Political Party and Military Service..

[JakeStarkey]

asterism's graph demonstrates the adjusted correctness of "Most of the military is made up of poor, white and black, rural southerners, AKA, the republican base. The military provides these people with opportunity for something other than the shit existence they would otherwise have."

 

[mudwhistle]

asterism's graph demonstrates the adjusted correctness of "Most of the military is made up of poor, white and black, rural southerners, AKA, the republican base. The military provides these people with opportunity for something other than the shit existence they would otherwise have."

I wish you would spend less time talking about yourself and focus more on the topic.

 

[mudwhistle]

When I was in the military, politics was the last thing on our minds.

I don't know. In most units the upper ranks were nothing but politics. At least that is what conventional units were like.

Fuck up and move up.

 

[longknife]

The military, like all parts of society, go through social fluctuations.

When I served with draftees, most of them espoused socialistic views - aka Democrat.
When I saw the military change to All Volunteer, I saw more conservatives.

Like during the Clinton years, more and more are opting NOT to reenlist to try to make it a career under Obama who they see as doing everything possible to make life miserable for them.

If and when a Republican is elected president, the pendulum will swing back and those "wuzzy" officers now elevated to higher rank, will find reasons to retire and leave the military.

 

[SFC Ollie]

When I was in the military, politics was the last thing on our minds.

I don't know. In most units the upper ranks were nothing but politics. At least that is what conventional units were like.

Fuck up and move up.

Hey now.............

Anyway, these numbers correspond pretty much with what I saw and with the Army Times polls of the 90's....

A drop in the right but it seems the left didn't grow but the independents did....

Also, I can't remember talking about politics in 22 years, not even at parties in other Sergeants homes....no where.... Either that or I just didn't give a rats ass at the time....
I know I never missed a vote.....

 

[mudwhistle]

The military, like all parts of society, go through social fluctuations.

When I served with draftees, most of them espoused socialistic views - aka Democrat.
When I saw the military change to All Volunteer, I saw more conservatives.

Like during the Clinton years, more and more are opting NOT to reenlist to try to make it a career under Obama who they see as doing everything possible to make life miserable for them.

If and when a Republican is elected president, the pendulum will swing back and those "wuzzy" officers now elevated to higher rank, will find reasons to retire and leave the military.

I know what you mean. Carter screwed up the service, so I got out. Reagan started fixing it so I went back in.

And this shit about only the poor being in the military, when being in the military is popular everyone joins. The Air Force has a wide range of folks from differing backgrounds. The Marines is mostly guys that want to be macho.

 

[mudwhistle]

When I was in the military, politics was the last thing on our minds.

I don't know. In most units the upper ranks were nothing but politics. At least that is what conventional units were like.

Fuck up and move up.

Hey now.............

Anyway, these numbers correspond pretty much with what I saw and with the Army Times polls of the 90's....

A drop in the right but it seems the left didn't grow but the independents did....

Also, I can't remember talking about politics in 22 years, not even at parties in other Sergeants homes....no where.... Either that or I just didn't give a rats ass at the time....
I know I never missed a vote.....

We rarely talked about the politics in Washington. We had orders not to criticize Clinton. First time that happened. But we had this constant political struggle going on when I was in my conventional unit. The brown-nosers usually instigated it.

I joined SF and all of that went away. Most Green Berets are the smartest of the batch and they love reading war novels and talking about guns or working out. And most are extremely conservative. Some kid comes in and starts talking that liberal nonsense and he's liable to get laughed out of the team room.

 

[Procrustes Stretched]

Why was there such a shortage of troops during the Iraq war? Why didn't conservatives and Republicans enlist en mass?


Hmm...

 

[SFC Ollie]

Why was there such a shortage of troops during the Iraq war? Why didn't conservatives and Republicans enlist en mass?


Hmm...

Well, I for one retired after Desert Storm and was refused reenlistment after 2001.....

I already had 2 stents in the ticker......Or I would have been gone again......

 

[mudwhistle]

Why was there such a shortage of troops during the Iraq war? Why didn't conservatives and Republicans enlist en mass?


Hmm...

Well, I for one retired after Desert Storm and was refused reenlistment after 2001.....

I already had 2 stents in the ticker......Or I would have been gone again......

The shortage was mostly caused by Clinton using every excuse in the book to bounce people out.

Old DUIs or drug convictions
Being overweight
Not making rank fast enough


Then he started giving specific MOSs early retirement.

He gutted the military.

 

[ShawnChris13]

Why was there such a shortage of troops during the Iraq war? Why didn't conservatives and Republicans enlist en mass?





