Some of what he says in it is a little dated since it directly references the 1991 Gulf War, but Jello Biafra’s “Die for Oil, Sucker” applies to today in so many ways as well.
People are realizing they’re just dieing for some other pricks profit?
In the run up to WW2, the US government made a very big deal of socially incentivizing military enlistment. The GI Bill offered education and housing benefits. Military work was competitive with the private sector and you had lots of off-ramps into the civilian side of the government. Military families enjoyed local prestige, particularly in the officer’s corps, so it was a good stepping stone up the socio-economic ladder. And the military operated as a strong network for business advancement, both as a military contractor and as a civilian with a tight-knit social circle of ex-military friends and neighbors.
All of that has been dissolving since the Vietnam Era. Soldiering isn’t considered a particularly noble profession. The pay is shit. The benefits have been cut back enormously. Enlisted pay is worse than service sector work and military families often live in poverty. There’s no real path to career advancement and enormous liabilities that come with 5+ years working around dangerous military equipment.
40 years ago, you could make a litany of arguments for why military service was personally advantageous. Today? The only reason to join is because you’ve got a shot at some brass, and even then you’d be way better off angling for a high paying civilian role.
Good. Everyone should take a note from Phill Ochs and sing ‘I aint marching anymore’
What if war was declared and nobody showed?
Conscription is the only option many governments have (including possibly, one a draft-dodging Trump-led presidency is considering). The rest of the world is not like Finland. If conscription becomes the norm, anti-establishment actions will become more commonplace.
As an American, I’m all for forced conscription.
Only because it forces people who otherwise try to be “not political, teehee” and pretend our corrupt, captured, failing nation is fine to wake the fuck up and revolt.
For the record, in normal times, I think there should be mandatory national service for a year, but I don’t agree a year of service has to be or even should be military. There should be a strong peace core that builds housing for the homeless, provides community services, etc.
I think it would give the US what it most needs and lacks almost entirely: empathy. Especially for our worst off, most suffering citizens.
Government says there’s no more draft… Just a registry for boys who could be drafted…not that it’s gonna happen.
So rest assured, there’s no more draft, until Congress implements a new draft
You say that like they’re trying to hide it, but it’s literally the stated purpose of the Selective Service registration. Nothing surreptitious about it.
