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[mainiac]

No one ever said it was supposed to be as well-armed.  Obama said it was to be just as strong and well-funded as the army.

Dear god.  If we funded community works as well as the army there'd be a homeless shelter on every corner!  The Liberal Crime Squad would practically be invisible!

[Smitehappy]

For the record, it was our own National Guard sandbaggin in Fargo, and it is kinda their job. I like the idea of expanded guard like institutions.

Actually the Guard was mostly just hauling sandbags and building earthen dikes here. The sandbagging was done by volunteers. All the schools and Universities were given the week off to sandbag.

[Ampersand]

For the record, it was our own National Guard sandbaggin in Fargo, and it is kinda their job. I like the idea of expanded guard like institutions.

Actually the Guard was mostly just hauling sandbags and building earthen dikes here. The sandbagging was done by volunteers. All the schools and Universities were given the week off to sandbag.

And the students who decided to help in the efforts, in my opinion, should be rewarded somehow.

[Cthulhu]

They should be rewarded with Livestrong bracelets.

[DJ]

If somebody starts hosting a private militia in their town the local and national governments go haywire.

Isn't that what the 2nd Amendment is all about?


Anyway, I don't see nothing wrong with this. Plenty of countries have compulsory national service (most of Europe does) and they haven't turned into dictatorships. In fact, I think all countries should have it, as it builds character and teaches adolescents that they're not the center of the world, which is a lesson a lot of ~18 year old Americans could use.

[Yanlin]

Over here the army recently did a campaign about how people stopped enlisting. The % of people who don't do military service (Which includes national service such as volunteering at hospitals and stuff like that.) has risen. By a lot.

There was one memorable line. "For 18 years this country served you. Now it's time to give 3 years of your life to serve it."

[Electronic Phantom]

DJ--> I wasn't saying I objected to this, I was pointing out the dichotomy.

-(e)EP

[Aqizzar]

It's also incorrect.  There are plenty of completely legitimate state militias, like for instance the Michigan State Militia, which proudly allowed themselves to be interviewed in Bowling for Columbine.  They even put out ironic calendars of themselves to shake off the crazy-compound-extremist image of militias.

The government takes issue when you start buying assault weapons (or used to) without permit, military grade explosives, and breaking arsenal laws - namely stockpiling ammunition.  "Militias" that hang around in fortified compounds shooting at pictures of federal agents and declaring their allegiance to the "Real Constitution" tend to draw investigation as well.  After all, the best way to attract trouble is to act like you expect it.


I'm not saying anything about the rest of the tinfoil-haberdashery going on in this thread.  Other rational people have well done that already.

[Strife26]

Good to see that I'm not the only Fargo person here. I'll clarify, they assisted in sandbagging efforts here, not necisarily placeing sandbags. 

[Jude]

Over here the army recently did a campaign about how people stopped enlisting. The % of people who don't do military service (Which includes national service such as volunteering at hospitals and stuff like that.) has risen. By a lot.

There was one memorable line. "For 18 years this country served you. Now it's time to give 3 years of your life to serve it."

I thought the only way not to serve was to be ultra-Orthodox...

[Strife26]

I like mandatory service personally. Make the pre-college types do some real work for a while. Keep them on the right path.

[Smitehappy]

Hell I didn't pay taxes for 17 years and got an educations from the state, don't see why I shouldn't give something back.

[Cthulhu]

I for one am a layabout and a punk, and hope I don't have to do anything because I'm already 18.