Hmm...

Because there were deployments to some other country in the middle eastern region. Afghanistan. Two fronts and hundreds of bases to man is quite a task. Plenty of people still joined. Political affiliation is irrelevant.

 

[mudwhistle]

Why was there such a shortage of troops during the Iraq war? Why didn't conservatives and Republicans enlist en mass?





Hmm...

Because there were deployments to some other country in the middle eastern region. Afghanistan. Two fronts and hundreds of bases to man is quite a task. Plenty of people still joined. Political affiliation is irrelevant.

The Iraq war was winding down before the Afghanistan surge.

Our military is in better shape and better equipped than it has been in a long time, and now that prick in the WH is gutting it again.

 

[ShawnChris13]

Why was there such a shortage of troops during the Iraq war? Why didn't conservatives and Republicans enlist en mass?











Hmm...

Because there were deployments to some other country in the middle eastern region. Afghanistan. Two fronts and hundreds of bases to man is quite a task. Plenty of people still joined. Political affiliation is irrelevant.

The Iraq war was winding down before the Afghanistan surge. Our military is in better shape and better equipped than it has been in a long time, and now that prick in the WH is gutting it again.

Have you met the new gen recruits and officers? It's a crying shame.

 

[mudwhistle]

Because there were deployments to some other country in the middle eastern region. Afghanistan. Two fronts and hundreds of bases to man is quite a task. Plenty of people still joined. Political affiliation is irrelevant.

The Iraq war was winding down before the Afghanistan surge. Our military is in better shape and better equipped than it has been in a long time, and now that prick in the WH is gutting it again.

Have you met the new gen recruits and officers? It's a crying shame.

Well, they must be pro-Gay.

 

[asterism]

asterism's graph demonstrates the adjusted correctness of "Most of the military is made up of poor, white and black, rural southerners, AKA, the republican base. The military provides these people with opportunity for something other than the shit existence they would otherwise have."

You apparently missed the far leftward lines showing how few actual poor people join.

The military is mostly middle class.

 

[asterism]

Why was there such a shortage of troops during the Iraq war? Why didn't conservatives and Republicans enlist en mass?


Hmm...

What shortage?

All services met or came close to their recruitment goals.

 

[Luissa]

I'm not sure about the source but I tend to believe his findings..

------------------

A week, or so ago, the paper printed a letter from an individual that was highly critical of the Republican Party, and conservatives, for going after Obama, and all the recent scandals going on in Washington at the time (June 19, "GOP blowing money for 'witch hunts'"). In ending his letter, the writer remarked that the Republicans and conservatives should join the armed services and learn some responsibility. The more I've thought about his statement, the more it offended me and I had to respond.

Just for the record, according to the National Memo, on June 21, 2013, those serving in the armed services are: Republicans 43.81 percent, independents 27.9 percent, Democrats 9.72 percent, Libertarians 5.4 percent, others 3.79 percent. Those who declined to answer were the 9.34 percent. In 2005 there were over 56 percent Republicans serving in the armed services. From these statistics, one sees that a lot more blood has been given by conservatives in defending this country.


More Republicans than Democrats served in military

Why is the article no longer available? Did they have bad numbers? Hmmmm

 

[Luissa]

Was it because the original article talked about the decline of conservative military members?
"The military is also less conservative than it was seven years ago.

"In 2005, a total of 50 percent of respondents described themselves as “conservative” or “very conservative.” The next year that number fell to 44 percent. And in 2012 it hit 42.72 percent, making it slightly more popular than the next most popular group, “moderate,” at 41.54 percent."
http://www.nationalmemo.com/only-43...y-as-republican-down-from-56-percent-in-2005/

Which is what the original article was about.

So why the decline of republicans in the military?

 

[ShawnChris13]

Was it because the original article talked about the decline of conservative military members?
"The military is also less conservative than it was seven years ago.

"In 2005, a total of 50 percent of respondents described themselves as “conservative” or “very conservative.” The next year that number fell to 44 percent. And in 2012 it hit 42.72 percent, making it slightly more popular than the next most popular group, “moderate,” at 41.54 percent."
http://www.nationalmemo.com/only-43...y-as-republican-down-from-56-percent-in-2005/

Which is what the original article was about.

So why they decline of republicans in the military?

Rise of independents and kids who don't care about politics.

 

[Two Thumbs]

Why was there such a shortage of troops during the Iraq war? Why didn't conservatives and Republicans enlist en mass?


Hmm...

clinton downsized the military.

and there was mass enlistments. Guess you forgot about lines coming out of recruiter stations.