Repealing of "don't ask don't tell"

[Greenday]

Woman gets impregnated, she's done as far as reproduction goes for the next year.

Guy gets a woman pregnant...he can start on the next woman within the hour.

Thus we need a lot more women than men in order to ensure survival. Only reason we need more than one man is to ensure there is enough genetic variation that it doesn't become all incest and we kill ourselves from the incest babies.

[Andara Bledin]

We have more than enough non-combatant population to keep the human race going well into critical overpopulation. It's no longer a valid consideration.

^-.-^

[crashhelmet]

We even put them in subs. >.>

HERESY!!!!!!

[Gravekeeper]

Thus we need a lot more women than men in order to ensure survival. Only reason we need more than one man is to ensure there is enough genetic variation that it doesn't become all incest and we kill ourselves from the incest babies.

Er, that sort of contradicts itself to be honest. Its specifically because of genetic variation that we don't need a lot more women than men. It would weaken us as a species and cut down on our survival. We're better off with equal distribution. Limited genepools don't work out so well. Look at European royalty. -.-

And Andara's right, its not like we're facing any sort of shortage of humans in general. People that actually serve in the military are an extremely small percentage of the human race.

[crashhelmet]

People that actually serve in the military are an extremely small percentage of the human race.

Unless you live in a country that actually mandates it. But here in the U.S.A., you're right. If it wasn't for 9/11, there'd be more talk about resurrecting the draft in the event of war.

[Gravekeeper]

Unless you live in a country that actually mandates it. But here in the U.S.A., you're right. If it wasn't for 9/11, there'd be more talk about resurrecting the draft in the event of war.

A good number of countries have some form of mandatory service ( Especially in Europe and the Middle East ). But the number of countries that have extended ( More then a year ) or unlimited mandatory service and will ship non-volunteers into duty abroad ( and thus a warzone ) is very small.

Even North Korea, who has the highest percentage of enlisted military personel per capita in the world, still only really has about 4% or so of its population in its military. Arming, training and feeding an army is just too expensive for anyone to raise an army big enough to even scratch a country's population.

Plus modern technology has shifted the bulk of actual destructive military power from people to vehicles. Which need mostly non-combat support personel.

[blas87]

Well of course I'm not ignorant or paranoid enough to think that the world is in a position of lack of population at this time, while I typed my earlier post I was envisioning what everyone thinks of 2012 (well, the crazies who believe in that) or some form of apocalypse or another world war, if the population was ever severely cut down, if there were too many women and not enough men, then all the children would be related, and there would be little hope for future generations, since they'd all be then related as well.

[Sage Blackthorn]

Personally, I have always felt that all those who wish to go fight should be allowed to go fight, and all those who do not want to fight should never be forced to do so. Even those who aren't good at combat can still be trained in support positions.

Of course ever since I read a quote by one of the founding fathers, I can't remember if it was Ben Franklin or Thomas Jefferson, that said the greatest threat to a nation's liberty was for the government to have a standing army..... I had the strange and bizarre idea that the basic skills of a soldier should be taught to all citizens in high school, leaving only specialty skills to be taught in basic training for those who choose to goto war to fight for something they believe in. This would leave the entire rest of the population "at home" to defend their nation's borders from attack.

I know this system will probably never be implemented, as having the entire population armed, trained, and educated about their rights and their nation's laws would mean the government (with it's standing army to enforce the will of those in power through declaring martial law if they wished) wouldn't be top dog anyway. I would also make the police obsolete if every citizen was armed and trained in self-defense, and educated in the law by the time they were 18.

[Evandril]

Yeah, because being gay automatically means your just on the lookout for naked men peepees all the time. All gays are hoping that you drop the soap, so they can have your butt and nothing you can do to stop it*snip*
I find it funny, that the people that are disgusted by being /leered/ at it, if only in their mind, are typically the first to want and/or demand to do the same thing to women when they're showering if they have a chance. So it's fine for men to stare at women, but god forbid if men stare at a guy or something. It's just so stupid.

The people most against gays in the military were the ones who saw what *they* were willing to do to get laid...and did NOT want that to be done to them...hence why I cut the quote when I did. Luckily, the rules about conduct have *seriously* changed, to the point of having a drink with someone pretty much means nothing is happening...unless you want to be up on charges, no matter the consent given at the time.

