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Just a Rant


BITEME

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So I am walking the floor at the facility today and I bear witness to yet another flag draped warrior . Although proud of them it saddens me a great deal as well. I write this partly because of the E.I post the other day and mostly because I have a belief in our men and women that serve. I have bore witness to almost all that have perished in the last few years and do not hesitate to go to the floor and thank there fellow warriors that send them off to there final destination . Anyway I believe that every kid that gets out of high school should have to serve at least 2 to 3 years of service before they go to the work force or school I have always believed this and will support it always if it comes up. I truly think it would put things in perspective for all and yes there will be losses but you do this for your country. I really don’t know where im going with this I guess the EI post lit the fuse and the coffin was the explosion anyway if your sitting around collecting your not looking and there is tons of work out there you might have to work 16 hours to make up for 8 and I might not be what you want at the moment but you wont be sucking off the social twit. Im strong Im proud Im free and there are reasons for this sure I keep paying into it I have for the last 30 years dosent mean I will ever draw from it its not in my code.There are always jobs in the forces and I can tell you right now you will bond with and find no better people then the ones you stand proud alongside

 

JMO

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The Forces isn't just a job, it's a career. If I'm ever in the position where I've exhausted all possibilities, you bet your ass I'll file for E.I. I don't feel any shame in taking advantage of something I've been paying into since I was 15 with my very first pay check.

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Touchy subject.I know that when i finished high school (1978) it would have done me a world of good.but i didn't realize that until a few years later.Then i got married and had two girls in the mid 1980's and the thought of them in the services never crossed my mind.Now that i've got two young boys age 9&7 the thought of them in the services scares the hell out of me.It might do them the world of good but it still scares me.God bless them all.

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Ever notice that the veterans of WWII who have seen the most and done the most don't talk about it much?

 

I do think that a year or two of compulsory military service would do a lot of young people a lot of good. But we will never see it in this country --- we never have, even in dire times.

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But we will never see it in this country --- we never have, even in dire times.

 

Actually Canada did have conscription in WWI, culminating in the Army opening fire on a crowd of war protesters in Quebec City and leading to the Quebec nationalist movement under Bourassa and the alienation of Francophone moderates like Laurier.

 

Careful what you wish for.

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Actually Canada did have conscription in WWI

 

True, I had forgotten about that in my haste to reply. It was instituted late in the war and the conscripts were derogatorily called "zombies" by soldiers who had volunteered.

 

Somedays we really should stick with fishing related topics and keep our own personal politics to ourselves.

 

Well in a way, I agree, but it's part of the whole package of what makes this site interesting. We have fishing in common but lots of opinions on a variety of stuff.

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Is it me or is EI and welfare being lumped into the same bucket here? THey are SOOO different. I'm sure there are cases where people wrongly take advantage of the EI system (and by doing so, are taking advantage of all of us).....and i'm sure there are (a few) people who i'd have no problem with being on welfare....but overall they are VERY different and my feelings are pretty polarized on which one is justified, and visa versa.

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I'm speaking about mandatory service now, not an opinion on what would be right for Canada as I'm a US citizen. I served in the US Navy during the Viet Nam war, and while I volunteered and would not have been drafted due to my draft number, many of those I served with were drafted, and it is from that group I draw this conclusion. While mandatory military service may be good for many young people, but it's not necessarily good for the military. I don't think it should be the military's nor the taxpayer's responsibility to try to train the untrainable, and at least in the U.S. there are a whole lot of 18 year old kids that would be nothing but a burden on our military. If my life were on the line, I'd like to know that the guys or gals I'm fighting with chose this career path and have proven they belong.

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doubleheader: As someone who had served in the Canadian Forces for 13 years I can only agree with you. We have had some who joined only later find out that it wasn't a choice they were happy with. These few, some with very poor attitudes were a pain in the butt to serve with until they finished their basic engagement. To force youth to go into the forces after school would only degrade the quality of our forces and drain much needed money from the forces. The function of the nco's would become one of babysitter / enforcer instead of leader. The size of our forces would greatly increase taking up much needed money for improved equipment. As it sits now there is for more qualified applicants than there is positions available.

 

Rick

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I can't support this idea that young people should be subjected to mandatory military service. The military is certainly not for everyone. While it has certainly helped to shape the lives of some excellent men and women, people like Jeffrey Dalmer also served, so we know that not everyone with service is someone whom others should aspire to be like. I have worked alongside about a hundred electricians in my carrer. Three of those guys had done their apprenticeship in the military, and they just happen to be the three worst electricians I've ever met. I'm sure there are many excellent tradesmen trained in and/or working for the military, I'm just saying that in at least some cases, the army does not turn out "the best of the best." Lots of people have found self-betterment through their service in the military. For them it was a good fit and they benefitted from the experience. The same would not necessarily be true for all individuals.

 

 

 

As for EI or welfare I have worked with guys that society would have been further ahead to pay them to stay home, if you haven't consider yourself lucky.

 

EI and welfare are not the same thing, but this guy has hit the nail on the head. Some people don't deserve to have a job. They get a few hundred bucks a month to stay home, and they stay home. Seems like a good deal to me. I'm OK with it.

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I disagree with you

 

and I did a couple of years in the armed forces after high school

but that was a personal choice and would fight to keep it that way

 

I'm with you. Not that I served any time in the military save for my high school cadet days but from what I've seen there's a lot of young people who'd benefit hugely from a little structure and discipline in their lives. Heaven knows they aren't getting much of it at home. And it's not a socio-economic thang either. Some of the worst raised kids are from affluent homes. What they really need is the mother of all spankings, except for too many it's too late. The spanking should have been administered to their loving parents years ago. Remember "spare the rod and spoil the child"? I believe that. Sparing the rod is figurative though. Parents don't have to actually beat their kids to discipline them, just be firm and consistent, with a good set of rules and expectations and a very good role model presentation.

 

I've met guys who went the military route who came away with nothing but an attitude and some arcane knowledge of hand to hand combat and an idea of how to use a gun (probably one not acceptable in our society at that). I have some good friends in the States who are products of the military system. They are special people. One in particular is the guy I most want to be with in a life threatening emergency while scuba diving. He would literally die for his buddy. But in social situations he's a disaster. There's no fight or flight with this guy - only fight. His idea of coping is to pull a K-bar and deal with the problem. I have been embarrassed in bars too many times by him when he was defending someone's honour when the someone just really wanted to getthehelloutadodge. He and I haven't been on speaking terms for a few years now cuz of his all or nothing attitude. If he's what ya get when you put a kid into the marines at age 17 I'll take the civilian life. I can do with a little less "OORAH!" in my life. Hope that doesn't offend any ex-marines here. I really have no issue with commitment, just overdoing it. And I still proudly call that guy my friend. He thinks I suck. ;)

 

JF

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2 to 3 years will not kill anybody(maybe) they will take individuals based on skills for deployment yes you will get a mixed bag but they only do a short stint and the benifit to the military they may end up with a whole lot of shinig stars that may never of done it do to preconcievd notions that are held about being programed it is a win win for all lets face it they will walk away after with money in hand standing a bit prouder abit wiser and maybe even have enough to pay for school with out incurring a massive debt. this is not to send them into a grinder its like calculus in university it weeds out the chaff and gets to the good stuff. right now is prime they are offering excellent money in the navy for people who want trades( dont know about the other services) give em a brod specturm for 2 or 3 years with an unconditional release at the end if they want to get out and a thanks for your time

its not difficult i think and how can it hurt you

 

good discussion though

Thanks

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