Quote Originally Posted by Watchman
Anyway, as my younger brother is wont to say: "serving your military time is a healthy learning experience - it gives you considerable motivation to study hard, so you don't have to make a career there." He also says it fulfills several useful roles in society; first, it's a dumb and crappy job that nonetheless needs to be done, and second it cleans young men out of the streets at the age when they're just about at their dumbest. And finally it is a convenient repository for folks who're really better off languishing as junior officers until their retirement...
The tone of your post indicates perhaps a dissatisfaction with a conscripted service. National service may indeed provoke the observations made by your brother.

However, the US Forces and the UK Forces are both volunteer and professional. They provide ways for young people to excel, and build the skills necessary to take that excellence back into the civilian community. Service also builds character and resilience.

The men I was proud to lead were not dumb youngsters and they were not performing a dumb and crappy job. Far, far from it. They were consummate professionals, in many cases brighter (in the sense of more savvy) than some of the MBAs, directors and others I have worked with in other paths of life.

Since Senator Kerry was not making misplaced remarks about Finnish conscripts but about US professionals, I don't think your argument helps him.

As for the earlier issue, I agree with Redleg that neither side comes out of this with any credit, but Senator Kerry should have apologised immediately. I also think he ought to have had a little more respect for the office of President - I don't agree with most of President Bush's policies, but I don't think he is any sort of a fool.

The wretched politics of negativity will eventually come back to haunt not just politicians, but voters too - and the very fabric of our democracies.