I have always been a student of human behavior and it seems to me that Americans in general are far too prosperous for their own good. This isn't true for everyone, but I think it is for a large number of us.
I see a problem with excessive prosperity because I think that a strong character and a proper understanding on the world can only be had when one experiences a certain level of adversity. The Bible speaks of this with the phrase, "forged by the flames or affliction."
Anyway, I've noticed that the more prosperity people are born into and the less adversity they have had to endure to become prosperous, the less compassion one has and the less clearly one tends to see the world.
So, I propose that as a condition of one's high school graduation, one should serve at least 1 year, maybe 2 in the military in a non-combat, service role. I think that scrubbing toilets for a while or helping the homeless would make each of us a better person, would teach us compassion for the less fortunate and would give us a view of life that would otherwise be lacking.
Somehow, I just feel that people would learn to better appreciate things and life in general once they have had to chop their own wood to stay warm.
This is something I think about myself. There is too much wealth. You brought up the Bible; so it says that wealth brings about no conscience and unrealistic self worth. This makes the devil very happy. Because he does his best work through wealth. Kat
I believe the kids coming out of High School now could use at least 1 year the military. The first year is basic training and then you get trained in your MO. It also helps you to trust other people in a way you never experience anywhere else. It's even tighter than family.
Switzerland is a politically neutral country, yet it has more soldiers per capita than any other Western democracy. Odd? The Swiss don't think so--or at least, most of them don't. According to Swiss military dogma, a powerful citizen army is the best way to preserve Switzerland's neutrality and keep neighboring countries from invading Swiss territory. They may be right; Switzerland hasn't been at war in 500 years.
In his 1984 book, La Place de la Concorde Suisse, acclaimed New Yorker author John McPhee quoted a Swiss officer as saying: "Switzerland doesn't have an army, Switzerland is an army." That statement may have been hyperbole, but the fact remains that nearly 400,000 of Switzerland's roughly 6 million inhabitants belong to the armed forces.
Conscription is alive and well in Switzerland. When a male Swiss reaches the age of 20, he must undergo 15 weeks of military training. Over the next 22 to 32 years, he'll attend a succession of two- to three-week training camps during until he's accrued 300 to 1,300 days of active service. (Service requirements depend on rank: the higher the rank, the more years and accrued days are required.)
Until 1996, being a conscientious objector didn't count in Switzerland. If you said "no," you went to jail. It's now possible to serve in a noncombatant role, although this isn't common. In rare instances, conscientious objectors may perform Zivildienst (civilian service) in a nursing home, sanitarium, etc. instead of joining the military, at the cost of serving 50% longer than they would in the armed forces.
A "good old boys" network Swiss military service has its benefits. Like members of a volunteer fire department or a fraternal lodge, citizen soldiers tend to look out for each other in the business world. In some circles (and especially in smaller towns or villages), sergeant or officer rank carries prestige.
Swiss men who live in other countries don't have to serve in the army, but they're required to tithe 2% of their income to the mother country in the form of a military exemption tax. (The tax is also paid by men who flunk the physical or otherwise don't qualify for military service.) Women aren't required to pay the tax, nor are they expected to serve in the army--although, if they wish, they can can enlist as noncombatants.
The military isn't just toilet scrubbing - as a matter of fact there were 60 other people in the barricks and you actually only end up cleaning the bathroom maybe once a month!
The military does build character and it teaches and demands respect. I see a lot of people go in and they come out better people. They have more respect for life.
I just don't see that it's a bad thing. I did 3 years before I messed my knee up.
I'm not a military type person tho, my idea of a good time is wrestling my cat, not running around and actually getting stuff done. Now if you don't mind, I'm going to poke a cat
I don't believe that compassion and caring for our fellow human beings is something that can be learnt and adopted through mandatory military service. Rather, it comes from good parenting and education, regardless of how prosperous a family may be.
If at age 19 for example, the youth of today were forced into military service, I doubt very much it would have any influence in this regard.
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I see a problem with excessive prosperity because I think that a strong character and a proper understanding on the world can only be had when one experiences a certain level of adversity. The Bible speaks of this with the phrase, "forged by the flames or affliction."
Anyway, I've noticed that the more prosperity people are born into and the less adversity they have had to endure to become prosperous, the less compassion one has and the less clearly one tends to see the world.
So, I propose that as a condition of one's high school graduation, one should serve at least 1 year, maybe 2 in the military in a non-combat, service role. I think that scrubbing toilets for a while or helping the homeless would make each of us a better person, would teach us compassion for the less fortunate and would give us a view of life that would otherwise be lacking.
Somehow, I just feel that people would learn to better appreciate things and life in general once they have had to chop their own wood to stay warm.