Slog - Comments on The US Army: Now with more sex offenders, child abusers, and crazy people.

Comment by Non

Non — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:48:32 -0800

Good thing they didn't allow those GAYS in that thar military!!

*eye roll*

Comment by Bud Dickman

Bud Dickman — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:52:19 -0800

They allow know gangbangers in and then when they come back they use the tactics they learned out on the streets

Comment by Gurldoggie

Gurldoggie — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:53:02 -0800

"You don't need to be 'straight' to fight and die for your country. You just need to shoot straight." Barry Goldwater

Comment by COMTE

COMTE — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:03:09 -0800

@2:

Assuming the are able to come back, of course.

Besides, think of all the time saved in Basic - no need to teach teh Crips & Bloods et al how to field-strip a 9mm Glock (granted, not standard issue, but the Army has been considering some sort of update to the M-4 anyway - I think this would be the obvious choice given their "new" recruitment policy); and of course they've already got unit cohesion & discipline practices down pat, along with practice in use of silent hand-signaling.

Plus, they're all used to wearing some sort of uniform already, thus won't require much adjustment to that practice, either.

Comment by unarata

unarata — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:03:25 -0800

So now sex offenders and child abusers can go get blown up? I don't see this is as a bad thing.

Comment by Cat in Chicago

Cat in Chicago — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:27:34 -0800

Better than the draft.

Comment by keshmeshi

keshmeshi — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:29:12 -0800

@5,

Even if they abuse Iraqis? Even if they abuse other soldiers? There's a reason the military usually keeps those people out.

Comment by keshmeshi

keshmeshi — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:30:44 -0800

And, come to think of it, the Tonton Macoutes were often recruited from the bat-shit-crazy, rapist, child abuser set. It's nice to know that the Bush administration doesn't give a fuck if our military devolves into that.

Comment by cunei4m

cunei4m — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:23:00 -0800

Well, apparently it doesn't matter what you stand for...as long as you can stand and take a shot...

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:32:05 -0800

@7 is right - one of the jobs of sergeants is to weed out the undesireables. They tend to go bat shit at the wrong moments, quite frankly. More of a hindrance than an asset.

Comment by max solomon

max solomon — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:50:32 -0800

cannon fodder is cannon fodder.

Comment by linus

linus — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:56:46 -0800

is a draft such a bad idea...switzerland has conscription and hasint had a war in age's

Comment by feom

feom — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:09:18 -0800

i saw this story posted elsewhere and they described it more as burglarers (sp?), thieves, drug offenders and arsonists, with only a few found guilty of sex crimes and vehicular manslaughter or homicide. reading the article from The Guardian also reflects this as well.
http://www.wbir.com/news/national/story.aspx?storyid=56987

these felons are also more likely to drop out. (that's from the guardian.)

don't get your hopes up everyone.

Comment by Will in Seattle

Will in Seattle — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:31:58 -0800

@11 - they tend to create more problems over there too, which makes them a drag on internal resources for us.

Comment by monkey

monkey — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:10:48 -0800

I have no problem with these people going to die in Iraq. But war fucks up a person and if that person being mind fucked was already a nutcase to start then they come back an even bigger nutcase only now with PTSD and a working knowledge of weapons and a taste for killing.

Comment by California

California — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 19:08:30 -0800

Holy fuck. Of all criminal convictions to waive to clear a path toward fighting them thar trrsts, making terrorist threats!?!? They should be able to arrest the new soldiers for treason pretty quickly though, eh?