Off Topic — HabitableZone

Off Topic » in reply to No Tom. Not what I said.

re: Not what I said.
Tom Brosz — (archived)

I'm an engineer. I do use my "gut" for initial ideas, but if I go all the way to the end using my "gut" and what I "feel," people could die. I prefer data when I can get it.

The military doesn't collect a lot of economic data on enlistees, so much of the information has to be inferred, particularly from geographical information, which lends itself to making connections that may not be there. Education data is collected, and almost everyone in the current military is at least a high school graduate. Officers all have some college, since that's a requirement. Educational levels in the military exceed in almost all cases the levels for the same population groups outside the military.

One good source I have used is here.

If we want to move over into the anecdotal, I've never been in the military so you have that on me. However, I have seen the writings of well over a hundred active military people on the net over the past couple of years. While some are, indeed, the kind of "yahoos" you describe, most are intelligent and thoughtful, and have a lot to say about the current situation. Not all are pro-war by any means, but most believe that they are doing something worthwhile in Iraq, and back it up with their own experiences.

To be sure, there are enlistees who see the military as a good job. But I find it hard to believe from what I've seen that they were dragged into it.

I think the problem is that a lot of people have not discarded the prism of the Vietnam draftee. We don't do that any more.

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