Mandatory military and single payer healthcare

[Politically_Incorrect12]

What would make you ok with having a single-payer system? Would anything make you ok with it?

For example, if everybody had to serve in the military, would you be ok with everybody falling under a single-payer healthcare system since veterans already have medical benefits (based on income) through the VA system?

[billisonboard]

"...if everybody had to serve in the military,..."

Using very rough numbers:
There are roughly 4,000,000 live births a year in the US. The annual recruiting goals for the services total roughly over 200,000. So we would have an annual increase of over 3,000,000. Two year terms would double that number. That isn't taking into account support personnel. Ready to pay the taxes to support them?

[Politically_Incorrect12]

Taxes would go beyond that to include healthcare through the VA, GI bill, home loans, etc. Of course that would also help those who were interested in college possibly gain a job skill, and others would decide to stay in the military.

[ugonow]

Why would you need a single payer system if everyone had to serve,thus entitling them to VA benefits?

[ChiTownVenture]

4,000,000 live births a year in the US.

It would be interesting to know how many of those live births make it to age 18, and then how many of those are able to work.

I believe mandatory military has been debated before, it would require the militarizing of most basic service jobs; police, fire, streets & sanitation... Almost every government job just to keep everyone busy working.

It's an interesting concept that other countries have adopted, but it can be dangerous and lead to unwanted consequences.

[ChiTownVenture]

Why would you need a single payer system if everyone had to serve,thus entitling them to VA benefits?

Everyone using VA benefits would equate to a single payer plan.

[ugonow]

I generaly think of a single payer plan as one like medicare,medicaid,not a plan that has government owned facilities and the doctors are government employees....but I guess it would be considered a single payer......

[ChiTownVenture]

I generaly think of a single payer plan as one like medicare,medicaid

I gotcha, I just assumed that the VA facilities wouldn't be able to handle everyone so the government would be forced to buy from private facilities.

[Deleted]

believe mandatory military has been debated before, it would require the militarizing of most basic service jobs; police, fire, streets & sanitation... Almost every government job just to keep everyone busy working.

It's an interesting concept that other countries have adopted, but it can be dangerous and lead to unwanted consequences.


Like North Korea?

[ChiTownVenture]

Like North Korea?

Or Brazil, which seems to work fairly well. They require 12 months of service once a male reaches 18.

[wyouser]

The first democracies in ancient Greece had a mandatory commitment of each to serve the "city state" in order to be citizens. There are unintended consequences in either a mandatory military service society or in an all volunteer system. A draft does rotate large numbers of citizens through the system. Rome fell in part because "citizens" would no longer serve and the military became full of hired mercenaries (foreigners or as the Romans called them, barbarians)

[deziloooooo]

Jan 7, 2011 15:25:55 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

I would prefer not to have mandatory military service. If the recruit doesn't want to be there, they won't be of much benefit anyway. Mostly tying up everybody's time dealing with personnel issues is how I foresee that going down.

If the ones in charge of the military felt that national conscription was the course to take, I know they would make it work.

16 Million went through the system in WW2, many millions during the Korean and in Vietnam conflicts.

The problem in Vietnam, which is always brought up and supposedly the reason for the volunteer force of today, was to long in a war the Military leadership , President and those surrounding him knew was unwindable unless really drastic action was taken.
That which was not going to be done. To many deferments so it became a class participation and the futility of the war and needless deaths of American troops was known by the populace.

However with all that, the man were trained, made a part of the military and it's culture in short order and over all did a superb job once committed in accomplishing the mission given to them.
The leadership, political, military, well that was another matter.

[Deleted]

Single payer through mandatory military service?? UHHHHH------ NO!!! This country does not NEED mandatory military service, and NO ONE should EVER be forced to serve. We don't need that.
Good try, though, but.. no bananas.

[deziloooooo]

Jan 7, 2011 17:07:41 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

If the ones in charge of the military felt that national conscription was the course to take, I know they would make it work.
Well no, they wouldn't be the ones making it work, the young officers and NCO corps would. And it's a headache I don't want.

Huh???...Actually officers at the 1st level do little but supervise..overlook..and D.I's 'S start the procss then as they move up in their training...

Ratchet, I wasn't getting into the specific name , rank serial # here..the idea was , while we no longer don't have a draft, we have gone to a volunteer force, if the powers to be felt we need to go back to a conscription force for what ever reason, I am saying they would be able to do that very well, just some time needed to re write the programs, get all the pins lined up in a row..

[billisonboard]

Jan 7, 2011 17:07:41 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

If the ones in charge of the military felt that national conscription was the course to take, I know they would make it work.
Well no, they wouldn't be the ones making it work, the young officers and NCO corps would. And it's a headache I don't want.

Too much truth there. I remember too well those days of "Of course my men can do that."

[BeenThere...DoneThat...]

...I oppose single-payer healthcare because there's no single "accountability" system in place... so, as long as we have personal freedoms in how we care for our bodies, we must likewise allow for personal responsibility in paying for the care of those bodies... and the day our bodies become state property, I'm outta here...

[deziloooooo]

ah...was wondering where you were comin from ratchets..I was referring to military types..pentagon..not the ciivilians who give the orders and technically are in charge of..sorry I wasn't clearer..touche.

[Politically_Incorrect12]

Jan 7, 2011 18:30:22 GMT -5 billisonboard said:

Jan 7, 2011 17:07:41 GMT -5 Ratchets said:

If the ones in charge of the military felt that national conscription was the course to take, I know they would make it work.
Well no, they wouldn't be the ones making it work, the young officers and NCO corps would. And it's a headache I don't want.

Too much truth there. I remember too well those days of "Of course my men can do that."

Followed by them getting a Bronze Star for their men doing all the work, to include figuring out how to get it done.