...Reinstating Compulsory Conscription World War II marked the last war that received full American support. The draft, known today as compulsory conscription, was an integral part of that war. Seventy percent of American men aged 18 to 35 served. The common experience shared amongst these men created lifetime friendships for an entire generation. No other conflict since then has come close to producing such national unification and pride of citizenry. So states Charles Moskos, late professor of sociology for Northwestern University, recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for the U.S. Army, and a draftee for the U.S. Army Combat Engineers (Moskos). Currently, however, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the official estimate of the American veteran population is approximately 24,816,000 (“Veteran”). Total U.S. population exceeds 301 million people (“The New Boomers”). In other words, the ratio of veterans to the total U.S. population is less than 10%. Comparison of these figures reflects that American enlistment ratios in the U.S. Armed forces have decreased dramatically since World War II. The U.S. is a dominant military force in the world today; however, it also has allies that it must help protect and defend in the name of democracy. As a result of the above, American forces are involved in multi-theater (or diverse worldwide) roles, both simultaneously and continuously, thus spreading out our troops over diverse areas. Additionally, the extended war...
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...World War II marked the last war that received full American support. The draft, known today as compulsory conscription, was an integral part of that war. Seventy percent of American men aged 18 to 35 served. The common experience shared amongst these men created lifetime friendships for an entire generation. No other conflict since then has come close to producing such national unification and pride of citizenry. So states Charles Moskos, late professor of sociology for Northwestern University, recipient of the Distinguished Service Award for the U.S. Army, and a draftee for the U.S. Army Combat Engineers (Moskos). Currently, however, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the official estimate of the American veteran population is approximately 24,816,000 (“Veteran”). Total U.S. population exceeds 301 million people (“The New Boomers”). In other words, the ratio of veterans to the total U.S. population is less than 10%. Comparison of these figures reflects that American enlistment ratios in the U.S. Armed forces have decreased dramatically since World War II. The U.S. is a dominant military force in the world today; however, it also has allies that it must help protect and defend in the name of democracy. As a result of the above, American forces are involved in multi-theater (or diverse worldwide) roles, both simultaneously and continuously, thus spreading out our troops over diverse areas. Additionally, the extended war on terrorism continues to deplete American...
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...Summary: In many countries around the world, conscription is questionable. Colonel R J Blythe (2010) is the author of “Bring back conscription” believes that going to military should be compulsory because of the benefits which bring to the individual and society. On the other hand, Dennis De Souza (2010) argues in “Conscription? No way!” that people should not be forced into conscription because it might not be necessary and there are always other alternative services. Firstly, both of these authors agree that when people take conscription, they will be taught self-discipline and a number of useful life skills such as teamwork and leadership. Blythe supposes that people can test themselves throughout the physical and mental challenges. Whereas, De Souza argues that the army has interesting recruitment such as ‘Join the Army and see the world’ or ‘ Learn a new skill in the Army’ but does not mentions about any negative things such as killing people or being killed. In the second argument, Blythe claims that people can gain practical job-related skills which will be taught by top professionals and these skills will be useful in the real life after military services. From De Souza’s point of view, he states that focusing on building a strong army can lead to the unnecessary threats to the country’s neighbors and it might end up triggering a war between the countries. Thirdly, Blythe also states that conscription is gain more knowledge and have wider perspective, he supports his...
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...Why do men go to war, Instead of protecting now, it is merely to win. Instead of being for a just cause, it is for a cause based on what others believe. Men no longer fight for what they think is right; instead they fight for what they think their leaders think is right. And, even in the case that they know their leaders are wrong, they must continue to fight. For if they did not, then the essence of 'men' within this 'military' would seem mote. Instead of standing strong and securing their country, they distinctly state their own morals and follow their own conscience. Putting themselves first. In this day and age, this is not acceptable. Men fight wars because they are ordered to do so. Whether right or wrong, the order is still given. And, in the end, we as the people are left to clean up, understand and learn from our leaders mistakes or victories. There is many different reasons why wars were fought, There is a civil war in the United States of American, the main explanation for the origins of the American civil war is slavery, especially southern anger at the attempts by Northern anti-slavery into the western territories. States right and the tariff issue became entangled in the slavery issue, and were intensified by it. Other important factors were party politics, Abolitionism, Southern nationalism, Northern nationalism, expansionism, sectionalism, economics and modernization in the Antebellum Period. And some of them is because of Confederate soil, The Union was the...