If I remembered correctly, you were required to state you were gay, and could be disbanned from joining the army on that before that policy came into effect.

As part of your enlistment, they used to ask if you were gay. If you answered yes, you could not enlist, and if you lied, you'd be kicked out for falsifying government documents. Sodomy is still illegal, no matter your partner, but it covers more than most realize..Oral sex *is* included under the military definition of sodomy, and the rule mainly seems to still exist to prosecute rape (ie, couldn't find a time it's been enforced by itself successfully )

[Gravekeeper]

I had the strange and bizarre idea that the basic skills of a soldier should be taught to all citizens in high school, leaving only specialty skills to be taught in basic training for those who choose to goto war to fight for something they believe in. This would leave the entire rest of the population "at home" to defend their nation's borders from attack.

More then a few European countries mandate military service after highschool for at least 6-12 months. So the base concept is sort of in practice in some places. Still, your idea is honestly impractical as you're basically talking about leaving your country defended by an unorganized militia. You can't organize them because then you're mandating military service and/or obligations. If you ask them who wants to be organized, then you're just talking about a reserve anyway.

What should be taught in high school is not the basic skills of a soldier. Its should just be straight up basic survival skills, conflict resolution and crisis management. But many modern infantry soldiers don't really get the latter two and its shown in both current major conflicts.

[Sage Blackthorn]

More then a few European countries mandate military service after highschool for at least 6-12 months. So the base concept is sort of in practice in some places. Still, your idea is honestly impractical as you're basically talking about leaving your country defended by an unorganized militia. You can't organize them because then you're mandating military service and/or obligations. If you ask them who wants to be organized, then you're just talking about a reserve anyway.

What should be taught in high school is not the basic skills of a soldier. Its should just be straight up basic survival skills, conflict resolution and crisis management. But many modern infantry soldiers don't really get the latter two and its shown in both current major conflicts.

Yeah, like I said, I doubt any of my crazy ideas will ever happen

But I like the idea of making basic survival skills, conflict resolution and crisis management part of high school curiculum (or however it's spelled). I have a friend who grew up in Alaska, and she told me that all the high school kids got wilderness survival training as part of their normal schooling. I still think that educating high school aged kids about the law and their rights and responsabilities would be a good idea. But that's a tangent for an entirely different thread on Public Education really.

[HYHYBT]

Makes sense though: you *need* wilderness survival training in Alaska, because that's most of the state and you're bound to be in it sometime. Not so useful in, say, Dallas.

[Evandril]

Yeah, like I said, I doubt any of my crazy ideas will ever happen

But I like the idea of making basic survival skills, conflict resolution and crisis management part of high school curiculum (or however it's spelled). I have a friend who grew up in Alaska, and she told me that all the high school kids got wilderness survival training as part of their normal schooling. I still think that educating high school aged kids about the law and their rights and responsabilities would be a good idea. But that's a tangent for an entirely different thread on Public Education really.

I'd agree with the basic skills being taught, but with today's military, we (IMO) NEED to have a trained and ready military. Desert Storm is a good example of how hard and fast a military can hit, and the difference a trained military can make. In the event we *are* needed to defend the USA, I cannot see a militia spooling up fast enough to provide the response that would be needed. Heck, I've seen the fun we've had trying to get the Reserves to properly respond/deploy/pull their collective heads out

I do agree with it as a dream, though!

[BigGiant]

Funny that you mention Desert Storm and then say this:

Heck, I've seen the fun we've had trying to get the Reserves to properly respond/deploy/pull their collective heads out

Quite a large part of the quick-striking, trained military that you commend in desert storm was made up of Reservists and National Guardsmen.

[Evandril]

Funny that you mention Desert Storm and then say this:



Quite a large part of the quick-striking, trained military that you commend in desert storm was made up of Reservists and National Guardsmen.

I was talking purely from personal experience working as Active Duty on a reserve base, and I've deployed with the reserves more than once...and while they did have good people, the amount that felt they shouldn't have to deploy, and 'didn't sign up for this!' was far higher than I'd have ever guessed. *shrugs*