A Novel Idea

E

Ed Brunner

New member
People old enough to remember reading books should remember Ernest Hemingway.
Back in the old days when Americans wanted to involve themselves in another country's civil war they did what Hemingway did.
During the Spanish Civil War Ernest and a lot of others went to Spain as civilians and did various and sundry things to assist the side of their choice.
Ernest got enough material out of it for a few books and apparently a whole lot more if we can believe Ernest.
My point is that the US of A did not send our troops.People who wanted to help were able to do it in person.
Can you visualize old slick doing THAT?

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Better days to be,

Ed
 
A lot of people would like to forget that Hemingway and other naive Americans (the Abraham Lincoln Brigade) were fighting on behalf of world Communism. True, they were fighting a Fascist revolution which was aided by Hitler and Mussolini, but some people could never settle down and understand real democracy - they thought they had to go to one extreme to fight the other. Some are still that way.
 
I've long believed that the US military should be radically altered: *everybody* does two years of military training mixed with public service, but all foreign wars are fought on an "individual choice" basis. Those currently in the service get first pick, if we can't muster up enough bodies to deal with a Bosnia or a Gulf War then we recruit from the 100%-trained population.

If there's a US economic interest at stake such as there was in the Gulf, let the big oil companies (or whatever other business segment that stands to benefit) pay bonuses. If it's humanitarian and somebody like Clinton wants an adventure, cool - if he can get enough functional grunts to agree, then we go over and party, otherwise forget it.

In case of invasion, it's more like the Swiss model...everybody fights.

This is the only moral way to deal with foreign wars, people choosing their fight on a case-by-case basis. If it's a real emergency where world freedom is at stake (the last one of these being WW2) then either raise the pay rates until you get enough volunteers, or give jailbirds a "get out of free and get into the fight" choice, or get the PR machine going, try and sell people on the urgency. But it should be a major crime to lie about the situation.

We should also have the troops elect officers such as is done in Israel, but that's another subject.

Jim March

[This message has been edited by Jim March (edited April 06, 1999).]
 
Ed, thanks for bringing this up.

I find it fascinating that so many people will argue that we just 'have to do something'! Well, if so, why don't they quit their jobs, buy guns and ammo, and head for Kosovo? If you feel so worked up about it, what is holding you back? Or, just send your kids ... they can use the experience, right?

OTOH, most of those same people just love coercion. Forget volunteering. Forget going to Kosovo. Hey ... the neighbors' kids volunteered to fight for this country! Let's just send 'em wherever Bill wants to bomb next! And, while we're at it, let's spend billions and billions of dollars of someone else's money (like those darn 'rich' people)!

That'll teach those darn XXXX (insert current enemy here).
 
Jeff;Liberals want the government to solve all their problems.This IS a good example of it.

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Better days to be,

Ed
 
I think a lot of popular stupidity regarding the military comes from the idea that Soldiers/Sailors/Marines are somehow inherently different. Almost as though they are grown in test tubes on the planet "Military" or something. Just prior to reporting to boot camp, I remember people treating me like I was going to die or something.

Anybody read the book, "Starship Troopers" by Robert Heinlein? Yeah, yeah, yeah, the movie was pretty stupid, but if you read the book you'll see why they make it a mindless action movie with the characters wearing Naziesque uniforms. Now that's a society.
 
[This message has been edited by DHH (edited April 10, 1999).]

[This message has been edited by DHH (edited April 10, 1999).]
 
Ed,
Wonderful thought. I'm a big Hemingway fan. Always wanted to go fishing on Lake Waloon.
unfortunately, the US Government made it illegal for US citizens to do this. Oh, you can do it, you just can't ever come home again. :(

Jim,
I can't emphasis this enough, Destructo mentioned it, I'll give it my strongest reccomendation, if you haven't read STARSHIP TROOPERS, (Robert A. Heinlein) Get it and read it ASAP. It's incredible/ Philosophy that can't be beaten, and a great story too!

Destructo6
Semper Fi!
Whether you know it or not, we ARE different. News flash bro, you are a MARINE.
Not a civilian, or even a citizen, you're a Marine. You've done things that "normal" people would think insane at worst, barbaric at best. How do I know this? Because I know you are a Marine. All Marines have done these things. Most have liked it!
(or at least laughed about it at the NCO club!)
Don't ever think that you are like everybody else, or that everybody else is like you. That's what the sheeple want you to think. The sheeple get nervous when you remember that you are a trained predator.
BTW, the fact that you may no longer be active duty means less than nothing.
Once a Marine, always a Marine.
you have no say in the matter and couldn't change it if you wanted to. It's as much a part of you as the skin you live in.

It's great to know that so many hear share the same reading tastes.
Hemingway and Heinlein.
Two of my three favorites.
The First among equals is Ayn Rand.
Anyone else?

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Your mind is your primary weapon.
 
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