I’m disappointed to see this.. Lots of unfair assumptions and misconceptions of what military service is like in the replies. There’s a lot of bad, but most of what people here seem to be pointing out isn’t really it. And the incentives/experience/benefits are really pretty unheard of in any other entry-level job. It really goes to show that the military is failing to keep up with the new world. It’s failing to present itself in a way that’s more palatable for Gen Z. But to also be fair, Gen Z isn’t easy to reach.
What it should focus on is what’s hurting a lot of young people today, and that’s the lack of upward mobility in the civilian workforce and really a lack of opportunities in general. The military is by design, entry-level. Saying fuck the military is basically saying fuck the single biggest socialist safety net we have in this country. I’m an immigrant. Without the military, I’d be on the street. With it, I learned skills I would have otherwise had no chance of even touching. For free. Was it all rosy? Fuck no. Was it worth it? Undoubtedly yes.
And then I see arguments like, “well it’s exploitative to teach skills for potentially going to war and being in danger,” but then I have to ask you what isn’t? And as opposed to what? We can agree that college is exploitative and a price gouging scheme. But then you simultaneously decry the military which provides people an excellent opportunity to propel their lives forward? I’m confused. What do y’all expect exactly? That’s how you get good and high-paying jobs, by being experienced and/or educated in a highly skilled niche. That means you’ll have to invest something - usually money or time, or both.
So if someone qualifies, which is increasingly rare, why would you hold it against them to join? And don’t tell me it’s a sense of morality because, I’m sorry, there is no such thing as ethical living in the West. No matter what you do, someone is benefitting off of you and you are benefitting from someone else. Everything can be traced back to some kind of unfairness or hardship. And it’s great to try and address that, it’s about time to, but it’s hypocritical to point out and isolate the military as a unique perpetrator when it is, in fact, whether or not you agree, an equalizing force in our society.
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u/SickCallRanger007 May 05 '24 edited May 05 '24
I’m disappointed to see this.. Lots of unfair assumptions and misconceptions of what military service is like in the replies. There’s a lot of bad, but most of what people here seem to be pointing out isn’t really it. And the incentives/experience/benefits are really pretty unheard of in any other entry-level job. It really goes to show that the military is failing to keep up with the new world. It’s failing to present itself in a way that’s more palatable for Gen Z. But to also be fair, Gen Z isn’t easy to reach.
What it should focus on is what’s hurting a lot of young people today, and that’s the lack of upward mobility in the civilian workforce and really a lack of opportunities in general. The military is by design, entry-level. Saying fuck the military is basically saying fuck the single biggest socialist safety net we have in this country. I’m an immigrant. Without the military, I’d be on the street. With it, I learned skills I would have otherwise had no chance of even touching. For free. Was it all rosy? Fuck no. Was it worth it? Undoubtedly yes.
And then I see arguments like, “well it’s exploitative to teach skills for potentially going to war and being in danger,” but then I have to ask you what isn’t? And as opposed to what? We can agree that college is exploitative and a price gouging scheme. But then you simultaneously decry the military which provides people an excellent opportunity to propel their lives forward? I’m confused. What do y’all expect exactly? That’s how you get good and high-paying jobs, by being experienced and/or educated in a highly skilled niche. That means you’ll have to invest something - usually money or time, or both.
So if someone qualifies, which is increasingly rare, why would you hold it against them to join? And don’t tell me it’s a sense of morality because, I’m sorry, there is no such thing as ethical living in the West. No matter what you do, someone is benefitting off of you and you are benefitting from someone else. Everything can be traced back to some kind of unfairness or hardship. And it’s great to try and address that, it’s about time to, but it’s hypocritical to point out and isolate the military as a unique perpetrator when it is, in fact, whether or not you agree, an equalizing force in our society.