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...Topics in Comparative Russian Politics Army of Russia. To Serve or Not to Serve –Russian Young Men Uneasy Dilemma In Russia February 23, the Defender of the Fatherland Day is an official holiday for those who currently serve or have already accomplished their duty in armed forces. It used to be called the Soviet Army Day. Then our army was victorious, strong, and renowned for defeating a powerful enemy in the World War II. Now there is no world war, no Soviet Union anymore, but the country refuses to abandon the old Soviet system and still maintains compulsory army conscription for all men of the ages between 18 and 27. Existing military system that conscripts every young man of the country, often against their will, is very costly, greatly disliked in the society, and creates unavoidable disorders among discontented, forced to serve men. Much has changed since the soviet times, and people’s definitely positive attitude towards the national army is no exception. Today’s population has almost evenly divided into those who are for obligatory army and those who are in opposition to it, agreeing that serving should be a matter of personal choice (Levada Center Research) Nearly every second Russian with no trouble can name a number of reasons for their negative feelings about the national army. Today there are three major problems, accumulated and deepening through time, to be faced by reformers. 1) Insufficient financing Some critics claim that all the problems in the...
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...Compulsory military training requires young people ages 15-18 to be trained for military service for one to two years. It is also something practiced worldwide, yet Canada does not have this kind of law. Should Canada have a compulsory military training program for the youth? Yes, because of two reasons: it promotes national unity, and produces and maintains a strong military. People from all aspects of life participate in this program, and bringing them together helps create a sense of unity with each other. No matter if they are rich or poor, male or female, they share the same struggle and hardships. Through their teamwork, they form bonds that last and they are united for one reason: to serve their country. They receive a sense of nationalism...
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...Gwyneth McKenna Military History 4/28/2015 Evolution of Compulsory Service The United States has long been involved in military affairs spanning several centuries. These endeavors require more than simply the machinery, tactical prowess, and financial support. They require manpower. Manpower is the backbone to any and every military operation throughout history. Unfortunately, the United States has not always had the amount of brave soldiers she needs to keep the enemy at bay. In order to combat this lack of manpower, conscription, more commonly known as “the draft”, has been needed to be employed. The military draft is a controversial topic; Serving one’s country is undeniably honorable, but what if it is not a choice? Should you be forced...
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...Service: A Duty? A Benefit? Or Both, Or Perhaps Neither? While the choice of service to your country, on a national, state or local government level, is an admirable and important endeavor, the choice should be driven by one's own conscience. To think globally, or for the good of the nation and even for the future - cannot be forced! It has to be a part of who you are, what you stand for and your ability to see beyond your own need. Compelling someone to serve, as in the military draft(conscription), is a non effective notion that will not guarantee the strength and quality of its military and further divides us, as a nation. There exists examples of what conscription can do to a nation from the Vietnam War/Conflict. People chose to leave their country, casting off all that they knew and loved instead of serving in the military. Anti Draft and Anti War demonstrations were everywhere, chaos. Citizens faced prison time and were ostracized because of their refusal to serve and their views against the draft and war. A matter of Patriotism can not be governed by politicians and gauged by others who have different views from yours – it should be left up to the individual. There is no evidence to prove that because of the draft, we were a fighting force to be reckoned with or we had the most proficient fighting Soldiers in history, or that the cost of the war was less expensive. There is, however, more evidence to prove the contrary. If someone wishes to serve...
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...the future and someone’s life and allow the military services to recruit in high schools. There are many benefits that people take for granted daily that many would do not worry about in the military. Health care is not a topic many 18-year-olds think about because the majority are still covered by their parents to the age of 21 and sometimes further than that with the right plan (Simon and Lovrich 372). Enrolling in the military service is a feasible option to earn money, gain technical skills and training as well as leadership skill that will assist one for the rest of his or her life. One of the difficulties in getting a job fresh out of college is lack of experience consistent with the working knowledge in their field. After the compulsory military service, the students will have the technical skills and aptitude to excel in a variety of situations based on their military experience. The military is not always the easiest choice to make. However, it can be the wisest considering the current economic problems in the United Sates. An Amendment Calling for Mandatory Military Service The Amendment demanding that high school graduates be enrolled...
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...a country stands for. As this topic is debated in the United States, both sides need to seriously consider if the implementation of national service helps build the patriotism of its young, if it helps in solving some of the social ills that plague society, and how it develops the character of the individuals that serves. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the United States of America came together in an act of extreme patriotism to aid those with monetary donations and volunteer efforts who were directly affected by the tragedy. As the world looked at America from the outside, they could see a large nation who prided themselves on their patriotism and if anyone stood in their way, there will be consequences. If conscription were implemented Americans would be able to unite around a...
