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Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

chrisseaton.com

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Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#381

Post by monocasa »

relaxing wrote: post #359
dagw wrote: post #352

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My point stands: upper class serve more than lower class. While that may very well be true, it i worth highlighting that the reports you are citing as evidence is looking at the years 2003 and 2006-2007, and a lot has changed, economically and politically, since then. Also their cut off for "high-income" seems to be significantly lower than what most people would consider "upper class".

“Upper class starts at $65k/yr” is peak Heritage Foundation.

Jeeze, not just 65k, but 65k household as your neighborhood's median.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#382

Post by relaxing »

cscurmudgeon wrote: post #231
goodpoint wrote: post #213

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> you sign away all your citizenship rights > completely desperate ... the military is there as an option This does not happen by accident. It's practically indentured servitude with extra steps Step 1: cut public schooling, food programs, job programs, affordable housing, public transportation, free healthcare Step 2: fund the army to recruit a lot of people. Provide schooling, housing, food and healthcare to soldie…

False. The US spends a lot on public education. A lot of it is inefficient due to highly politicized unions and top-level admins that pilfer the money out from benefitting ground level teachers and students. https://www.manhattan-institute.org/issues-2020-us-public-sc... > 1. Thanks to decades of increases, America spends more per student than any other major developed nation. U.S. per-pupil expenditures have nearly…

So you admit the money does not reach those in need.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#383

Post by relaxing »

cscurmudgeon wrote: post #375
sudosysgen wrote: post #258

Earlier quoted context omitted.

People are talking about post-secondary education here. You are quoting primary and secondary. Your numbers do not apply.

1. False. 2. Even then, my point stands. US is #2 in post secondary education (#1 is the tiny state of Luxembourg). US spends more than twice the OECD average. https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator/cmd (See Figure 2) You are welcome! These are easily verifiable numbers.

Comparing nationwide figures is misleading since there are huge disparities in funding between rich and poor school districts.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#384

Post by jacquesm »

cassepipe wrote: post #330
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #74

My son was Army Reserve (US), did a tour in Iraq back in the day. He reported that Reservists didn't get the respect of regular Army, at least in his unit. They got shot at, shot back, did convoy duty, got blown up (twice). But somehow not 'real soldiers'. His unit got no commendations or promotions from the regular army base commander. He returned, still had enlistment period left, went straight to the Army Recruiti…

So he almost died in the unlawful invasion of a foreign country but his complaint is the he did not get a medal or a promotion ?

I don't think he had a say in that.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#385

Post by mcguire »

aksss wrote: post #326
scottlamb wrote: post #290

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a terrible system, and it was more terrible before Obamacare. In general when someone retires they're old enough to be eligible for Medicare (government-sponsored health care). My dad was. But my mom was just enough younger that she wasn't eligible for Medicare when he retired. There were (and still are) all kinds of weird gaps like this.

Obamacare created new gaps that absolutely sucked - made over 58k and self employed? No subsidies for you and paying a skyrocketing premium higher than any reasonable home mortgage with a 10k deductible. Completely unrealistic. And then the IRS hit you for thousands in penalties via the individual mandate. I lived through that, uninsured, for five years or so as a business owner - to “rich” to get subsidies, too poor…

"Obamacare created new gaps that absolutely sucked - made over 58k and self employed? No subsidies for you and paying a skyrocketing premium higher than any reasonable home mortgage with a 10k deductible. Completely unrealistic. And then the IRS hit you for thousands in penalties via the individual mandate."

I am currently paying $800/mo for a "silver" plan in a state that did not accept the extended Medicare. No, I don't get subsidies. I believe my deducible is roughly $2000, although I don't know because all of my costs have been covered, including the trip to the emergency room after I wacked myself in the eye. (The out-of-pocket limit for 2022 is $8700 for an individual. (https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/out-of-pocket-maximum-li...))

Before the ACA, individual market plans were cheaper (although for the first couple of years they were comparable), but did not cover asthma (as a "pre-existing condition). Hello, $750 daily inhalers.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#386

Post by throwaway743 »

formvoltron wrote: post #377
throwaway743 wrote: post #363

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So it's okay that the US military is used as the world police? Neither the war in Afghanistan nor Iraq were justified. Not to mention Saddam was an ally of the US for some time. US even gave Iraq the chemical precursors for their chemical weapons program. Yes, what's happening in Ukraine is awful, but by this logic, why has the US been supporting the Saudi Arabian regime in its war on Yemen? Why isn't the US providin…

Putin understands how you think, and it's part of his plan.

