Soldier who lost hand receives Medal of Honor

[tombogan03884]

My Dad used to say that you were not qualified to give orders until you had learned how to take them.

[Solus]

Happen to be reading Starship Troopers by Heinlein again, and military service as a prerequisite to vote has never seemed more attractive to me....and necessary.

[tombogan03884]

As the Republic was originally intended you could not vote unless you owned property of a certain value or higher.

[twyacht]

As the Republic was originally intended you could not vote unless you owned property of a certain value or higher.

and being a politician was a "part-time position".......

Only 80 or so MOH recipients alive today....Amazing individuals.

[tombogan03884]

and being a politician was a "part-time position".......

Only 80 or so MOH recipients alive today....Amazing individuals.

TW, I don't mean this as a criticism of your post, but as a way to express my thoughts on the matter.
If they were as you say, "amazing individuals" it would lessen what they did.
Superman " leaps tall buildings" for his morning work out.
These are just ordinary guys, the only difference between them and everyone else is that when things were REALLY going down the crapper, people around them being killed and maimed, everyone half out of their minds with fear, stress and adrenalin, disoriented by concussion, noise, flash, and dust, these guys saw things that had to be done.
They didn't wait for the person assigned that duty, they didn't think about their own safety, they saw what had to be done and did it with out hesitation, often over an extended period.
Ordinary guys, doing what has to be done, with no regard for themselves.
No wonder the Medal is so often awarded posthumously.

[Sponsor]

[JC5123]

Happen to be reading Starship Troopers by Heinlein again, and military service as a prerequisite to vote has never seemed more attractive to me....and necessary.

I completely agree with you!!! However, that requirement would disqualify me. I tried to enlist 3 times in my life and was turned down every time. The reason: I was born with a congenital birth defect requiring 3 open heart surgeries by the age of 10 to correct. And the bean counters felt that my medical history made me too high risk. I think that most everyone would agree that I am 100% on the side of our military, and through my own research I am pretty knowledgeable in it's workings. I'm no sheep, and I will stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone when it comes down to taking back our country from the socialists. So my question Solus, is, how do you deal with someone like me, who was not allowed to serve, not for lack of trying, but still through no fault of my own?

[Solus]

I completely agree with you!!! However, that requirement would disqualify me. I tried to enlist 3 times in my life and was turned down every time. The reason: I was born with a congenital birth defect requiring 3 open heart surgeries by the age of 10 to correct. And the bean counters felt that my medical history made me too high risk. I think that most everyone would agree that I am 100% on the side of our military, and through my own research I am pretty knowledgeable in it's workings. I'm no sheep, and I will stand shoulder to shoulder with anyone when it comes down to taking back our country from the socialists. So my question Solus, is, how do you deal with someone like me, who was not allowed to serve, not for lack of trying, but still through no fault of my own?

If you get a chance, read the book.

The system described therein was not just for military service.  You were tested, physically, intellectually, psychologically, and anything they could get a handle upon.  

If you met the requirements for the military, you would then be placed in a branch based upon your desires as far as they met the testing and staffing requirements of that branch.

If you were not qualified for the military, you would be placed in some function which you were qualified. The only complete disqualification might come from being totally psychologically unfit to serve your country in any way....good disqualification for voting too.

That system made it cumbersome to volunteer with discouragement  along the way and very difficult to stay in.   It was extremely easy to get out before you were assigned to a military unit, and then it was only forbidden under fire.  Just state your intent.  The only penalty was that  you could never vote and thus never hold office.

Even the non-military assignments were difficult and took commitment to wanting to become a voting citizen.

So, basically, the only way you would not become a voting citizen is if you gave up on it (or died on the job) or were psychologically unfit,....not a bad test.  

Don't know how good of a job "real world" testing would do, but it would be a damn sight better than the system we are losing with today.

Sounds like you have the determination needed in that system, JC.

 

 

[tombogan03884]

JC, that is why  the idea will not work.
While all of us here respect our troops and the job they do, the truth is that they are no different than the society that produced them.
Yes, there are hero's, but there are also bean counters, ticket punchers, ass kissers, and general scumbags as well.
jimmah carter and John Murtha were veterans, pretty much every day veterans and active duty personnel are arrested on charges from littering and speeding to rape and murder.
Granting the vote only to Veterans would not make any difference, there are just as many "good citizens" like yourself who, for whatever reason, could not serve, as there are lousy citizens in uniform.
I think the property requirement, or at least employment requirement, is the way to go.
That way the only ones with a say in how our taxes are spent would be the people footing the bill.
If you deprived the Dem/socialists of their bought welfare constituency they would be all done.
No one is going to vote for handouts if they know they are coming out of their own pocket.

( I've read "Starship Troopers" at least 3 times, as well as seeing the movie, once was enough. )

[JC5123]

I am all for a system that bans you from voting if you do not have a tax burden. I realize that this would eliminate many that maybe should vote, but if you don't have a horse in the race, you shouldn't be able to swing the results for those that do. A system like this would also set up a much better argument for a fair tax, and massively simplify our tax code, and virtually eliminate fraud, not to mention the need for the IRS.

[tombogan03884]

We would still need the IRS, they will never go away.
Simply because, no matter how you raise the money, there has to be an organization to actually handle receiving, collecting and enforcing .
The way it's supposed to work, the Internal Revenue Service collects taxes, and other money owed inside the country (internally ), while duties, tariffs, and import taxes and fees from outside the country coming through the ports, (external revenue ) was collected by Customs.
That's why they are separate branches of the Treasury Dept.