Tiny Cat Pants: The Good Thing is that They Probably Can Already Handle a Gun

Thursday, February 02, 2006

The Good Thing is that They Probably Can Already Handle a Gun

Salon.com reports today that the military, in an effort to boost recruitment numbers for its ever-popular war on "terror," is granting an increasing number of waivers to people with criminal records that would otherwise keep them out of the armed services. I'm sorry, America, but this is so sadly funny on its own that I have nothing further to add.

3 Comments:

cafiend said...: Shades of "The Dirty Dozen."

I was actually pondering how a military commander in this modern era of mechanized slaughter would decide who to send in first. Do you send your best, hoping to finish things quickly, or do you send the people you'd just as soon get rid of? Even your dubs might score a few hits and tire the enemy a little bit.

Your volunteer military attracts a mix of idealists who really want to make the world a better place and violence afficionados who are hoping to get to cap a few people without risk of prosecution. And I'm sure there are all shades in between, like the poor idiot who was hoping to get away with a few years of KP in return for some college money. The one quality they all need when battle is actually joined is the willingness to take another person's life when ordered to do so.; 2/02/2006 10:29:00 AM
Exador said...: Simple supply and demand. Remember the stories of the judge saying, "Jail or the Marine Corp".
They could afford to drop that and be more picky when nobody forsaw combat as a reality.
Not being a vet, I can't be sure, but I had always heard that the military broke down more along the 1) Idealists who want to make the world better
2) Seekers of cushy jobs with free room and board, and daycare, and little decision making required.; 2/02/2006 11:21:00 AM
cafiend said...: The cushy job seekers usually go for Civil Service, where combat is far less of a possibility, at least in theory. But the military services are easier to get into when they really need the personnel.

This initiative just gives the working class criminal some opportunity to profit from the war, rather than just the white collar criminals who make bank on it already.; 2/02/2006 11:30:00 AM

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