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The 'War on Terror' is undoubtably a global conflict, but I have trouble calling it a war. And to compare it to the horror and scale of WW1 and II seems... well insulting for one thing and derranged for another.

This is a struggle against enemies where a conventional war is impossible. Where there are no fronts and no clear targets or objectives. That the worlds most powerful man believes this will escalate to the scale of 1940...

ARGH!

I can't believe the amount of scaremongering that's going on trying to drum up support. How long until the "Uncle Sam Needs You" posters go up on every street corner?

When I was growing up there was a vintage Uncle Sam poster at the local post office. I vaguely remember being afraid of it as a child because he looked pretty dang stern and he was pointing at me. I'm pretty sure it was just a historical decoration type thing, though. And it was a few years before even Bush Sr, anyway.

We already have a lot of commercials for the Army. Always have, as long as I can remember (personally I preferred the little "Be all that you can be" jingle to the "Army of One" stuff. Nothing makes you want to go kill strangers for your country like a catchy tune! ). The current Army commercials are the worst. A young boy, who looks barely old enough to have about two hairs on his chest, says to his parent that he wants to join the army. The parent looks upset and talks about how dangerous it is. He says it'll pay for his college education, and he'll learn a lot. That seems to solve the problem, somehow, because the parent nods and smiles....

But anyway...World War III? What the hell has he been drinking? How is what is going on now POSSIBLY even close to being on the same level as World War I or II? Because the US got attacked? How does the thought process behind that even work? "Oh noes, we aren't invincible?! The entire WORLD must be at war because of it!" It must be interesting seeing things from his incredibly warped perspective. I'm not entirely sure I'd like to do so if given the chance, however.

There's a damn good reason that you're seeing so many army commercials at the moment - the army has been having serious problems meeting it's recruitment targets since the whole Iraq debacle kicked off. Things like Farenheit 911 that graphically show soldiers being blown to crap tend to have that effect.

Yeah, but there has always been a lot of Army commercials. I don't think that has increased much, honestly. I remember being very very young and the "Be all that you can be" thing being one of the most recognizable commercials on TV -- military related or not. Then there was that whole "A Few Good Men" commercial the Marines had. It's mostly always been Army stuff, though...

The only thing I've noticed that has increased has been I've gotten a few phone calls from Army recruiters here in town. And I've gotten postcards in the mail from the Navy and the Coast Guard, I think. I never got any of that stuff prior to 9/11, in spite of already being of age to enter the military. I do, however, think the commercials have gone SERIOUSLY downhill. "I know I might die, mom, but no college loans!!"

Our adverts are alright. "Be the best!" Join up and be part of the best fighting force in the world, etc etc etc.

Not sure it has had much of an effect considering the strong opposition to the war since before it even started. Not many people are going to join up to "Be the best!" if they think the war planners can't tell their arse from their elbow either.

Also the MoD has a habit of going on a recruitment drive and then 'down-sizing' about two years later.

But World War III... pah. What does that make the Cold War? World War 2.5?

It has more the flavour of a world-wide policing action then a struggle of great powers.

I always thought it was great to see the difference between the Army and the Navy adverts. The Army ones are all, "Join the Army! Be the Best!", whereas the Navy is "Be Part of Something." Seriously, what is that? You can just imagine some huge guy shouting "The Army! Be the Best!" at you, then some little skinny 5' guy saying, "Join the Navy, be part of something. If you want, no pressure."

/spam

Heh, world war III? *watches a flock of pigs float past his window*.
I already mentioned in another post the actual number of terrorist attacks compared to the numbers of what we do to ourselves.

My biggest fear pre 9/11 was being stabbed by a stranger on the street to steal my the little money I carry around. My biggest fear post 9/11 is being stabbed by a stranger on the street, and have some snotty fool say 'yeah, well at least it wasn't a terrorist'.

It's a joke really, it's like dealing with school yard bullies with F16's with sidewinder missiles to 'keep our children safe from threat'.

World war III indeed. We need to cut the crack cocaine supply going into the white house, serious dude. Before long they'll be claiming the moon is falling and that we need to shoot it with nuclear weapons to keep it back.

Yup. That definatley convinced me to sign up for the army when I'm older. Instead of risking me life every day, I get the fun of learning stuff while I'm doing it...

You find "Go Army" stuff everywhere now. At EDBD they had a Go Army tent, and some of the stuff used for training the soldiers, and what armor there going to have in 2010 and 2020. They had Marine stuff too. It was kind of dumb how people under the age of 16 couldn't go into the "training device"(It was a freakin video game!!!!) becuase you can't sign up for the army unless your 16..

Unlike the guy's parents at first in the comerical, my uncle actually wants me to sign up for the Army. I think he's lost it.

Err...sure you don't mean 18? I always thought that was the minimum age to enlist.

And why is your uncle concerned with you signing up to join the Army? By my calculations it's 7 years until you'll be legal to do so. A lot of stuff can change in that amount of time.

The Army doesn't seem to think so. My younger brother's the age of devils_daughter and he's been getting Army postcards (yay for the No Child Left Behind Act allowing the army access to all public school children's information!) ever since a kink in our school's databse accidentally listed him as a freshman in high school. As he's been removed from the database since, all the opt-out forms we send in get returned and the army keeps sending him letters.

We've also got a recruitment table in our school's cafeteria, as we're defined as a high-need school under the same act (large percentages of low-income students and lots of students with disabilities). Certainly not WWIII, but I see more and more evidence of this being another Zip Code War every day.

What scares me about Army recruitment is that all the people I know who have joined up, are the loutish thugs who you wouldn't like to meet after a night at the pub, let alone "protecting" your country- or civilians in other countries.

About half the people who I went to high school with ended up joining the military because they couldn't afford college or couldn't get into college without them. It's to the point in this country that joining the military with the distinct possibility that you're going to get blown up is the only way you can get a college education if you can't get the loans you need. And you don't have much chance for a good future if you don't go to college. It's absolutely deplorable. But that's a rant for another Issues thread.....

You can't go in it until you 18, but you can sign up once your 16.


I've got no clue. He says it'd teach me lots of stuff, and could help me out in the future...and blah blah blah. I think he's trying to get rid of me.

I have intentions to join the army. Mostly because by doing so they will pay for my university fees, which my parents are in no position to be doing themselves. I will be joining the band. My sister receives magazines from the army encouraging her to sign up since she took a week of work experience there and after reading them I have been swayed myself.

^ please don't go'nd hurt yourself, Em.

Oh god, I get those magazines as well. They don't seem to linger on the other thing about being in the Army, you may well get shot.

I agree with Oscar, don't go and get shot Ems, go in the band and do all the playing for the royal etc.

I brother spent some time working for the Army.

In his professional opinion, they're all c*nts.