a citizen defensive body like Switzerland has? As in every able-bodied adult (except for conscientious objectors) owns and knows how to use a military grade rifle and advanced weaponry is under local civillian control.
Click to expand...

Congress recognized early on with the Massachusetts volunteers who were under considerable stress at the Siege of Boston that the U.S. needed a national army under a central authority. That's why it created the Continental Army under Washington's command. Notwithstanding the image of the proud Minutemen at Lexington-Concord or Mel Gibson running around South Carolina taking potshots at the British, it was this army (along with the not locally-controlled French Navy) that defeated Cornwallis at Yorktown.
 
LowDown said:
All able bodied men between the ages of 17 and 45 are in the reserve militia and can be called to duty in an emergency unless they are already in the military in some capacity. All people who become naturalized citizens must pledge to take up arms for the US if the need arizes. Hopefully, they will have enough arms for everyone.
Click to expand...
This may be another example of my being overly nitpicky, but there is no "reserve militia". They are simply the "unorganized" militia. Traditionally, all able bodied persons were expected to participate in regular drills performed by the unorganized militia. IMO we should return to that.
 
It's a different world...in the old days you could use conscripts as a major part of your armed forces. I'm not sure how realistic it would be in the modern world.

I agree with the idea, I think that most Americans have been completely removed from the military and war and service is some foreign concept to a lot of people. I really think that the higher you go up in status and socio-economic level the less likely you are to run into anyone that has served, but an all part time military force would be insanely expensive to train and maintain.
 
iliveonramen said:
It's a different world...in the old days you could use conscripts as a major part of your armed forces. I'm not sure how realistic it would be in the modern world.

I agree with the idea, I think that most Americans have been completely removed from the military and war and service is some foreign concept to a lot of people. I really think that the higher you go up in status and socio-economic level the less likely you are to run into anyone that has served, but an all part time military force would be insanely expensive to train and maintain.
Click to expand...
What is the expense of what we are doing now?
 
Montecresto said:
You can't maintain global hegemony with a citizen defensive body.
Click to expand...

Right. Imagine for a moment that Franklin, Adams, and Jefferson, instead of paying homage to and seeking financial and military support from an imperialistic, hegemonistic French king at Versailles, had chosen instead to head to the Swiss Alps for the air and majestic views. Isn't it possible that we wouldn't be having this conversation today?
 
CRUE CAB said:
What is the expense of what we are doing now?
Click to expand...

Oh...it's expensive, I'm not going to disagree with that, but it's very time intensive and expensive to train a brand new recruit.

I don't disagree with the idea that we have a problem entangling ourselves in every foreign conflict but changing to the US army into a citizen defensive force is pretty extreme.
 
LowDown said:
All able bodied men between the ages of 17 and 45 are in the reserve militia and can be called to duty in an emergency unless they are already in the military in some capacity. All people who become naturalized citizens must pledge to take up arms for the US if the need arizes. Hopefully, they will have enough arms for everyone.
Click to expand...

If we run short on weapons all we will need to do is make a sweep through Texas and we'll be fine. :)
 
Heh, 427 to 5 with the usual suspects showing their enthusiasm. Can't even win on a forum, tough luck.
 
Jerry said:
This may be another example of my being overly nitpicky, but there is no "reserve militia". They are simply the "unorganized" militia. Traditionally, all able bodied persons were expected to participate in regular drills performed by the unorganized militia. IMO we should return to that.
Click to expand...

"Reserve militia" is what the Militia Act of 1903 (the "Dick Act" after it's sponsor Charles Dick) called those able bodied men between the ages of 17 and 45 who were not in the organized militia or the military.
 
It's not America's job to be the world's policeman. We oppress our own citizens as well, so I don't really see why nations want our help. Oh right, it's because government itself is oppressive, and oppressors help each other out.

I don't think it's ethical to force people to join a militia, but a locally and collectively controlled defense force is the best way to preserve a society's freedoms.
 
iliveonramen said:
I agree with the idea, I think that most Americans have been completely removed from the military and war and service is some foreign concept to a lot of people. I really think that the higher you go up in status and socio-economic level the less likely you are to run into anyone that has served, but an all part time military force would be insanely expensive to train and maintain.
Click to expand...

I agree with your basic sentiment. I think my sister's family falls into that category. She and her husband are retired from federal service (Commerce and State Departments), but they would have been horrified, I think, if either of their sons had chosen to join the Army or Marines instead of going to college. Maybe the U.S. is destined to end up like the Roman Empire, with Visigoths sacking Washington, D.C. like they did Rome in 410 AD.
 
Montecresto said:
Well, the polling would indicate that most people are confused over the difference between a national defense force, and a belligerent offensive force based all around the world with regular engagement in adventurism.
Click to expand...

Actually the polling would indicate that the majority of the world has a favorable view of the US.

Opinion of the United States (All) - Indicators Database | Pew Research Center's Global Attitudes Project

Maybe it is because unlike the Russian Federation we maintain our military bases abroad through voluntary treaty rather than imperialistic wars of conquest and annexation.
 
CRUE CAB said:
I think every young man and woman should do at least 2 years of service.
I never did, but now that we have signed up for endless war. We need to instill a desire to fight.
Click to expand...

I consider those that desire me as their slave my enemy.
 
replacing the military with a civilian militia simply means we could never fight for our own interests, except on our own land.....with troops lacking in professional training.
even when this nation was quasi-isolationist, our military still fought a lot of lil' wars and battles overseas.

basically put ....it's not a very bright idea at all.. it's actually pretty stupid.
 
Thrilla said:
replacing the military with a civilian militia simply means we could never fight for our own interests, except on our own land.....with troops lacking in professional training.
Click to expand...
You're not a civilian while on militia orders, and yes, militia go through a lot of training, not the least of which is the exact same basic training as the Army.
 
Jerry said:
You're not a civilian while on militia orders, and yes, militia go through a lot of training, not the least of which is the exact same basic training as the Army.
Click to expand...

are you speaking of the national guard and armed forces reserves?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom