The article somehow doesn't mention ROTC, which is a much bigger commitment but can pay for all 4 years of school. Feels like a missed opportunity at the very least.
My main gripe with student loan forgiveness is that it addresses the symptom rather than the issue itself of college being too damn expensive. National military service at least helps pay for college, though doesn't leave many options for those who are unable or unwilling to join the armed forces.
The article only briefly mentions it but I've always thought the idea of non-military national service was interesting. Not necessarily a good idea depending on implementation details, but an interesting one nonetheless.
It's not just colleges being too expensive. It's also industries inflating educational requirements as an underlying factor for increased college costs. Experience is also undervalue relative to educational requirements. Quintessentially does x job require y education that could not be learned on the job or through experience?
Granted these are broad statements that cannot completely generalized but it seems to be a trend.
> This would again be a significant advantage for students from wealthy families who could opt out of the service by paying up...
Or when those wealthy families take a chance to build a business that goes wrong, they just file for debt forgiveness.
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4 of the United States Constitution authorizes Congress to enact “Uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States.” It provides that Congress shall enact bankruptcy laws to allow Americans to exercise their bankruptcy rights. So filing for bankruptcy relief is your constitutional right, specifically guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Students should just file for debt forgiveness too.
Getting rid of the outrageous tuition fees would mean laying off hundreds of administrative staff at every single university. Now you’ve got cheap tuition but hundreds of thousands of unemployed people. What do you do about that? Sounds like a political nightmare.
A foolish article. The military has a lot of programs to try and snag bright and ambitious young people using free tuition as a lure.
Question. If you’re a young bright person, are you going to sign up to spend 4 years on a nuclear submarine for free tuition, or will you go to college, take the loans, and search for a high paying career knowing that if it doesn’t pan out you can just fall back on the military to pay off the loans?
Adding to this the military have always been really good about leaving out important details about that tuition. An example would be the GI Bill. One has 10 years to use that funding once they leave active duty. By the time people learn about this it is usually too late.
It's seemed pretty obvious to me that the military's recruitment issues are just because young people morally object to it. I (25) grew up in the shadow of 9/11, seeing the US invade other countries on false premises for oil, somehow that didn't motivate me to serve. Then you combine that with growing awareness for how inadequate veteran services are, and how you're essentially abused as a military member even if you don't see combat. Why would I join an organization that goes against my morals, is more likely than not to give me PTSD, and then when it's all done all I get is a lifetime of untreated mental illness along with 4 years of "free" college?
Almost everyone I know my age who's joined either did it to escape poverty or because they come from a military family. I think any kind of perks are only band-aids on a collapsing militarized nation.
>Such a program would incorporate not just military service — which would remain voluntary — but also real programs that meet real needs that we all could value. It could include, for example, environmental conservation work, pre-K assistance in schools, and senior citizen companionship.
Although it spends a lot of time discussing the military, "national service" != "military service." There are plenty of entry level government jobs these people could fill.
“If you boys and girls had to sweat for your toys the way a newly born baby has to struggle to live you would be happier . . . and much richer. As it is, with some of you, I pity the poverty of your wealth.”
― Robert A. Heinlein, Starship Troopers
Wrong order to do it in - those already with student loans have more complicated lives 'now' versus the period of their life between high school and post-secondary where the national service would best take place, in theory.
OH this 100000%. While the US is at it we should honestly consider quadrupling our military budget. Just the idea of a Raytheon CEO not getting his bonus brings a tear to my eye.
[+] [-] SnooSux|3 years ago|reply
My main gripe with student loan forgiveness is that it addresses the symptom rather than the issue itself of college being too damn expensive. National military service at least helps pay for college, though doesn't leave many options for those who are unable or unwilling to join the armed forces.
The article only briefly mentions it but I've always thought the idea of non-military national service was interesting. Not necessarily a good idea depending on implementation details, but an interesting one nonetheless.
[+] [-] FloatArtifact|3 years ago|reply
Granted these are broad statements that cannot completely generalized but it seems to be a trend.
[+] [-] johndoe0815|3 years ago|reply
Just get rid of the outrageous US tuition fees like civilized countries in Europe.
[+] [-] rayiner|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] zikduruqe|3 years ago|reply
Or when those wealthy families take a chance to build a business that goes wrong, they just file for debt forgiveness.
Article 1, Section 8, Clause 4 of the United States Constitution authorizes Congress to enact “Uniform Laws on the subject of Bankruptcies throughout the United States.” It provides that Congress shall enact bankruptcy laws to allow Americans to exercise their bankruptcy rights. So filing for bankruptcy relief is your constitutional right, specifically guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution.
Students should just file for debt forgiveness too.
[+] [-] chongli|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] xwdv|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wedowhatwedo|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] helen___keller|3 years ago|reply
Question. If you’re a young bright person, are you going to sign up to spend 4 years on a nuclear submarine for free tuition, or will you go to college, take the loans, and search for a high paying career knowing that if it doesn’t pan out you can just fall back on the military to pay off the loans?
[+] [-] LinuxBender|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] paganel|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] kthejoker2|3 years ago|reply
"We should link generational wealth to national service"
"We should wire up SkyNet's power button to national service"
"Pogger's Game: Reinventing e-sports for national service"
[+] [-] TrueGeek|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] EntropyIsAHoax|3 years ago|reply
Almost everyone I know my age who's joined either did it to escape poverty or because they come from a military family. I think any kind of perks are only band-aids on a collapsing militarized nation.
[+] [-] 5555624|3 years ago|reply
Although it spends a lot of time discussing the military, "national service" != "military service." There are plenty of entry level government jobs these people could fill.
[+] [-] swayvil|3 years ago|reply
That seems bad somehow.
[+] [-] bogle|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] conorcleary|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] westpfelia|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] trasz|3 years ago|reply
[+] [-] JustSomeNobody|3 years ago|reply