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...Our first President eloquently stated the rationale for national service: "... it must be laid down as a primary position and the basis of our (democratic) system, that every citizen who enjoys the protection of a free Government owes not only a proportion of his property, but even his personal service to the defense of it.” George Washington’s statement makes explicit the social contract inherent in US citizenry: to enjoy our nation’s freedoms requires we as citizen’s to bear personal responsibility for defending them. And yet, today, while our nation continues to fight war on several fronts and must regularly contemplate new military interventions and increased domestic threats, less than 0.5 percent of our population serves in our armed forces. (Eikenberry & Kennedy) Futhermore, this minute percentage “ ... is disproportionately composed of racial, ethnic, and other demographic minorities.” (Kennedy) In part because of this gross disparity, few americans are forced shoulder any true sacrifice from our military actions. Not only is the familial sacrifice of having a loved one serve no longer widespread but the majority of us bear not the tanglible daily realization of being at war that past generations have known, including materials rationing. Even anti-war protests—like those that were a hallmark of our Vietnam War era—are less visible since we have moved to an all volunteer army. This lack of respresentational and fair accountability on our citizenry...
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...Conscripts’ Rights Discrimination in Kazakhstani Army Turmaganbetov Azat ID 20122082 Academic Reading and Writing II (Section 2) Fall 2013 Abstract The research was conducted with a purpose to investigate and analyze the reasons of rights’ violation that conscripts face with in the army. Rising number of rights’ discrimination accidents causes the importance of the topic. The research included two interviews conducted with two man who are directly related to the army and conscripts’ rights violation and was conducted a survey among two different group of people as primary research and reading related academic articles as secondary research. The research revealed several problems such as physical violence, abuse of authority, helplessness and fear of punishment and possible ways to solve this problem that were found from the secondary research and some ways that were offered by the primary research participants. Reasons of conscripts’ rights discrimination in Kazakhstani army To date, the Kazakhstani army is experiencing a deep crisis. During recent years, a number of questions have been raised regarding the horrifying accidents that took place in Kazakhstani army. The main issue of those accidents is conscripts’ rights discrimination. It is a fact that Kazakhstani army has an experience of human rights’ violation and press makes publicized all sorts of events taking place in our army....
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...Mandatory military service is a subject that evokes an immediate knee jerk response without benefit of research or facts. Should the federal government require mandatory service of all citizens between the ages of 18 and 35? Yes, I believe it should since the benefits far outweigh the temporary discomfort. All of society benefits by this mandatory civic duty. This topic was selected because of a personal belief in the requirement and the need for drastic action to “repair” today’s society. Today’s society expects an individual to graduate high school and go on to college or directly into the job force. These two only options force a large number of graduates to search for alternatives. One alternative is military service. Other alternatives include, minimum wage positions which require no training, not working at all which means being dependent on someone else, or turning to crime for a living such as theft or drugs. Politicians and lawmakers prefer not to address this issue and pretend it had been finalized. They understand how unpopular they could be and how much opposition they would get from anti-military segment, young adults that would be affected, and those just looking for a platform to vocalize their views. Most politicians look at the immediate effect on their own careers rather than the expected benefits in the future. Lawmakers look at the probable outcry of violating civil rights. A large number of citizens will oppose mandatory military service out...
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...Current Events in Business Research RES/351 September 10, 2012 Julie Bonner Current Events in Business Research The business research process is about learning everything there is to know about an organization, the consumers, competitors and the trade. The main points are trying to figure what products or services to offer, what consumers are likely to buy them, the region as to where to sell or buy them, and lastly the pricing. By following the important steps of business research a company is able to achieve these objectives. Business research was used in the military but in different ways Identifying Competitors - The mission of the military when it comes to new soldiers is to attract and retain quality soldiers. For instance the Army (the branch I was enlisted in) is facing tough competition when trying to maintain or attracting recruits and enlisted personal of all components and ranks. This is due to the low momentum of the recruiting efforts and potential recruits and that is why they are offering enlist or re-enlistment bonuses which is a financial incentive that is not given in the civilian hiring world. Since, the real world is their true competitors. Studying Customers - The needs and wants of the new recruits and re- enlistment are very essential. So before initiating these incentive programs, I believe that the military would have to establish what the needs and wants are of enlist and re-enlistments. An essential point, just like a product is...
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...whether the United States military should be based on a conscription style of enlistment has been debated for many years. The US has had several instances where conscription, or “draft” as it was referred to a few times, was enacted to supplement troop numbers during a period of conflict. Some proponents for conscription believe it would be a benefit to the military, where others believe it would cause more problems than it solved. This paper discusses some of the pro's and con's of conscription and discusses whether or not this is a good thing for the country or whether some sort of “modified” version of it would be more palatable and effective. Perhaps the “if it's not broken don't fix it” adage applies here. To Conscript, or not to Conscript How would you feel if it were mandatory for you to serve in the United States military? Would you have an issue with it or simply feel it was your patriotic duty? Many people across the country believe that the armed forces should have a conscription service enacted to require citizens 18 years old and up to serve (for a specific time, opinions vary) vice the voluntary system used today. This is largely due to people thinking today's youth need to feel ownership in their country and to know what it's like to have to defend our principles and way of life. Basically, having “skin in the game” so to speak. Proponents feel that a “modified” conscription service would cure the ails of the Vietnam era draft system...
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