Quote Originally Posted by belgareth
In other

words, you don't feel you should do things to help out or that other than earning a living you have no obligation?

So, you have a technical degree? Having a substantial technical education myself and having worked in technology all

my life I think I have a grasp of how much good it can do. Your employment mostly helps you, what about the rest of

society? You also didn't answer the question about doing it as civil service work. Overall, your reply is pretty

much what I expected though. Without trying to be snide about it, that's a dodge.
Correct, my

employment mostly helps me directly now, but it will help many down the road. I emphasized this already. My work

doesn't put an immediate smile on a needy child's face everyday, but it will do so for many eventually. And

that's a big reason why I do what I do, in addition to being able to be self-sufficient. Even you said people

ought to take more personal responsibility in their own well-being, and that there's too much of the "society owes

me" mentality around. If one is drafted to the military for civil service work, are they not paid for what they do?

I don't know anyone who can take a career in civil service without a salary.

Why should it

bother anyone if you served as a chemical or biological weapons specialist? We do not use those weapons so any work

you might do would be life saving.
It's obvious I'm pro-military, and therefore many ask me if I

would ever serve. But what they're really asking is whether or not I'd be willing to be on battlefield and put

myself in direct danger. And I would if needed, but pointing out that one can serve without being in the direct

line of fire is sort of a return jab. But it's obvious you weren't asking me that, but I thought maybe koolking

was.

You still haven't addressed the part about the option of civil work rather than

military. Would you be adverse to that? You haven't made any case yet for not making it mandatory

either
No, I would not be adversed to it. But why does one need to be in a uniform to serve their

communities?

My argument against a draft is based more on practical issues. First, I honestly do believe

it would weaken our fighting capabilites. Every military person I know personally agrees. Also, there is too much

resistance today against a draft that there would be some serious civil unrest and social breakdown if one were to

be re-instated now. If you're talking about a draft for purely non-fighting positions, we're kind of drifting

away from the original topic.

But I'll get back to you on that. I gotta run.