What an original, dismissive, red-baiting-ish comment. Next it's gonna be the other classic dismissal, "whataboutism". Truth is, I despise Putin just as much as the next and am fully against the war.

Oh and Mohammed bin Salman understands you. See what I did there? Didn't take much effort.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#387

Post by seti0Cha »

oneoff786 wrote: post #280
cmrdporcupine wrote: post #209

If I knew my country's armed forces were 100% a domestic defense and emergency response force, I would absolutely have considered signing up when I was young. You learn good skills, and I see great value in some larger-than-self contribution to community there. My father is German and left Germany for good not long after doing his compulsory 1 year service. He hated it, and it was one of many factors that led to him…

Yeah. I’ve grown up starkly anti military due to the kinds of fights the American military has fought in my lifetime. It’s been evil. Plain and simple. And yet, I’m glad we have a strong military given happenings in Ukraine. I would strongly support putting boots on the ground. To have the training necessary to join the volunteer defense forces in Ukraine or something similar resonates as a valuable, important skill.…

Were you around for the buildup to the second gulf war? The rhetoric against Saddam Hussein was not terribly different in tone than that against Putin. People were similarly outraged and many people wanted us to invade because of all the awful things he did, e.g. his treatment of the Kurds. In fact, pretty much all the major conflicts that have happened in my lifetime have been accompanied by a call to action based on moral outrage. I don't mean to offend, but it seems to me it's people such as yourself who have abetted our participation in so many conflicts, and precious few have been better for our involvement.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#388

Post by mcguire »

qgin wrote: post #339
sdoering wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Wow. I am always stunned reading accounts like this. I can't imagine living in a country where you loose health care when loosing a job or going into retirement. I have to admit reading posts like yours makes me realize how lucky I feel with the German system. And yes. I am well aware of the monthly costs that brings in terms of around 14% of my salary for health insurance. And of the limitations. But to me this stil…

For what it’s worth, currently you can get a mid-tier Obamacare / ACA health insurance plan for no more than 8.5% of your income. It’s a big jump to have a new expense of 8.5% for sure, but we do have that option now.

Does that subsidy depend on what state you live in? AFAICT, it doesn't apply here in scenic Alabama.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#389

Post by SaintGhurka »

blobbers wrote: post #312

Question for you all: I'm coming into my forties, so if I want to volunteer for the reserve, I need to start now. Is it a ridiculous thought? If SHTF, I'd like to have some more useful life skills than typing at a computer. I do have responsibilities to my family, so it would not be an easy sell. That said, it does appeal to me. Thoughts? Opinions?

If your family responsibilities don't prevent you from going away for ~5 months for the initial training (depending on MOS), then it's not utter madness to join at 40 if you're in decent shape.

It may be a pride-swallowing experience at first. You'd be thrown into a barracks with a lot of 17-20 year olds and you'd be treated like one of them. We had a 35 year old in my basic training. The trainers gave him only a tiny bit of slack.

You'd also spend some time as a 40 year old private - which might get you some looks.

Whatever you do, pick your MOS carefully. Look around and see what type of reserve and guard units are local because that's going to dictate your job choices. If there's nothing but infantry locally, then you're going to be infantry or something that supports them. If that's the case, be a medic. Everyone likes the medic.

Re: Why I'm in the Army Reserve – an explainer for my friends in tech

#390

Post by emmelaich »

doodlebugging wrote: post #246
emmelaich wrote: post #214

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought the meaning of the 2nd amendment is now not solely understood as needing a well regulated militia. It is presented as an example of the benefit. So a modern sentence would be something like The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. For example, it is required if a well-regulated militia is to be assembled. Thus disconnecting the "well-regulated militia" idea as the sole justifica…

No disrespect intended at all in my response. I know it is a divisive issue. Looking at the history though you would want to be a revisionist historian if you were to be phrasing it in that manner. It was a contentious issue even back then. I have described why it reads as it does as it is important to understand that in reality, those who drafted the amendment went through multiple revisions before arriving at the f…

You probably know a lot more about it than me. I'm not even from the USA.

I was using the DC v Heller 2008 case and various commentaries on that.

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