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To: 2ndDivisionVet
Even more important than these general demographic shifts is the change wrought by the end of the draft in 1973. Until then, military service was distributed pretty evenly across regions. But that is no longer true. The residential patterns for current veterans and the patterns of state-level contributions of new recruits to the all-volunteer military have a distinct geographic tilt. And tellingly, the map of military service since 1973 aligns closely with electoral maps distinguishing red from blue states.

Some random thoughts on this: 1. How much does the organized harassment of recruiters & disruption of recruiting efforts in "Blue States" play into this uneven distribution of servicemen? 2. I've noticed an increasing trend of veterans to 'retire' or seek civilian employment near one of their duty stations. Most of the remaining military bases are in the South.

11 posted on 12/16/2008 8:24:26 AM PST by Tallguy ("The sh- t's chess, it ain't checkers!" -- Alonzo (Denzel Washington) in "Training Day")
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To: Tallguy

The real truth is there are too many pussies in the Blue states to tip the scales.....


14 posted on 12/16/2008 8:26:37 AM PST by rightwingextremist1776
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To: Tallguy
2. I've noticed an increasing trend of veterans to 'retire' or seek civilian employment near one of their duty stations. Most of the remaining military bases are in the South.

I think this plays a bigger part that some realize. I've had many friends retire to areas where there are large military bases for several reasons, and I think this influences the demographic shifts quite a bit.
21 posted on 12/16/2008 8:33:40 AM PST by af_vet_rr
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To: Tallguy

One more random thought: Red states, those with higher representation in our armed service, are also those states which have the highest birth rates. Coincidence?


42 posted on 12/16/2008 8:50:35 AM PST by eclecticEel (In short, I want Obama given the same respect and deference that Democrats have given George Bush)
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To: Tallguy

Don’t forget, either, that because of local leftist leanings, Jr. ROTC is banned in most high schools in the ‘blue’ states. What would have been an early recruiting/training base is closed off to the military.

Serving in the military is looked down on by the intelligensia and professional class that populate much of the Northeast. It’s ok for your kid or mine, just not theirs. They want to be protected, but not at the risk their own kids’ lives. They create a cacoon that must be protected by others. By now that mindset is so ingrained that, frankly, the kids never even think to join the military.

A few years ago a man wrote a book about his upper middle class kid’s decision to join the USMC. (Can’t remember names now, but they were featured several times on FNS) How could a kid from that environment think to join the service? He spoke of the rection from friends, colleagues, neighbors ... as if it were the strangest decision a kid had ever made. Not like it was experimenting with pot or anything socially acceptable.


86 posted on 12/16/2008 10:37:48 AM PST by EDINVA
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To: Tallguy

“Some random thoughts on this: 1. How much does the organized harassment of recruiters & disruption of recruiting efforts in “Blue States” play into this uneven distribution of servicemen? 2. I’ve noticed an increasing trend of veterans to ‘retire’ or seek civilian employment near one of their duty stations. Most of the remaining military bases are in the South.”

Good points, all. You sound like / think like an economist.

I noticed Drudge is reporting that China is attempting to re-censor the Internet. Also, Venezuela (Hugo Chavez) violently shut down the only opposition television station. So much for the “fairness doctrine,” free speech, in China & Venezuela.

My point? Freedom isn’t ‘free.’ Bad people are still out there. Remember the civil rights movement, Liberals? It is still going on GLOBALLY, so - help us. Get with the program. Freedom.

Blue State voters = Coward-state voters

Whose ‘side’ are you on in the battle for human freedom, Democrats?.....


108 posted on 12/16/2008 4:49:50 PM PST by 4Liberty (Discount window +fractional reserve banking = moral hazard + bank corporate welfare + Inflation tax)
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