romad1

We could also incentivize kids to show up to their MEPS in shape with a stipend.

probably. So for the first 6 months these conscripts would be enjoying radical body modification (lipo, cool sculpting, semiglutide shots, hard dietary changes, and solid fitness activity) in order to get them where they could serve as well as learning combat skills.

Trump learned how to be a better sadist in military school. He was already learning that from Fred Trump. We don't need that sick weirdo being commander in chief again.

the average age of the Ukrainian army is 43 I read the other day. Can you imagine? We no longer have an agrarian population or one where large families are common so there are no "surplus" teenagers like there used to be. We also have a conflict environment where technical acumen is required to be effective. What we do have are immigrants who come in and do the work. Orwell said it well.

Having watched German conscripts tear up the fields of bavaria with their tanks because "who cares, we are just conscripts" I can imagine it won't yield the results we want. Finding a better way to incentivize smart suburban kids to take a chunk out of their lives to serve voluntarily would be good. I don't know how to do that except create bleak economic conditions for them and I don't want to do that.

2 years minimum. No matter what kind of service. Training for combat arms takes at least 6 months.

IF we were at war. Heck yes. And I mean a national mobilization war against China. But, whatever the f Trump and his oligarchs want do to the Constitution with our kids, no way.

I really don't want to have my kid fighting in Trump's army to invade states that refuse to enforce the national religion. I don't want my kid marching at gunpoint to resegregate the schools or punish Trump or the Trump family's political enemies.

Honestly, I see pitchbot in light of the NYT's cranky behavior toward Biden as less funny anymore. NYT may be the newspaper of the NYC literate class but its also a mouthpiece for the oligarchy that desperately wants to get those Trump era tax breaks and benefits for landlords reasserted.

fun stuff thread

Talk of Trump refusing the drug test for the probation interview. He's nervous about the Adderall.

Andor if you are into what Star Wars could be, not the kiddie show most of the content has become.

So, its a story about the ship having a battery near water. He's never heard the question before, somehow there is a shark approximately 10 yards over there but there are a lot of sharks who are misunderstood but really its because Big Shark wants to have you eaten by sharks. But, you might be electrocuted by the battery if the boat is sinking. Mr. big brain had never heard that before because only a 6 year old would ask it. I don't think Biden's team will have to go far for material.

Don’t fret over the horseshoe types on the left.

Yeah that’s a solid case.

VA residents CMVRIV, others...do you think VA is even close? I think Project 2025 would mean the Hampton Roads/Tidewater area would shift blue hard over that. If the election is decided on the basis of everyone in the state who isn't loyal to Trump losing his gig and a destruction of the civil service system.

So we've been outscored 14-1 since stealing two games against Texas.

Gonna be a lot of unhappy people downtown tonight.

what the hell was up with the non-challenge on Vierling?

well said. and what is it with Murdoch's choice of wives?

nevertrumpers skew heavily toward violently rejecting bullies.

there are a lot of bad faith polls in the system that are used to generate reaction.

Polls are definitely broken.

Yes, this belongs here because the Ur-"cleanup in aisle lunatic" was the Second World War.

Awe struck by all the D-Day commemorations. Imagine having to face that for our kids. NATO prevented war during the period 1949 to 1989. Collective security is the only way to prevent future wars and to keep the bad actors from threatening the peace.