Comments on: Memory Lane, Desi Cypherpunks & the Marines

By: CoffeeFace

CoffeeFace — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 22:32:16 +0000

Though I personally don’t think I could do it, I think it’s admirable for someone like him (good background, professionally already accomplished, etc) to join the military. Best of luck to him!

By: isaac

isaac — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 17:08:23 +0000

Issac, why were you demoted? "misconduct". i couldn't, in good conscience, go to the current war (though i'd been on others).

By: GujuDude

GujuDude — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 17:01:43 +0000

my point basically is, for those who have many other options (like the guy above), and are generous and imbued with a need to help society in general(i.e. something bigger than themselves), why do they choose to do so by joining the marines, rather than by joining the peace corps, or starting a clinic, or volunteering is less privileged neighborhoods, or even joining the national guards.

Many in the special operations community are such individuals. From what I've read/heard, it's all really about what the individual wants to do and where they seem happy. Check out the reference I made above to Nathaniel Fick's One Bullet Away: Making of a Marine Officer. He was an Ivy league grad that went to USMC OCS and eventually lead a Marine Recon Platoon in Iraq. His books is very candid and straight forward.

Each volunteer job function (peace corps, tutoring, Military, etc) caters to strengths of individuals. Many in the military are in for the peer-mentoring aspect, leadership training, ability to discipline themselves into being a more competant person (as in task execution) etc.

Issac, why were you demoted?

By: Al_Chutiya_for_debauchery

Al_Chutiya_for_debauchery — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:43:29 +0000

remember that a disproportionate number of those who enlist in the military do so because it is one of the few avenues of upward mobility in many sectors of our society. ask yourself why a disproportionate number of blacks and rural whites enlist. It even goes back to draft days - when poor kids could not afford to get college deferments.

This has not always been the case. Lets remember that one of the reasons that the draft was initiated during WW1 was because the military had a disproportionately high number of people of high SES. There was a concern that if there were too many casualties then there will not be enough future leaders, captains of industries, professionals. So the draft was one way to get the poor/low SES people to enlist.

By: isaac

isaac — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 16:11:46 +0000

as someone who spent a lot of time setting up/taking down (and setting up/taking down, repeat ad nauseum) various things for OCS as MCB Quantico (as an enlisted marine who was demoted to grounds maintenance), i have to say i don’t envy the guy. he’s not in for anything fun.

By: sin

sin — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 15:03:04 +0000

my point basically is, for those who have many other options (like the guy above), and are generous and imbued with a need to help society in general(i.e. something bigger than themselves), why do they choose to do so by joining the marines, rather than by joining the peace corps, or starting a clinic, or volunteering is less privileged neighborhoods, or even joining the national guards. There must be more going on there (and i am genuinely curious). one reason, i'm pretty confident,is that the marines (or any armed forces for that matter)more than any other organization build a strong community, since such forces thrive on group solidarity. this in turn fulfills (and uses) a vital human instinct. so i can see the attraction (religious communities and cults, including one's we don't like very much have similar dynamics). but is there anything else?

By: dravidian lurker

dravidian lurker — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 07:31:39 +0000

spent some time in Arizona (including a stint with the Romney campaign), and his blog gives us his next big adventure â€” heâ€™s joining the Marines

Why didn't he take the example of Mitt's sons (oh, what a band of brothers!) and serve the country by helping him get elected?

By: GujuDude

GujuDude — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 07:05:29 +0000

Information on US military demographics

A news article

Heritage foundation data. Army's demographics website with links to other services and specifics on minorities.

By: nala

nala — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 06:51:37 +0000

to the self-righteous left: many of you are children of relative privilege. remember that a disproportionate number of those who enlist in the military do so because it is one of the few avenues of upward mobility in many sectors of our society. ask yourself why a disproportionate number of blacks and rural whites enlist.

hmm, most of the liberal folks i know who come from privileged backgrounds actually hate the military as an institution even more because of this... they tend not to take it out on actual soldiers (though i'm guessing they'd probably be harsher on rural whites than on blacks). e.g. there's been controversy about the military using public schools' databases to send recruitment mail to their students. (my high school had a form that we signed if we didn't want to release our info, but apparently some people still got sent the mail). basically these recruitment tactics piss these self-righteous lefties even more. kind of a 'hate the sin, love the sinner' thing.

By: Kush Tandon

Kush Tandon — Fri, 05 Oct 2007 06:50:02 +0000

Disproportionally, African Americans and Hispanics join military.

Same with working class white.

It even goes back to draft days - when poor kids could not afford to get college deferments.

There about thousands of green cards holders are in military right now for many reasons - social status up move, fast track citizenship.

USA has had a long arrangement with Phillipines them serving US military, same as Gurkhas has with India and UK.

Often these days, one comes across obituaries from South American green card holders.